Friday 2 April 2010

Losing self - finding self

I got lost. I got very lost. So many things coming through my life. So many ideas - some dreams coming true, some seemingly so far ahead and out of reach; I wonder if I'll ever get there. And inside my mind it's like music's playing, so many instruments, and different melodies, but then there are only these minutes in front of us to hold it all. The minutes go past so fast, and maybe a few things have gotten done, perhaps none of what you set out to do. So few of us have time to think about what we're doing or why we're doing it, or where we're going. And before you know it the days are flying behind you and your dreams, well, maybe some of them have come true. Maybe you didn't dream high enough or hard enough. Maybe you never believed you could even have a dream. Sometimes it is enough to be alive and breathing this pure air, and leave the dreaming to others.

Sometimes I think we are the dream, dreaming of itself. All of it is so substantial and yet when we sink into sleep it all becomes vapourless, insubstantial, like time, and invisible putting together and disappearing of moments. So people collect together, and objects, animals, the majestic overlay of weather and sky, of light and dark, sound picks up and wraps around, food completes and solidifies. All these things and more come together and this we call our reality. Our dreaming that has beckoned us from a sleep we cannot remember falling into - a memorylessness.

I am part of it the remembering and the forgetting. All these precious eyes that have looked at me. If only I could remember. If only they stayed there all ways. I never want to forget any of it. None of them. I love cuddles, I love holding on so tight, it's as though there's never a letting go. Life has moments added one to another; so many cuddles, so much sleeping, so much eating; all that. And here am I pursuing some moments of my own making; trying to craft a vehicle that will carry me forward that will create wonderful dreams out of all this meandering through the elements of the universe.

I'm looking for some certainty, to reach solid ground. To know, I can remember. To hope that at the end of it all, something greater came of it, yet that implies this wasn't good enough. This life of mine, these moments strung together like so many stones carved and hewn and polished and put upon one's neck. And this life of mine is so good,so very very good. I can hardly bear thinking about its passing. I have so enjoyed the revolutions of it, how my heart beats on waking, and my breathing slows with tiredness on sleeping. How lovely are the people I meet in it. How great the laughter has been. What beautiful sunrises among the mists of mornings, when I woke to the sound of birds singing, the rain on the roof. And the sunsets, with a warm mug of tea, sitting by a fire, on a beach listening to the sea rolling in and out, breathing.

If you have done it right, I think; made peace with yourself. Met yourself half way, forgiven yourself when you let you down.

If you have applied your love equally and generously and stepped in to help when others tired. If you carried more than your share when you could, and yet could give up your burdens with gratitude when someone else offered to take them. Well I think maybe you have done alright. I think you have done alright, even if you don't know what's going to happen. Even if you never solve the puzzle that is intrinsic to our existence, I think it's probably OK, someone else has somewhere; somebody somewhere knows even if we don't. Maybe, if we get a chance to look back, a rare luxury; maybe we can say to the rest who are following 'It's OK, don't worry so much, take a breather now and then to look about you, see what's in your life, see how you can brighten it up for the ones behind you, struggling along the same path called life.' It can after all be a tough journey, too tough for some of us. Many of us never make it to the point where we expire because we really have gone past our sell by date. We are lucky if we can smile,, if we can laugh, if we can shake off and forget our troubles for the briefest of moments. There are many many things to count as precious, to find value in, and they are not always the things you expect. Luckiest of all, is being loved. And because that is so true, it is good if you can love what's before you and around you. If being loved is the greatest possession you can ever hope to have - then loving is the greatest gift. No matter where you are in life, at the beginning or the end, you have an infinite capacity to love. Whether you are tired or grumpy, hungry or full, pained or comfortable, rich or broke, the ability to feel love is always there.

Being for others is always available.

What does that mean? Being for others?

I think of the people who inspire love in me, who make me feel loved by the way they are, who cause love to trigger in and overflow out of me. Sometimes moments do it; the ridiculous antics of animals, or someone's eyes when they're loving something they're doing, or the timbre of someone's voice.

