The other day I read that we have 2 billion 500 million heartbeats in a Lifetime. This struck me as an amazing statistic. I had no idea. I am a bit surprised.
More than surprised however, I am a bit embarrassed that so many of mine are unaccounted for and have been used without my thinking about or appreciating this wonderful gift of life that I have had all of this time and never thought about at all.
Today someone sent me this wonderful and very kind wish for the New Year...
My Wishes in 2014 are that God gives You...
12 Months of Happiness
52 Weeks of Fun
365 Days of Success
52600 Minutes of Good Luck
315600 Seconds of Joy...and that's all!
I will always be happy that someone was so thoughtful and kind to send a wish for every month, week, day, minute and second of the new year 2014.
These two messages are making me think more seriously about how to use this precious time for a happy healthy and better year in 2014.
Best wishes to all of you who read this. I urge you to join me in thinking about the year ahead and making your 2014 happy for yourself and those around you in the New Year.
Emme
Tuesday 31 December 2013
YOU'LL NEVER KNOW UNTIL YOU TRY
I have come to believe that the biggest thing that holds us back from realizing our hopes and dreams in life is FEAR. We can wish and dream about something forever, but without trying we will never accomplish it.
As President Roosevelt said during World War 2, "The greatest thing we have to fear is fear itself". I think he was right.
Fear keeps us from trying new things. It prevents us from going to new places, daring to do something new or different. Worst of all, it stops us from turning our dreams into reality.
I think that each of us have a safe or comfort zone in our lives. We feel comfortable within a certain range of activities and ideas. These may feel good to us because they are part of our lives as habits and our daily routine. In fact, such things make our lives easy and simple and let us get a lot done each day.
Trying something new however, can make us feel uncomfortable. Many of us actually ask ourselves some questions that give us an idea of what it is that really worries us about trying something new.
Some of the things we might ask ourselves are:
What if we try something and don't like it? What if we try something and we are not good at it? What if we fail? What if we fail and someone else sees it?
Sometimes we are fearful that we might embarrass ourselves. This stops us from trying something we haven't done before or are unsure we might be able to do.
I think however, that we might turn these questions around and ask ourselves instead: What if we try something and find we like it? What if we try something and find we are good at it, or could become good at it if we practice it? What if we succeed?
Most embarrassment is self consciousness. When you decide however, to try something, you take a first step toward success at something new. Most of us are a bit awkward when we trying something unfamiliar. Why wouldn't we be?
Many things we are good at have required passing that first try and moving forward until we master that task and incorporate it as a part of our lives.
When we think that at one point or other in our lives, everything we did was done for the first time, we might be open to adding new things and being more willing to find some new ideas to add to our lives.
Some of us start small, others jump over obstacles. Each of us has to find a way that works for us.
Taking that first step gives us a chance to be happier and come closer to turning our dreams into reality. You'll never know until you try.
As President Roosevelt said during World War 2, "The greatest thing we have to fear is fear itself". I think he was right.
Fear keeps us from trying new things. It prevents us from going to new places, daring to do something new or different. Worst of all, it stops us from turning our dreams into reality.
I think that each of us have a safe or comfort zone in our lives. We feel comfortable within a certain range of activities and ideas. These may feel good to us because they are part of our lives as habits and our daily routine. In fact, such things make our lives easy and simple and let us get a lot done each day.
Trying something new however, can make us feel uncomfortable. Many of us actually ask ourselves some questions that give us an idea of what it is that really worries us about trying something new.
Some of the things we might ask ourselves are:
What if we try something and don't like it? What if we try something and we are not good at it? What if we fail? What if we fail and someone else sees it?
Sometimes we are fearful that we might embarrass ourselves. This stops us from trying something we haven't done before or are unsure we might be able to do.
I think however, that we might turn these questions around and ask ourselves instead: What if we try something and find we like it? What if we try something and find we are good at it, or could become good at it if we practice it? What if we succeed?
