Tuesday 12 January 2010

Sometimes we simply have to get up, get out
and do something for other people!

It’s 2010 and the start of a new decade. My goodness how time flies. It really does seem that it was not so long ago that we were greeting the new millennium. There was so much worry then about what would happen when the clock struck midnight and the dates in all those computers rolled over to 2000.

Well, the stars didn’t fall from the sky. The banks didn’t lose our money (that was still a few years off!). And the food supply didn’t dry up. We averted Armageddon. Phew! Were we ever really at risk? Who knows. But my how we whipped ourselves up into a frenzy.

We are only a few short days into 2010 and yet we are again worried, frustrated and anxious. Some of us fear for our jobs. Others hope to find one. The economy and the markets have been in the dumps and despite what the so-called experts say, the proverbial pig seems forecast to remain lean if not outright hungry.

So, what are we to do? What can be done if we find ourselves scowling when wished a Happy 2010? Allow me to offer a suggestion of something to try.

In my experience, it’s very easy for us to focus on what’s not right in our lives when we’re either alone or inactive. Now, what I mean by alone isn’t a literal definition. Some of us can be alone even when surrounded by others. But if we don’t speak up or make an effort to communicate with those nearby, we are for all intents and purposes “alone”.

Moreover, far too many of us are inactive. All of the wonderful inventions of the last two centuries have enabled us to do so much more without having to lift a finger. Oh, we’re much more efficient. But what do we have to show for it? Bigger waistlines? You betcha. And I posit that we are much more introspective due to our inactivity. A good thing? Perhaps not.

Speaking for myself, I know that when my routine doesn’t include sufficient physical activity or even enough mental diversions, I focus on myself – and not always with the best results. When we turn inward, a part of us all too often turns on itself. Instead of becoming our own best friends, we become our own worst enemy.

In such times, we can find ourselves pushing those emotional and psychological buttons that only we know how to do. It can be annoying for those around us. But it’s nothing short of a living hell for those it’s happening to – us.

As a child when it became apparent that I was in this kind of funk (my own technical term), my mother would summon me and present me with a list of chores to do OUTSIDE the house. But it wasn’t simply getting me out of the house. There was more to it than that. There was a second, essential component.

The active ingredient of my mother’s prescription was interaction with other people. So, for example, I would have to run next door to borrow something for the kitchen cupboard. Or if it was winter, I might be called upon to assist another neighbour chopping wood. And in summer, there were nearby swimming pools to clean and the cars of friends and family to wash. It didn’t really matter what I did. It was just some physical activity that required me to interact with other people.

That latter element, I have come to appreciate, is so important because it triggers a human emotion that naturally boosts one’s mood and, in my opinion, one’s immune system. What is that emotion? It’s empathy.

Empathy is perhaps most simply defined as the ability to understand another’s plight in life. When I was chopping wood or running errands for a neighbour, I was removed from my personal and physical environment and forced to confront the situation of another fellow human being. All of a sudden my worries and my concerns most of the time magically vanished. And if they were still present somewhere in my consciousness, then they were guaranteed to be far from the RED ALERT level where they had been before I took my mother’s medicine.

These days it can be so easy to tune out the rest of the world. Sometimes that’s a good thing. But if you find yourself glum and in a grouchy mood, I offer my mother’s prescription. Get yourself up. Get yourself outside. And get yourself doing something physical for someone else. It always worked for me. Perhaps it will work for you.

What I’m talking about here is about making a conscious decision to create positive change in one’s life for the better. Sometimes we know exactly what needs to be done and how to do it. Sometimes, however, it’s not that simple. Sometimes we need a helpful but firm hand to guide us. If you find yourself in the latter category, then consider my Intuitive Life Coaching services.

Every day I work with clients who have chosen to empower themselves to make the changes that they need to live a healthier and more authentic life. Through my Intuitive Life Coaching I provide one-on-one sessions to guide and inspire my clients to do it for themselves, whereas my Medical Intuitive Readings help identify the spiritual issues underlying illness. If you are ready to accept that challenge and behold the awesome potential of your own powerhouse, then let’s get started today!

And don’t forget about my Journey to Power forums. Please join me there and let me hear what you have to say on what I’ve written here. I look forward to your postings!

I always welcome your thoughts and feedback on IntuitiveBridges, so let me hear from you by clicking here.

Until next week,

Kindest regards,

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