Topic: RAWK's Bloggers' Musings, Wisdom & General Positivity for 2019 & beyond!

[24/7]

How about that if your act is pure, your intentions should be pure also.  For instance, a person may do good deeds not for their own sake, but with the intention of some future gain.

Selfless deeds? Indeed. Altruism. As opposed to acting out of the expectation of a return, or in relation to one's own agenda?

[Maggie May]

Selfless deeds? Indeed. Altruism. As opposed to acting out of the expectation of a return, or in relation to one's own agenda?

That's what I reckon.  A person may (say) do charity work which he/she knows is at such a level so as to attract the attention which could bring them a gong or a seat on a quango for little work for silly money, as opposed to a person who does charity work "at the coal face" because they genuinely want to help those in need without thought or expectation of any reward.

[24/7]

June 9th - Saturday

"Nothing is impossible to a willing heart." - John Heywood

Nice and simple that one. Not much to work out or consider.

What can you achieve today, with a wiling heart, that your mind has been telling you that you couldn't do?

[Peabee]

My altruism extends to telling the cashier at Spar to put my change in the charity box.

[Maggie May]

June 9th - Saturday

"Nothing is impossible to a willing heart." - John Heywood

Nice and simple that one. Not much to work out or consider.

What can you achieve today, with a wiling heart, that your mind has been telling you that you couldn't do?

I dunno Jim.  I do have a willing heart, but I still can't see me turning out for the Tricky Reds next season.   

[24/7]

June 10th - Sunday

"Swallow your pride occasionally. It's non-fattening." - Frank Tyger

Mmmm yes, I had a 10-course banquet of this not too long ago (the story is back there somewhere in the thread) and I am so glad I feasted on that pride. I learned some very valuable lessons in doing so. Never under-estimate the nourishing power of humble pie!

Is there a situation in your life right now where you believe a good, solid helping of that pie will help you grow in much more significant ways than you might otherwise do so?

[24/7]

June 11th - Monday

"The real winners in life are the people who look at every situation with an expectation that they can make it work or make it better." - Barbara Pletcher

Or both!

The key word for me there is "expectation". If you expect to 'fail', you usually will but if you expect to 'succeed' then you have a much greater chance of doing so. Rarely do you succeed by accident or inaction.

Is there a situation you are involved in right now that you have the ability to influence or change but perhaps don't feel confident in that ability? Why hold back? Use your influence! Change your state, raise your energy and intention, then take massive action.....

[24/7]

June 12th - Tuesday

"Things don't go wrong and break your heart so you can become bitter and give up. They happen to break you down and build you up so you can be all the you were intended to be." - Charles 'Tremendous' Jones

How do you respond to things going wrong? Do you roll over, seek to apportion blame, attack the perceived source of the problem? Or do you look for the learning points, see what you might have contributed to the issue, look for what you can take forward?

[24/7]

Oops - I've been travelling so I have some catching up to do.........am on it!

[24/7]

June 13th - Wednesday

"Success is the child of drudgery and perseverance. It cannot be coaxed or bribed; pay the price and it is yours." - Orson Swett Marsden

I like this one. It's one in the eye for the Want It Now generation (plenty of those in football these days, for example!) - it's also one in the eye for people who think that they can buy their way into success - yes, you can - but it doesn't last.

Form is temporary, so the saying goes - class is permanent.

It takes time and effort to succeed with a lasting change.

What steps can you take now towards a success that is not consigned to history swiftly (and in some cases brutally) before you can even enjoy it?

[24/7]

June 14th - Thursday

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where is stands at times of challenge and controversy." - Martin Luther King

That's when you find out more about yourself - and others. When the chips are down, how do you respond? How do you answer to adversity and strife? Do you dig in, stand your ground, fight your corner, stand up for others who are being victimised or oppressed or in some way being taken advantage of? Do you battle unfairness or do you sit inside your comfort zone, not wanting to risk what you have?

Whose corner can you fight today? June 14th is the 1st anniversary of the Grenfell Tower disaster, in which 72 innocent people lost their lives in another preventable incident that appears to have been partially caused by authorities believing themselves absolved of their duty of care. Sound familiar?