Most embarrassment is self consciousness. When you decide however, to try something, you take a first step toward success at something new. Most of us are a bit awkward when we trying something unfamiliar. Why wouldn't we be?
Many things we are good at have required passing that first try and moving forward until we master that task and incorporate it as a part of our lives.
When we think that at one point or other in our lives, everything we did was done for the first time, we might be open to adding new things and being more willing to find some new ideas to add to our lives.
Some of us start small, others jump over obstacles. Each of us has to find a way that works for us.
Taking that first step gives us a chance to be happier and come closer to turning our dreams into reality. You'll never know until you try.
Monday 30 December 2013
REALISTIC RESOLUTIONS
Like most of you sometime today, before or after midnight, I will make some resolutions for 2014.
Like almost all of you, I will make some sensible ones; to take better care of my health, eat fewer sweets, be nicer to people around me and things like this.
It almost goes without saying that, of course, the Diet starts as soon as New Year's Day is over.
Experience however, teaches us that most of us a week from now will look back and see that our good intentions, like so many from previous years, have gone out the window. Therefore, several years ago, I began to keep my resolutions pretty general and very simple. I feel this gives me a 'fighting chance' to succeed.
So what I do now usually is to say a brief prayer asking God for strength and encouragement for the coming year.
I also resolve in a very general way to improve on the areas in which I am still falling short on and which I am disappointed with in myself.
If I am being especially insightful and wiser than usual, I promise myself to stop giving other people advice and hoping somehow to change them. Instead I hope I will listen more, be kinder to those I meet and a better friend to those I care about.
I look back on other years and am amazed at where I have been and try to imagine what may lay ahead both in realistic terms and in what on my Wish List might just be possible.
Most importantly, I smile at those I meet and those I am with, and wish them well...with all my heart.
Happy New Year - wishing you all good health and happiness in the coming year.
Like almost all of you, I will make some sensible ones; to take better care of my health, eat fewer sweets, be nicer to people around me and things like this.
It almost goes without saying that, of course, the Diet starts as soon as New Year's Day is over.
Experience however, teaches us that most of us a week from now will look back and see that our good intentions, like so many from previous years, have gone out the window. Therefore, several years ago, I began to keep my resolutions pretty general and very simple. I feel this gives me a 'fighting chance' to succeed.
So what I do now usually is to say a brief prayer asking God for strength and encouragement for the coming year.
I also resolve in a very general way to improve on the areas in which I am still falling short on and which I am disappointed with in myself.
If I am being especially insightful and wiser than usual, I promise myself to stop giving other people advice and hoping somehow to change them. Instead I hope I will listen more, be kinder to those I meet and a better friend to those I care about.
I look back on other years and am amazed at where I have been and try to imagine what may lay ahead both in realistic terms and in what on my Wish List might just be possible.
Most importantly, I smile at those I meet and those I am with, and wish them well...with all my heart.
Happy New Year - wishing you all good health and happiness in the coming year.
Tuesday 24 December 2013
EXPECTING THE UNEXPECTED
Recently I was thinking about the upcoming Christmas and New Years celebrations and how most of us will again be seeing our friends and family members. Many of us still send out Christmas cards, most of us make an extra effort to see each other in person if we can as well.
I noticed this year that people seemed to be less organized than usual and having a much harder time fitting everything in. For example, I met friends on the other side of the city well over an hour later than I expected to, last Friday, and again on Sunday. Because my friends were very busy themselves, this actually worked out better on Friday than expected. We also postponed an additional thing we thought we might do together because they had plans a few hours later and several additional errands to do in between.
On Saturday, Toronto got hit with a major snow storm which became a problem with a quarter of a million people without power and heat. Some are still having to resort to shelters. Some people may be effected by this until the New Year. The streets were, ice rinks in many places. Many tree branches broke because of the weight of the ice on the branches. Though lovely to look at, getting anywhere can easily become dangerous. In more than one place, tree branches and ice covering streetcar lines put transportation in several areas out of service.
