Time

Time is a strange old thing... sometimes it feels like it's dragging and yet at other times it seems to fly by. Time gives us structure to our day and sets landmarks when we remember events both in our past, present and future. It could be said that time itself is 'timeless' as it is not necessarily governed alone by a physical clock, but also through our memories.

Earlier this week, I re visited a place that I had not been to since the tender age of 18. Although just over 22 years have gone by, when I arrived it seemed as if the years had melted away and that the familiar place and the dear people who reside there had remained unchanged - it was as if  the world and life itself  had stood still!

Obviously, over two decades have passed and over the years I have grown and experienced many new things which has made me into the man that I am today and yet I felt as if I had been transported back through time... Precious memories and feelings re surfaced from long ago and a kind of familiarity and a deep sense of peace was felt within.

As I reminisced about the past, I was consciously aware that as an individual I have matured and changed. The reality of life and the world that we live in is ever more present in my thoughts as opposed to the naivety and innocence of my youth and my 'present' experience was very meaningful and real.

The wonderful experience as a whole has re ignited something in me which I felt long ago, but it is in a different way which will take much discernment.

What the future will bring, who knows.... only time will tell ;-) x

Determination

Well, that's Christmas and New Year all over and done with for another year, so it's time to get moving once again with all the determination and hope for the future twelve months ahead. It's time to put into place all those changes that I said I would do after reflecting on 2014 just a few days ago...

It's all rather exciting - its akin to being born again, having the slate wiped clean, leaving past hurts, mistakes etc behind and moving forward. But what does the year have in store? Who knows... One thing I do know is, that only I can make change; only I can shape my future and push forwards. To make things happen in life, I have come to the conclusion that only I can make things happen and that reliance on others is futile. People can share the vision and the journey, but only I can go where I need to go and self determination and focus is paramount.

Time to clear out the old and start afresh... It has been a long time coming I can tell you, but hey, it's all part of the master plan and lessons have been learnt! x

Change

Change is an inevitable part of life... sometimes good and sometimes not so good, depending on how it is perceived. Change enables growth, and gives new experiences and challenges.

I think that I sometimes tend to get stuck in my own little world and naturally resist anything new. To move forward though, I need to ask myself what good will this do me? the answer has to be no good at all.

This year provides me with the opportunity to start anew, embrace change and grasp with both hands all that life has to offer. This is the challenge of the New Year, to get out there and do what I want to do and embrace anything that comes my way with a new sense of vigour.

Bring it on.... I'm ready :-)

Forgiveness of Self

No one is perfect in this life... we all have done things which we are not proud of and would like to turn the clock back if we had the opportunity. Whether we have done or said something with intent or not, or if we have inadvertently hurt someone by our words or our actions, it can leave us feeling with a sense of guilt and remorse.

There are so many situations in life that perhaps we feel that we could have acted differently or in a better way. It could have been down to our immaturity, our psychological or spiritual state of being or due to some life event or experience that we have gone through.

Regardless of the situation or what we have done, there comes a time when we need to find forgiveness for our words or our actions. Sometimes, forgiveness is not possible, as those whom we have hurt may not be able to forgive, either because they remain resentful  or they may have moved away and no longer be in our lives or they may even have died.

Life is a journey and as we grow and experience all that life has to offer, we mature and see things in a different light. It is only by reflecting on our lives that we sometimes feel a sense of wrongdoing on our part and a need to put things right. Harbouring onto guilt is not a good thing as it will damage us on a physical, psychological and spiritual level, which can have a dramatic impact on our well-being and future lives. Such impacts can lead to ill health and leave us in a perpetual state of limbo where we are unable to move on with our life and we become trapped in a never ending cycle of negativity.

In my experience, the first step towards healing is forgiveness of self... This may be very difficult to grasp as we may not feel worthy of forgiveness due to our past actions or words, but by forgiving self, it is only then that we can move on with our lives, be better people and strive to act differently in the future. By forgiving self, we learn to live in the present moment rather than living in the past, giving us a renewed sense of purpose to change and improve and to build on our experience rather than being held back by what we have said or done... Emotions often play a significant role with any form of guilt. We may feel angry, upset, resentful, fearful, or even vulnerable. It is usually these negative emotions which fuels our lack of forgiveness and therefore if we accept them for what they are and not dwell on them, perhaps we will be able to move on with our lives.

This entry does appear to be rather 'heavy' in nature, and perhaps rightly so as it is something which can have serious implications on our individual lives. I feel blessed in many ways, but mainly due to my belief and faith in God which helps me through much of the darker aspects of self. I feel blessed because in my heart of hearts I know that there is forgiveness to those who are sincere for their wrongdoings and wish to put things right.