I dedicate this post to the friends and families of the victims and the survivors and also the campaigners. They're not giving up on what they know to be just and fair. Neither should you.

[24/7]

June 15th - Friday

"Few things help an individual more than to place responsibility upon him and to let him know you trust him." - Booker T.Washington

Or her. Just saying

When delivering training or coaching around delegation, I always remind managers that "responsibility" means "having the ability to respond" - it doesn't mean "always get it right"! Also, I remind them that when they delegate a task, they are retaining the responsibility for its outcome. The delegation part goes to someone they trust to get the task done - as well as, importantly, someone they know has the skill set to get the task done, otherwise all you're doing is setting them up for a fall - and I've worked with managers who do that, as a tactic to clear dead wood or drop someone in the poop. Not cool.

So, back to the quotation - this is an excellent tool to foster personal growth and many of us will have experienced it as some point in our lives. How many of us are in a position to do the same now for others? How would it make you feel to exercise that power and actively participate in the growth of someone? What a wonderful opportunity to pass on your skills and to nurture others' ability to respond to situations.......

Go and do it today for someone in your life!

[Maggie May]

Problem is, when people are clearly capable of doing a task, and have said quite willingly that they would, and then not being arsed, not doing it and not telling anyone else in time to cover/rectify the situation.  Not appearing to care, and expecting everyone else not to care either.  I don't know if its a malaise that just affects Docklands, but I've seen it time and again - I could easily cite loads of examples - and its the reason why I'm content to be a footsoldier these days. 

[24/7]

Foot soldier? No worries with that. Remember the line about being a candle or the mirror that reflects it? As long as your either, you're making a difference......

[24/7]

June 16th - Saturday

"Stand up, be bold, be strong. Take the responsibility on your own shoulders and know that you are the creator of your own destiny. All the strength and succour you want is within yourself. Therefore make your own future." - Swami Vivekananda

Raaaawwwwr! There's a call to action if ever I've seen one!

Struggling with something at the moment? Can't seem to find the strength to push through the barriers? Is your strategy not working? Then change one thing. Maybe you need to change the source where your energy comes from - maybe you've been looking outside, not inside. Maybe you are finding yourself realising it's safer/cosier/warmer/less scary to remain in your comfort zone. Maybe you are giving into the inner voice that denies you your victories, perhaps it's the voice that tells you you're not worthy enough......

There are many self-limiting beliefs that speak to us throughout the day. If you want to achieve something badly enough, there will be times when courage is your best friend but that best friend also has the power to visualise your success and push you towards it.

Most often, the biggest obstacle to our goals is ourselves. Yes, there will be key, critical and major obstacles to overcome along the way to our goal - so start to be more creative in finding ways around them. Look for reasons why you CAN and DESERVE TO achieve!

I don't know your specific situations, however if you want assistance in working out a new strategy to reach the destination you're aiming for, hit my inbox with a cry for help. You know I'll listen.....

[24/7]

June 17th - Sunday

"Don't limit a child to your own learning, for it was born in another time." - Rabindranath Tagore

Particularly true in the digital age, right? There are kids out there now in school who are currently learning skills that will applied in jobs that do not yet exist - and there's no handbook for that, at least not until THEY write it!

The thing about knowledge throughout the ages is that it doesn't necessarily follow that the generation preceding yours only has learning to - they can teach too.

What can you learn from the generation behind you today? You might be surprised to discover that, in some ways, they are not behind you but ahead......

[24/7]

June 18th - Monday

"Once you start working on something, don't be afraid of failure and don't abandon it. People who work sincerely are the happiest." - Chanakaya

I like this one. It fits in with a running theme recently about perseverance and reward. The second bit reminds me of a line from someone who's name escapes me just now but it's something like the worst day of someone who enjoys what they do is better than the best day of someone who doesn't.