What is one to do when a pileup of events beyond your control slow you down or put you seriously behind your schedule? What do you do when something comes into your life that demands you alter your plans completely?
In cases of illness, I think our bodies are actually sending us a message to slow down, lighten up and start taking better care of ourselves. When nature throws us for a loop, we are forced to work around it and adjust our schedules to allow for unexpected delays that are beyond our control.
I may be stating the obvious, but particularly with illness, you either are 'out of commission' and/or must rest to recover. When unexpected natural events occur, you can adapt and reschedule or allow more time in order to get things done.
Both illness and storms can effect our schedules and slow us down somewhat. What I suggest however, is that we pay attention to such occurrences and
use them as an opportunity to slow our pace down to what is manageable under the circumstances. After the event, we might make a few plans for future unexpected events by taking a few safety precautions particularly relating to power outages, so that we might cope better in future.
In the midst of the event however, not only is attempting to treat everything as if it is normal not possible, but it is not sensible either. Often we will be better off to acknowledge and accept we will not be able to do as much as we usually would. By accepting this, we will find we are able to prioritize and adjust to what it possible under the circumstances. We can then actually accomplish most of what we need to do, while arriving at our destination calmer and more relaxed because we have already adapted to what can be done.
Wishing you all a safe, happy and relaxed Christmas holiday and hoping most of us will still be able to ring in the New Year with the weather cooperating a little more.
Tuesday 17 December 2013
RELATIVE VALUES - COURAGE AND DECENCY
This time of year reminds us frequently of the people
in our lives, past and present. Some of them are in touch with us and the
renewed contact evokes memories both of shared experiences as well as, our
relationship with them.
The relatives we hear from and meet up with are a keystone. They bridge the gap between the past and the present. Like the idea of BFF, our relatives have always been part of our lives. They are, of course, related closely to all of those we love.
The relatives we hear from and meet up with are a keystone. They bridge the gap between the past and the present. Like the idea of BFF, our relatives have always been part of our lives. They are, of course, related closely to all of those we love.
For good or ill, our relatives know who we are, where we really
live and where we have been. Most of them have been with us when we celebrated
and perhaps more importantly, when we grieved. Most of the experiences we
shared together were and will always be, important to us. Like it or not, they
have more in common with us than we think.
I thought today about courageous men. I knew I would
marry a courageous man because I was raised by one. Both of them lived quiet
decent lives and faced death in quiet and dignified ways. I wish neither of
them had to call on the courage they had within them and that various elements
of their lives might have been happier or easier, but ultimately both of them
lived good lives and ones that were honest and decent.
As the year ends, I will see many members of my family.
The foods we will share, the Christmas song and prayer are those our family
have said and sung for over a thousand years.
While it may be true that you can never go home again,
in the sense of duplicating a time from your past, when you had a home worthy
of the name, you take the lessons you learned and pass them on to those around
you and those who will follow you. There is comfort in this, especially in a
world where so many are so desperate to escape their past that they waste the
present too.
I am glad of whatever opportunity I have to honour
those who have preceded me and who bequeathed to me their noble traditions and
beliefs. These gifts thankfully have made life make more sense than it would
have without them.
Monday 16 December 2013
REMEMBERING...
There is something about this time of year that evokes memories of Christmas past and other New Year's as well.
Yesterday I told a Japanese friend that at this time of year everyone eats too many sweet things and that most of us consider it a waste of time to start a diet till after the New Year...that is what Resolutions are for. We both laughed when I explained that with the best of intentions...every New Year most of us make resolutions that starting tomorrow...
Today though I was also thinking of the people who were and are in our lives. We hear from relatives and friends by phone, email, and even now through a few letters and newsletters and cards.
We also notice poignantly those who are no longer with us and also that many of us have taken over the holiday preparations that our parents took responsibility for when we were growing up.
