Humankind

Have you ever thought about the word 'humankind' and why we use it to describe the human race?

Me neither, until last night when I happened to be watching this inspiring short film on You Tube called 'If Everyone Cared' (see video clip on left). It really reminded me of the enormous capacity we have to be kind ;-) And then just at that very moment this wonderful advert appeared on TV for Oxfam, appealing to us all to be 'humankind' ;-)

See http://www.oxfam.org.uk/get_involved/globe.html

As well as our capacity to be kind, we also have an enormous capacity to bring about change, make a positive difference, cooperate and collaborate, overcome adversity and be a force for good. So whatever's going on in the world right now, and whatever we hear in the news these days, wouldn't it be refreshing to shift attention for a while and focus on all the good we can create, and all the kindness we can share?

As Albert Einstein said, "It is every man's obligation to put back into the world at least the equivalent of what he takes out of it". And in Winston Churchill's words "We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give"

Dx

True Wealth

One day a very affluent father decided that he needed to expose his son to how less prosperous people lived. So, he took his son on a trip to the countryside where he had arranged for them to stay on a farm for a few days with what would be considered a poor family. Upon returning home, the father asked his son what he had learned on their trip to the country.

The son replied, “I saw that we have one dog, but they have four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden, but they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lanterns in our garden, but they have the stars at night. Our patio reaches to the front yard, but they have the whole horizon. We have a small piece of land to live on, but they have fields that go beyond our sight. We have servants who serve us, but they get to serve one another and others. We buy our food, but they grow theirs. We have walls around our property to protect us, but they have ‘friends’ to protect them.”

The father was speechless. Then, the son added, “It showed me how ‘poor’ we are!”

This little boy was wiser than his father. He understood what is the “true wealth” for which to give thanks. Real gratitude has little to do with the material, but much to do with the spiritual; little to do with “things”, but much to do with relationships.....Anon

Makes you wonder what would happen if we all gave thanks for everything we have, instead of worrying about what we don't have?

"Wealth is the ability to fully experience life" Henry David Thoreau

A funny old business

I came across this quote recently and it seemed quite apt.

"A business that makes nothing but money is a poor business" Henry Ford

This story taken from "Creating Money - Keys to Abundance" by Sanaya Roman & Duane Packer is also quite a topical reminder too ;-)

There once was a salesman whose sales had begun to drop off and he couldn’t understand why. He still loved what he was doing; he believed in the product he was selling and he felt he was accomplishing his higher purpose. One day though, whilst talking to a friend, he realized that he was no longer focusing on serving people and satisfying what they wanted, but had begun to think of them in terms of what they could give him and how they could help him grow his business. Instead of seeing them as people he served, he had been thinking of them as people who helped him put money in his pocket. He had become so focused on making money that he had forgotten he was in the business of serving people.

From that moment on he changed his ways and began putting his energy and attention into how he could best serve his customers. He spent time getting to know them, learning about their wants and genuinely trying to help them.
His sales increased dramatically!

Turbulent Times

Gordon Brown this week spoke of the government's desire to provide a 'rock of stability' and protect British people from being buffeted about by recent events.

In these turbulent times it's not only the financial markets that are experiencing volatile fluctuations. Individuals too have been experiencing dramatic emotional swings and crises of confidence.

Yet, when we rely upon external factors to bring us a sense of confidence, security, happiness and well being this is precisely what happens; we leave ourselves totally exposed to the elements. While things are going well that might seem ok but when they're not going so well it does us no good at all.

Instead, by reconnecting with our inner sense of peace, and with what really matters most, we can begin to create a sense of stability and balance from within. And from this position of greater calm and clarity we are more able to navigate our way through stormy seas ;-)

Now I appreciate that taking a philosophical view from the sidelines is one thing, but retaining a philosophical perspective when you're in the eye of the storm is another matter altogether. Many of us have certainly been tested in recent weeks, and I know that some people are facing greater challenges than others. So whilst I dont pretend to have all the answers I would just share a few strategies that have helped me.

1 Focus on what's MOST important. Re-evaluate what really matters to you and appreciate what you have.....health, friends, family, skills?

2 Bring yourself into balance. Connect with your inner self, get centred, grounded and present.

3 Stop looking for someone to blame. Take responsibilty for your own life, learn from your experience and use as a catalyst for change.

4 Beware of negative energy. Information is useful up to a point but don't fill your mind with too much gloom and doom. What you focus on affects how you feel. Focus on something good.

5 Get creative. What do you want instead? Where would you like to be? What else would you like to be doing? Look out for opportunities and explore ideas for making it happen.

6 Be kind to others. Not only does it feel good but they may be struggling too.

And remember, "It is not the strongest species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the ones who are most responsive to change" Charles Darwin

Dx