It really does help to enjoy the thing you do the most and I am guessing that's where the sincerity comes in. Nothing more soul-destroying in my life than when I was doing a job for the sake of working. I hated it and, as a result, I hated myself. There was nothing redeeming about that situation, certainly not the pay! It was a well-paid job but gave me no sense of achievement. It was insincere. I was unhappy. Go figure.

What joy can you derive from the sincerity with which you do your work? If it's little to none, are you in the right job.........?

[Maggie May]

I've only worked in one job I enjoyed.  Otherwise I worked strictly for the cash, usually for wankers I wouldn't spit on in private life.  My self esteem remained intact.  It was merely a way of passing the day, and I got happy when I got home.  I would have loved to work with furry animals but the pay was no good, and job satisfaction doesn't pay the bills or maintain a lifestyle. 

[24/7]

June 19th - Tuesday

"It is very simple to be happy, but it is very difficult to be simple." - Ranindranath Tagore

Hearing that.......I'm in the process of simplifying my life as much as possible...........it's easier said than done at times.

How can you make simplicity in your life easier?

[24/7]

June 20th - Wednesday

"An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind." - Mahatma Gandhi

You may well recognise this one. Have you stopped to consider not just the wider, more obvious implications (given it was uttered by a man committed to non-violent resistance) but the implications of following the meaning in our personal, individual lives?

There are many times when I've wanted to get my own back in a situation where somebody has transgressed me. Instead, recently, I've sought to learn what I can from the experience and let go of the anger or the desire for revenge. There will be times when there's no 'system' in place for recourse and it just is what it is.....and it might take more effort to seek revenge than to just let it go and have the action rest on whatever conscience the other person might have.

Now I'm more likely to say, "That's on you." and leave it than I am to say "F*** you! I'm gunna gitchya!"

Is there a situation in your life right now where you can make the same choice? Try it - see what happens. You might end up feeling a lot better about yourself and save a lot of energy too.

[Charlie Adams fried egg]

June 17th - Sunday

"Don't limit a child to your own learning, for it was born in another time." - Rabindranath Tagore

Particularly true in the digital age, right? There are kids out there now in school who are currently learning skills that will applied in jobs that do not yet exist - and there's no handbook for that, at least not until THEY write it!

The thing about knowledge throughout the ages is that it doesn't necessarily follow that the generation preceding yours only has learning to - they can teach too.

What can you learn from the generation behind you today? You might be surprised to discover that, in some ways, they are not behind you but ahead......

Just spent a bit of time catching up on this thread, excellent as always.
The bit in bold is vital in so many ways. Part of my work involves designing and delivering financial education and I'm currently working on some pre - retirement sessions to broaden the content out from purely financial to include elements of life planning. In building the content I've been tapping up some recently retired contacts for input and this has come up so often it's untrue.
Doesn't just apply to retirees either. I think its an attitude of mind, and people closed to new thoughts and ideas will only see the young as  knowing nothing and having it all to learn and while that is true in some things, it is the opposite in others.

[Maggie May]

June 20th - Wednesday

"An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind." - Mahatma Gandhi

You may well recognise this one. Have you stopped to consider not just the wider, more obvious implications (given it was uttered by a man committed to non-violent resistance) but the implications of following the meaning in our personal, individual lives?

There are many times when I've wanted to get my own back in a situation where somebody has transgressed me. Instead, recently, I've sought to learn what I can from the experience and let go of the anger or the desire for revenge. There will be times when there's no 'system' in place for recourse and it just is what it is.....and it might take more effort to seek revenge than to just let it go and have the action rest on whatever conscience the other person might have.

Now I'm more likely to say, "That's on you." and leave it than I am to say "F*** you! I'm gunna gitchya!"

Is there a situation in your life right now where you can make the same choice? Try it - see what happens. You might end up feeling a lot better about yourself and save a lot of energy too.

You are assuming that the transgressor has a conscience.  And that deliberate and pre=planned life changing acts of cruelty and wickedness can be "let go".  I am very Old Testament/Gladiator in this regard and when the time comes I shall have my vengence.  My only concern is the bitch might die before I get the chance. 