Many of us now have our parents join us if they are still alive and able to. The rest of us, quietly remember the important part they played in our lives, during the holidays and throughout our lives while they were still with us.
Yesterday I told a Japanese friend that at this time of year everyone eats too many sweet things and that most of us consider it a waste of time to start a diet till after the New Year...that is what Resolutions are for. We both laughed when I explained that with the best of intentions...every New Year most of us make resolutions that starting tomorrow...
Today though I was also thinking of the people who were and are in our lives. We hear from relatives and friends by phone, email, and even now through a few letters and newsletters and cards.
We also notice poignantly those who are no longer with us and also that many of us have taken over the holiday preparations that our parents took responsibility for when we were growing up.
Many of us now have our parents join us if they are still alive and able to. The rest of us, quietly remember the important part they played in our lives, during the holidays and throughout our lives while they were still with us.
Wherever we are and whatever
form our celebrations are about to take, I am going to remember to leave a bit of room in my day and in my life to remember other years and other celebrations in gratitude and
appreciation.
This is one resolution I intend to share with my loved ones during the Christmas and New Years celebrations this year...and one I intend to work hard to keep in the new year.
Tuesday 3 December 2013
A FEW MOMENTS AMID A LIFE IN PROGRESS
There are few people that can look at a life in progress, their own or anyone else's, and determine what should be considered the most important events of that life.
Besides, if we are actually enjoying our lives, we are too busy living them to be trying to summarize them in some sort of THIS IS YOUR LIFE retrospective.
Although I have been very impressed by the historian Paul Johnson who seems somehow evaluate the years and decades most important events very perceptively; the rest of us, not having Johnson's insight, will probably just have to muddle along and let someone else write the eulogies after we are gone.
"The Unexamined Life is not worth living" said Socrates in the 4th Century B.C.. Today however, many of us suspect that philosophers, psychologists, and the type of people who spend a lot of time talking about the meaning of life, may actually devote more time and energy nosing into other people's business, than they do living their own lives.
There is however, something nice about taking a few minutes to share reminiscences about our experiences when we get together with friends and family at this time of year.
Some of us are meeting again after a long time. For some families, Thanksgiving is a time of large family get togethers. For many of us however, Christmas has become the time when most of us make an effort to be together at least once a year.
At this time, particularly if we have not met for a while, some summary of our present life seems to be in order. We find ourselves needing to be able to update and summarize where we have been and what we have been doing recently.
For most of us, the daily details are less important than an overall summary of what we have been doing with our lives since the last time we met.
Such minutiae as children's skinned knees seems far less important to us or those around us, than the observation that time has passed and marvelling at the children are growing up so quickly or whether we feel our lives are better and worse than before.
Perhaps this isn't so bad. These people have known us all of our lives, and vice versa. Some of the them are able to see the similarities and differences in our lives from other times we met, because they have the benefit of knowing us well. They may also have the unique insight and perspective which meeting infrequently somehow permits.
Whatever observations they might make, we can all agree that there is some comfort and encouragement to be had, in catching up on each others lives. We also have some satisfaction in remembering shared experiences, memories of our lives together as well as, thinking about those of our friends and families who are no longer with us.
Before we all disperse again back to our separate daily lives, our lives in progress; it is nice to take a few moments and briefly reflect upon and remember the past, with those who have been with us for all of our lives. Then it's back to the future that seems just a step beyond the threshold as we return to our own individual lives.
Besides, if we are actually enjoying our lives, we are too busy living them to be trying to summarize them in some sort of THIS IS YOUR LIFE retrospective.
Although I have been very impressed by the historian Paul Johnson who seems somehow evaluate the years and decades most important events very perceptively; the rest of us, not having Johnson's insight, will probably just have to muddle along and let someone else write the eulogies after we are gone.