How different is the sound of the one you love's voice, and those voices that jar our nerves and make you want to leap under a duvet. And, how our voices can change between the two when we're forgetting. I'd like to know what it would sound like, if there were no jarring sounds; if everything felt loved one day, all at the same time. If even the street under your feet was feeling loved as you walked on it. Almost as if everything got that little bit of attention and validation it craved. 'You are important, you are. You areloved. You are important in my life because you are here. In this fleeting moment that has come and gone already. All of our lives touched and met at the juncture of these words. Who am I to belittle it. What a moment... what a magnificent moment. How special this strange little place has become. I am hoping in the quiet of this night, that I might find a bit of peace, something that eludes me when I'm rushing from one thing to another. The only peace it seems, that I can truly find, is the kind that never leaves you - it's always there; it's a sense of completion and of timelessness. It says... even in the middle of something when everythings hanging full of beginnings and endings and not-quite-there-yets, don't-quite-know-for-sures, it says it's all done already, don't be afraid, everything is just as it should be, everything is fine.

Because we don't see the big picture. We can't see how our being in a place determines the outcome for everyone; for the future, and makes our yesterdays meaningful. It all depends on where we are at, but more importantly - how we are at. Most of us, are never really there at all - we're always trying to escape. Looking for distraction, looking away, missing the beauty that's sitting right in front of us. Missing our life's purpose... I mean, how is that possible? How can you miss your life's purpose. You can't, it showed up right there with you the day you were born. You were fulfilling it as you sat in the arms of your parents, and wherever you're sitting now, however it is - whether you think it is horrible or lacking, marvellous or crazy - well, it's all done already. The not knowing is just part of the surprise, this struggle and struggling is just unwrapping the gift paper. The present is when we realise it. We finally look up and go 'Oh - this is the present. This is it, right here, right now.

Right now, we get to be. How incredible is that!



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IN the beginning
‘A Beautiful Mess Inside’

Find your way out of Trauma:- The Survivor Warrior Workbook
This powerful workbook is used as a teaching tool with therapists, support groups and community education programs. It was inspired by Angela's Removing the Sword of Trauma events. It is for survivors, warriors, advocates, loved ones and supporters ready to move past pain and suffering and reclaim joy and happiness. You can use the workbook in a group, on your own or with your therapist.

This workbook is 117 pages long and is a DOWNLOAD. Thank you for your commitment to healing BUY NOW $9.99

'Prepare to be Raw' by Matthew Warner

Click here to view more details
Please check out and have an amazing life. Thanks.



Copyright 2010 Louise Brookes

Thursday 1 April 2010

Twitter Etiquette

When do you say thank you? When do you take a bow?
With a TY, anytime, the more the better, but especially for shoutouts; when someone's mentioned you or RT'd (Retweeted) you even.
And sometimes its good to give your faithful followers an #FF, a Follow Friday. The day when your outstanding twitterer pals, who have wowed you with their links, the wonders of the world, or plain down-to-earth common sense - an #FF is a great way to say thank you especially if they've re-tweeted everything you've been up to to their world . That's a bit like saying 'I love you' in public when your drunk - you know the 'I love you so mush, I do... (hiccup) come ere an give us a kish' mwa, mwa. You can't help but be overly fond of such folk.
Then there's the time you get a direct message - often there are folk out there sending automated messages saying TY for following me - probably because they get thousands, yes thousands of messages every minute and also because they've set up an account so that when they follow you 'it' messages you. Personally I never answer to an 'it'.
Twitter is about conversations, sharing knowledge , making connections. You want to make real connections, live in the real world right. Well I do, but sometimes you can take things too far...

If you're talking about where you want to go to dinner tonight with your nearest and dearest, it's probably best to Direct Message them.
And then there's how you use Twitter, a lot of folk out there are folk who will interact like fiends, they'll answer ever Tweet they get, and follow up and hound innocent bystanders. Whereas other folk will just tell you what they had for breakfast and never ever answer your direct message once, or follow you.
The point is what do you want to get from Twitter and what do you want to give? What are you sharing with the world? 'Be-ing the change you wish to see', is as good advice as you can get (thanks Gandhi); so if you think someone is twittering balderdash at you - tell them and be on your way, and if they're helpful, share that too. Every one wants to be validated right?
Follow me on Twitter if any of this has been remotely useful, TY folks

Orphans helped in Haiti

What some good folk were doing in Haiti just in time for hundreds of orphans

and more about Kevin Bronson's work here in his blog:-
they were originally there to set up food growing and irrigation scheme, but switched to search and rescue and aid when the quake happened.