[24/7]

You are assuming that the transgressor has a conscience.  And that deliberate and pre=planned life changing acts of cruelty and wickedness can be "let go".  I am very Old Testament/Gladiator in this regard and when the time comes I shall have my vengence.  My only concern is the bitch might die before I get the chance. 

Should the transgressor have no conscience then there's little point in my exercising retribution - because I *do* have one and I believe one day I would regret my actions........

As for the last bit, Thatcher's dead already - let it go

[Maggie May]

Should the transgressor have no conscience then there's little point in my exercising retribution - because I *do* have one and I believe one day I would regret my actions........

As for the last bit, Thatcher's dead already - let it go

If that works for you mate then fine.  Not for me. 

[24/7]

If that works for you mate then fine.  Not for me. 

You might like the next one

[24/7]

June 21st - Thursday

"Hold yourself responsible for a higher standard than anybody else expects of you." - Henry Ward Beecher

Double-edged sword this one though at times - one could say this is at least partially why I tend to beat myself up more than others do (although in the interests of self-disclosure, I also tend to do that before anyone else gets the chance!)

On the other hand, you could say it helps to strengthen character if you are striving for that higher standard.

It keeps us on our toes at times - at others, it can get us out of trouble or prevent us getting into it in the first place.

Of course, you don't always know what others' expectations of you are - but sometimes their feedback can help. Even in the face of harsh criticism, we can learn something about ourselves and then that can feed into the standards we hold ourselves responsible for.

How might you apply today's line to your own situation today?

[Maggie May]

  I believe this to be a matter of personal integrity.  I have always been told that I am harder on myself than I am on anyone else.  There are things I absolutely will not do regardless of the outcome, and heedless of the fact that others may feel its a perfectly OK thing for me to do, as they are doing it themselves.  Its not hubris or bigging myself up. Its the way I was taught as a child to behave.  But there is a measure of self satisfaction at the surprise (or consternation) of others on occasion. 

[24/7]

June 22nd - Friday

"There are risks and costs to action. But they are far less than the long-range risks of comfortable inaction." - John F. Kennedy

Inaction? Like, say, not ducking? (too soon?)

Delaying our actions because it's easier can at times cause us more harm/pain/stress/grief/hassle. How many times have you procrastinated, only for the situation to get worse? I've done that in the past with a relationship and it caused years of hassle, which I only finally managed to break free from at the beginning of this year! I should have acted sooner.

Is there something you're putting off doing because it just feels like too much angst at the moment? Beware what it might cost you further down the line, in more ways than mere financial cost.

[24/7]

June 23rd - Saturday

"The biggest human temptation is to settle for too little." - Thomas Merton

Simple one today - if you settle for too little, what does that say about yourself? There are compromises in life, sure, but there are also times when we should say, "No! Surely I deserve better?!" It's not about being selfish, it's about recognising your own value and worth. Anything less than that and you risk becoming a doormat.

Never be a doormat.

What situation are you facing at the moment where you know you are selling yourself short and/or making compromises that you know you should not be making but it's easier or more comfortable or you'd rather give in than fight for what you know you deserve?

[24/7]

Catching up....like any of you noticed anyway  

[24/7]

June 24th - Sunday

"Health is the greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth, faithfulness the best relationship." - Gautama Buddha

Three for the price of one there, pick the one or ones that most apply to you. I'll go with the second. I used to be quite fixated on money and always stressed over not having enough of it, had to earn more, had to get that promotion or this job or that contract..........until I realised it was literally killing me. That obsession, it was like a trap, a prison.

The day I let go of obsessing over the worry of having wealth was the day I learned the true meaning of "enough is plenty" - and whilst my life isn't perfect, I have far more contentment in it than I used to - and that is much more valuable to me than any bank balance.

Which of the three above applies most to you and why?

[24/7]

June 25th - Monday

"One can pay back the loan of gold, but one dies forever in debt to those who are kind." - Malayan proverb

I struggle with this one - yes, it makes sense that there is an intrinsic difference between the material loan of the material element and the feeling of gratitude from an act of kindness - and I practise acts of kindness almost daily, yet have no expectation of repayment and certainly it would weigh heavily on me if I knew that someone felt a lifelong sense of debt towards me for something I have done for them!

