Today I did more than 5 laps of our local park, which I'm informed is approx' 1 mile each lap! This same park is where I would do 2 laps 3 times a week when I was being "good" but latterly I was doing 2 laps once a week and groaning when I saw the little hills it holds. Today, I thought, "What hills????" because after doing Arthur Seat as part of out Moonwalk training, there are No hills in the Figgate Park and the 5 laps were a relative dawdle!
It's all relative, isn't it? Our perception of how big a hill is, is formed from what we know as our norm' and our ability to deviate from that norm'
I have greatly deviated from my normal level of fitness over these past few weeks and it has been difficult to be motivated to push myself to the next level, sometimes. The thing that has made it easier is the fact that I'm sharing the hard work with a group of great women who all encourage each other do do the best we can. Some weeks we are brighter and breezier than others and those are the weeks that we set the pace and encourage the others to keep up. Other weeks we are those doing the keeping-up and being encouraged to do so by those in front of us.
And so it should be with everything in life! We should lead the way, when we are the strongest. Helping those who are following behind us. People give themselves a hard time for not being as good as others and should be taught that those who they aspire to be are just a little bit further along the road than they are. They need to hear that they have the potential to be like those they admire-they just have to follow their lead.
We should all be encouraging each other to be the best that we can be-even if that best is in something we have no understanding of. We have all been put here for a purpose and if we are living our lifes purpose then we will be content with our lives-even the challenges it brings.
That may seem a little bit simplistic but I believe that we need to trust that all will be well and not to fear what lies ahead. This recession that we are supposedly in has been caused by the media making people fearful of spending. If there had not been all the doom and gloom predictions, I reckon it would have passed us by relatively unnoticed by most. Yes, we'd have seen the petrol price rise and the pound drop against the dollar but we could have just moaned as usual and went on about our merry ways.
I'm sure that there are many who'd disagree with me on that but it's my blog and I get to put down my opinion. We should all respect that everyone has the right to their opinion. We don't have to agree with it-in fact, Bill and I often agree to disagree because we have disimilar views on many things and it makes for some lively debates.
I used to feel so threatened when he disagreed with me. I thought that it was me, as a person, who he didn't accept rather than my opinion. I took things very personally and I think that can be a problem for many people when conflict arises. They see the conflict as a reflection on them-not the situation. Communication has to be established during disagreements. I mean that both parties have to be heard and listened to, by each other. Sometimes it helps to have a 3rd party around to "translate" because people hear things that aren't actually said because it's what they're expecting to hear.
This conflict can be as simple as between parent and child or as complicated as two warring countries.
Communication will always be the answer and to be able to distance yourself from any emotion involved is important. Facts need to be heard. Reasons need to be heard. Even excuses need to be heard. From both sides, without emotion getting in the way.
Human beings are emotional. We do take things personally. We have to learn to be objetive and understanding to the other side in any confrontation. Put yourself in their shoes and ask yourself what you'd do/say??? You might find that you'd surprise yourself by finding that you'd do exactly the same!!
I'm not a lover of conflict-never have been, never will be. I'm a coward, if the truth be known and I'd always rather run in the opposite direction. I have great hope for our younger generation, despite the media warnings of alcohol and substance abuse amongst them.
I see in many of them the future being settled by negotiation, rather than violence. I know that part of my reason for being around is to spread the word about how the Bach Flower Remedies can help with negative emotions such as hate, envy, greed, resentment, suspicion and intolerance. They can help increase confidence and courage and decrease fear,which can only serve the future well.
It has dawned on me that I have descended into a bit of a rant during this blog-not like me. I think it came from the whole perception-thing and I wanted to say how much I believe that perception has a lot to answer for.
As a closer.....let's all try to remember that when we are put in a situation where we are feeling negative towards someone or something, that it is our perception of that situation which may choose the way we respond. That way may be wrong because our perception may be wrong. If you can, step back physically one step before you attack or defend your perspective. Let it remind you to take the emotion out of your response and to look again at the facts.
You may just step your way out of a confrontation!!
Wishing you all the best of everything this coming week,
Lxxx
Posted on Wed, May 20, 2009
by Linsey Denham