Life is very precious and short in duration... I believe that we all need to stop living in the past and live more in the present moment. We need to learn from our mistakes and try not to replicate them and lead better lives where we can demonstrate love through our words and our actions. Living in a perpetual state of negativity from our past mistakes is a waste of that life and we are worth so much more than that ;-) x

The Impact of Social Media on us as Individuals

Over the course of the last decade, Facebook and social media has played an ever increasing part in our daily lives... More and more we have become dependant on our daily fix to either 'interact' or 'spy' on the world.

We share both our joys and our sorrows with anyone who will listen... we link up with friends of old, as well as making 'new virtual' friends. Our daily lives are broadcast to the world!

It is hard to remember what it was like before social media played such a huge part in our lives and although it has some very good points and benefits, it can also have a negative impact on us as individuals and indeed other people. Many thousands of people have lost their jobs due to it, while others use it as a breeding ground to commit crime.

For the general user, it has become a place where negativity is bred through coveting what other people have and by being judgemental towards their life choices, beliefs, sexual orientation, colour etc... It can also be used as a tool to gossip or hurt others by posting comments which can cause much psychological pain and suffering.

It is also used for political reasons and propaganda is spread like wild fire. It is so easy to get caught up in the moment and digest others subjective views and make them our own, without really looking into the facts, breeding racism and unjust views.

On the flip side, social media brings a host of benefits - like never before, we can interact with others across the continent and learn things that could once only be found in books. It also can dispel loneliness and can create a sense of community, even if it is only in a virtual sense.  We can keep abreast with latest developments of things that we are interested in and it has also become a platform to promote charitable works.

Social media therefore is down to us as individuals - it is up to us how we use it, whether that be positive or negative in nature and we alone are accountable for our own actions.

From a personal point of view, I have begun to limit the amount of time that I spend in the social media arena, or at least to think before I post anything which could be construed as being harmful or negative towards others. Some months ago, I considered leaving the arena all together, as I felt that it was having a detrimental and negative impact on my Spiritual Self, as I allowed myself to be drawn in to others negativity which made me think in a judgemental way, when really from the limited information posted, it is near impossible to make an informed judgement on anything.

As human beings, we naturally make judgements on other people, life and the world around us... it is questionable however if social media plays a predominant role in those judgements and if so whether they are for the good of others and indeed self...

The question therefore arises on a personal level.... Do we use social media for the good of others and self, or does it have a negative impact on our being? That is for each and everyone of us to decide and to make a concerted effort to make change if that is what is required.

 

Life

Life seems to pass us by in an instant... When we're young, we feel that we will be young forever and yet age creeps up quickly and silently as if to catch us out...

During our lives we meet so many people, some are fleeting while others stay around for a while. One thing I know for sure is, whether fleeting or staying around for the long haul, each and every person leaves some mark on our soul.

Sometimes we fall out with friends and family - usually over trivial stuff and the only thing that prevents us from moving forward is our ego, our pride and our stupidity.

It's a new year... a new start... time to let go ;-) xx

New Year's Resolutions

Why do we set ourselves New Years resolutions? Each and every year, the majority of us resolve to do something better or different or indeed change ourselves in some way, i.e lose weight, get fit or give up smoking etc.... As the days and weeks go on, our resolve seems to weaken somewhat and before we know it, our plans for the New Year seem nothing more than a distant memory.

New Year is a new day and indeed a new beginning, a time when we reflect on the past twelve months - predominantly in a negative way - as that seems to come more natural to the majority of  us.

New Year is a time that invokes in us a sense of renewed hope and optimism to change our past ways and become 'better people'. A time when historic misdemeanour's are wiped clean and it's as if we are born again to a better and more optimistic world.

This New Year has much hope and promise - like every other year, but it will only live up to its expectations if we go out there and get what we want through an Inner Transformation.... Paying lip service is no longer enough... An inner change needs to take place enabling that renewed sense of self to strive forward and change...

Of course, we do not need to wait for New Year's Day to come around... each and every day is a new beginning; a sort of mini new year, a time to take tiny steps to achieve that which is in us that yearns for change.

Through past experience, it has become apparent that change is a personal thing... no one can make us do it, only we as individuals have that power. Change predominantly comes about through discernment of self... External changes can be fleeting but internal change seem to have a more lasting effect.

My father often used to tell me that 'a saint is the sinner that falls and then picks himself up and carry's on...' That seems to ring true for me! No matter what happens this year, this month or even this week,  each and every day is a gift - an opportunity to pick ourselves up and dust ourselves down, to learn from the past and continue to strive towards our inner goal....

I wish you all the best with you're journey through out 2015 xx