"The Unexamined Life is not worth living" said Socrates in the 4th Century B.C.. Today however, many of us suspect that philosophers, psychologists, and the type of people who spend a lot of time talking about the meaning of life, may actually devote more time and energy nosing into other people's business, than they do living their own lives.
There is however, something nice about taking a few minutes to share reminiscences about our experiences when we get together with friends and family at this time of year.
Some of us are meeting again after a long time. For some families, Thanksgiving is a time of large family get togethers. For many of us however, Christmas has become the time when most of us make an effort to be together at least once a year.
At this time, particularly if we have not met for a while, some summary of our present life seems to be in order. We find ourselves needing to be able to update and summarize where we have been and what we have been doing recently.
For most of us, the daily details are less important than an overall summary of what we have been doing with our lives since the last time we met.
Such minutiae as children's skinned knees seems far less important to us or those around us, than the observation that time has passed and marvelling at the children are growing up so quickly or whether we feel our lives are better and worse than before.
Perhaps this isn't so bad. These people have known us all of our lives, and vice versa. Some of the them are able to see the similarities and differences in our lives from other times we met, because they have the benefit of knowing us well. They may also have the unique insight and perspective which meeting infrequently somehow permits.
Whatever observations they might make, we can all agree that there is some comfort and encouragement to be had, in catching up on each others lives. We also have some satisfaction in remembering shared experiences, memories of our lives together as well as, thinking about those of our friends and families who are no longer with us.
Before we all disperse again back to our separate daily lives, our lives in progress; it is nice to take a few moments and briefly reflect upon and remember the past, with those who have been with us for all of our lives. Then it's back to the future that seems just a step beyond the threshold as we return to our own individual lives.
THE MORE WE GET TOGETHER...THE HAPPIER WE'LL BE
The title refers to the traditional children's song originating in
the 18th or 19th centuries.* It is an easy song to learn and can be repeated
over and over or you can add additional verses of your own.
The message is an easy one to convey and remember and the simple
tune can be danced to by children holding hands and moving around in a circle.
As an adult, the simple truth of this song strikes me because for many years now, friends of mine meet other friends of mine and my friends become your friends, and as the song says, we are all happier for it.
Over the years, each of us establishes a circle of friends, some who came into our lives when we were young children, others throughout our formative years and also during each phase of our working and personal lives as well.
The amazing thing with friendship is that with the passage of
time, we realize, some of these people have been our companions for most of our
lives and are still with us today.
These people have been with us through all of the good times, and
possibly, more importantly, through the bad times. Our friends have supported
and encouraged us whatever the circumstances. Hopefully, we mutually have made
each others lives happier and better.
So it is, at this time of year, when we prepare for our Christmas and other celebrations, as well as, the New Year, we take a moment to recognize and acknowledge our appreciation of the fact, that our lives are happier because of the friends, and friends of friends, who have contributed to our happiness and well being.
Join me and take a moment to be happy and grateful to the splendid circle that makes each of our lives better...our Friends and Friends of Friends who accompany us on our journey through life.
*WIKIPEDIA REFERENCES:
The More We Get Together is a traditional British folk song and popular children's song dating to the 18th or 19th century.
Like Did
You Ever See a Lassie?,
its tune was taken from a 1679 Viennesetune by Marx Augustin, Oh
du lieber Augustin.
Lyrics[edit]
The more we get together,
together, together,
the more we get together,
the happier we shall be.
For your friends
are my friends,
and my friends
are your friends.
The more we get together,
the happier we shall be.
MY NOTE;
You can also make two additional verses by saying THE MORE WE DANCE TOGETHER and/or THE MORE WE SING TOGETHER...
You might possibly think up other words to add and make your own additional song verses for your children and friends..
Wikipedia also adds that: The song was used in a UK advert for Wrigley's Extra chewing gum in 2006.and that in August 2013, Subway New Zealand used the tune to advertise their Limited Time $5 Lunch Deals.
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