No! I personally never want anyone to feel in debt. I'd prefer them to take that sense of debt into an act of kindness to somebody else instead........that way it spreads. That's the only 'repayment' I'd like to feel

What act of random, selfless act of kindness can you practise today?

[24/7]

June 26th - Tuesday

"It is better to travel well than to arrive." - Gautama Buddha

This diary seems to have a lot more of Buddha's lines than anyone else's At the end of the year, I'll do a count. Not today though - cos on Tuesday I was leaving the seaside in Croatia and travelling back home - and this line was in my mind when driving.

I enjoyed the journey - even though it was me leaving a holiday destination at the end of a lovely break! It didn't matter - it was a journey - and I arrived well because I embraced the journey - because the destination is not the end.

In our lives, each day is a journey - sunset or bedtime is not the destination. What IS the destination? I cannot answer that for you - only you can - just remember please to enjoy the journey and to travel well.

[24/7]

June 27th - Wednesday

"You cannot discover new oceans unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore." - Author unknown

Unknown, okay, but it reminds me of something Christopher Columbus is meant to have said, when responding to the irrational fear of dropping over the edge of the horizon. He is meant to have said, "Following the light of the Sun, we left the Old World."

Imagine the fear those sailors felt when embarking on the journey - imagine the level of trust that they had to put in Columbus - imagine the weight of responsibility he felt on his shoulders - imagine the elation he felt when they hit the Bahamas.....

Now imagine the feeling you will have after you let go of the sight of the safety of shore and see the new land you're sailing towards. Imagine the trust you can place in yourself to make that journey.

Where are you going? What are you looking for? What's stopping you leaving?

[24/7]

June 28th - Thursday

"Find a purpose in life so big it will challenge every capacity to be at your best." - David O. McKay

Yes, yes and yes again! www.worldcleanupday.org www.letsdoitworld.org

Get involved! Doing Gets It Done! Nuff said!

[24/7]

June 29th - Friday

"Let me not pray to be sheltered from dangers, but to be fearless in facing them. Let me not beg for the stilling of my pain, but for the heart to conquer it" - Rabindranath Tagore

Hairs on the back of my neck stood up when I read this one. This is likely my fave Tagore line yet and it speaks to me on so many different levels.

Some specific examples spring to mind that are best left for another day though.

In the meantime, what battles are you facing at the moment that require you to face the danger and conquer the fear? Whom can you turn to for help?

[The Bournemouth Red]

That resonates on so many levels, thank you for that one 

[24/7]

That resonates on so many levels, thank you for that one 

Very welcome. Anything to share?

[24/7]

June 30th - Saturday

"A man has to live with himself and he should see to it that he always has good company." - Charles Evans Hughes

Similar to a line by the late, great Dr Wayne Dyer about how you cannot feel lonely if you have learned to become comfortable with the person you are alone with.

And go back even further to Ancient Greek times, to the archway marking the entrance to the Delphic Oracle and you get the term "gnothi seauton" meaning, "Know thyself" and you have a few millennia worth of wisdom pointing to the need to be not just aware of, but comfortable with, the inner you.

All these people seeking happiness outside are missing the point that happiness comes from within yourself - I am coming to terms with the inner me and making peace with it, learning what can be adjusted and becoming more aware of not only faults to rectify but the strengths which can be used to address the faults directly.

Where are you in terms of that journey? Do you need any assistance in making it?

[24/7]

July 1st - Sunday

"The tragedy of life doesn't lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach" - Benjamin Mays

What are we without an aim or a purpose? No matter how 'grand' or 'minor' the achievement might be, where is our motivation for each day, week, month, year, lifetime? Even if it is as simple as to understand a little more about why we feel so low at times, that in and of itself is a goal we can set each day. Sometimes we never reach our goals, usually because of a change in circumstances, so we redefine our strategy or redefine our goals. At least they are there.....

Without them, what is your motivation? Start with today. What would you (realistically!) like to have achieved by sunset? Today.