They were $40 000 in the red as of the end of January because of the emergency maybe you can help here:-
'Thanks for your concern and help and again, remember the workers & their safety in your prayers!'
Reginald Bronson
9391 Lupin Avenue
Winton, CA 95388
Ph (209) 358-8577
reg@bronsonent.net

PS - Feel free to share the word with your friends and contacts

For more information on how you can help please contact:
Roger Jantz rvjantz@gmail.com
Reg Bronson reg@bronsonent.net
This is a quote from his blog about some of the saddest aspects of recovery:-
I thought a few days ago that a rotting body was the worst smell possible, but now I think it is somehow worse when it is attached to a living body. The medical team dresses the wounds, hands out antibiotics and painkillers, and decides who needs hospital care. We haul those that need care in the beds of pickups about two hours or more into the DR over bumpy roads. They are amazingly stoic, although hitting a speed bump or big set of ruts too fast usually brings a chorus of screams and groans. The supply seems undimishing.
Yesterday we hauled a man who had been dug out just a few hours, having been buried for 5 days. One load I had 3 patients on IV, so that kept us hopping.


Tuesday 30 March 2010

Angels are a twittering...


Angels A-Twitter Week!

April 29th is Angela Shelton Day in honor of the the work of Angela Shelton to inspire and empower all survivors of abuse to heal and lead joyful lives. The day was given to Angela from the mayor of her hometown of Asheville, NC in honor of all survivors of abuse, violence and neglect.

Sunday to Sunday April 25-May 2nd we will be doing an
Angel A-Twitter Week.

Here is a video from Angela Shelton on how to twitter.

Angela Shelton Day is the time to share stories of healing and transformation. We will follow 3 powerful stories of male and female survivors for the whole week.

Angela Shelton will start us off during her live Sunday Show on April 24th and recap on the following Sunday.

We will be using the hash tags
#NEVERAGAIN
#ITOLD

#ASDAY10 for Angela Shelton Day 2010
#AOA for Army of Angels

Follow @angelashelton @survivormanual and @thearmyofangels

This event is free to be a part of Angela Shelton Day but to get an official Angela Shelton Day Twitter Ticket - give whatever you can to support the foundation. No need to buy a ticket if you don't have the money. Twittering is free!

________________

Thurs, the 29th, the official Angela Shelton Day, we will find out the outcomes of fhe stories.
Friday the 30th, we will share resources and respect for those who told their stories.
Sat, May 1st, we will celebrate the good stories with a dance party.
Sun, May 2nd, Angela Shelton will recap the week on her live Sunday show.

This is an event to raise awareness and money for the Angela Shelton Foundation that runs The Survivor Manual.

The Army of Angels are doing blogathons, marathons, vlogathons, and months of Joy to raise money for the foundation!

Do you have an idea on how to help inspire and empower more people to lead joyful lives? You can come up with your own creative way to donate to the Angela Shelton Foundation too! Go to First Giving and click "get started" on your creativity.

Monday 29 March 2010

Positive P.E.R.S.O.N Products


P.E.R.S.O.N-able means that Jigme Karma products aim to encourage
·Positive ·Ecological ·Regional ·Sustainable ·Organic and ·Non GMO practices.


The Survivor Manual Warrior Workbook



I have to say this has really changed my life. I have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and in December of this year really knew I had to do something about as my life had hit a real low point. It's one thing dealing with the world when your stress is at a regular level but with PTSD it can go off scale. You overreact to things that normally aren't considered stressful - suddenly making a simple phone call or dealing with paperwork can become completely overwhelming.
Anyone who knows me will know that I have been through some real difficult times in my life. I have been fortunate to have considerable help and support.
Trauma effects people in different ways. Often childhood trauma, particularly to children under the age of four years when their brain is still developing, can cause real physical damage to their development which may not show up until years later or as adults.
Progressively successive trauma can debilitate a person's ability to deal with life's usual hurdles in positive manner, they are literally worn down. After years of ill health, my father dying and being unable to work consistently I realised I had to address the root causes of my inability to deal with my life.
I joined an online support group which has been considerably beneficial and this led me to Angela Shelton and her Survivor Manual Workbook which literally teaches you to overcome trauma and heal yourself.

This powerful workbook is used as a teaching tool with therapists, support groups and community education programs. It was inspired by Angela's Removing the Sword of Trauma events. It is for survivors, warriors, advocates, loved ones and supporters ready to move past pain and suffering and reclaim joy and happiness. You can use the workbook in a group, on your own or with your therapist. This workbook is 117 pages long and is a DOWNLOAD.

Click here to view more details




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