Oh well, the time in Queenstown ahead looks like it'll be something different to what I hoped. My good friend Chris has had to head home early so can't be there to share my 3 weeks of riding and hiking. I hope things are good for ya when you get home bud. Bit of a downer for him and definitely for me, was really looking forward to seeing him out there, getting some pics of him riding and vice versa. Gonna miss ya bud, for many reasons - Take care and see ya back in England. Will still be great to see the locals but really won't be the same without ya!
Saturday, 10 March 2012
Tuesday, 6 March 2012
Thursday, 16 February 2012
Tuesday, 24 January 2012
Monday, 9 January 2012
Thinking about dying
Point number 1 is, I am not being morbid here.
For me thinking about dying is something everyone who is alive and has any health and life left in them should take some time out to do, probably on a regular basis.
Meditating on death is a classic Buddhist teaching, but you need neither to be a Buddhist nor someone who can mediate to simply think about dying.
The second point to make is there is only one absolutely certain thing that will happen to you in your life; that you will die, so therefore by process of elimination, your death is very important to you, so you should definitely consider it.
With the help of my 100 days Hard Qigong training in 2010, which is the most grounding process I have probably every undertook, I found myself without any real reason, reflecting on dying, or more specifically, thinking about what it will be like to be lying on my death bed and reflecting on my life. This can produce some rather interesting emotions, but I guess, that in the same way as when you are actually on your death bed, there is only one person to answer to and satisfy....and that is of course yourself!! So, if you can actually think about it, despite it being rather overwhelming at first, it can quickly highlight the elements of your life that you are not happy with.
Point three is, you never know when death will come to you. You may not wake up tomorrow, you make wake up tomorrow but get hit by a bus, or you may live until 108.
I found if you can focus on the main individual elements, you then have only a few options; give in to the feeling that you can't do anything about it and let things carry on as they are, or get up and make changes to your life that will improve the things about the situation or element of your life that you are not entirely happy with. Admittedly some things are not easy to improve, often because of finances, and may take a long time to make headway, but everyone has only one person who can help, and the same one person to rely on...yes it'
s you again!
It is very easy to be caught up in the modern society we live in, and if you can open your eyes enough you will see it is more and more geared to filling your life with meaningless crap to make you work harder to consume more and more things you don't need, with any ever increasing distraction factor. I have been blessed with the opportunity to step back and make moves toward changes which already mean I know if it all ends tomorrow, I can lye there smiling. Just ask yourself a simple question, how can someone with next to nothing other than food and shelter be so happy, and yet someone with huge material wealth be unhappy.
The above came to surface after reading this following article today from someone who has spent a fair bit of time caring for the dying. An admiral and enlightening job it seems
http://www.inspirationandchai.com/Regrets-of-the-Dying.html
People grow a lot when they are faced with their own mortality. I learnt never to underestimate someone's capacity for growth. Some changes were phenomenal. Each experienced a variety of emotions, as expected, denial, fear, anger, remorse, more denial and eventually acceptance. Every single patient found their peace before they departed though, every one of them.
When questioned about any regrets they had or anything they would do differently, common themes surfaced again and again. Here are the most common five:
1. I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.
This was the most common regret of all. When people realise that their life is almost over and look back clearly on it, it is easy to see how many dreams have gone unfulfilled. Most people had not honoured even a half of their dreams and had to die knowing that it was due to choices they had made, or not made.
It is very important to try and honour at least some of your dreams along the way. From the moment that you lose your health, it is too late. Health brings a freedom very few realise, until they no longer have it.
2. I wish I didn't work so hard.
This came from every male patient that I nursed. They missed their children's youth and their partner's companionship. Women also spoke of this regret. But as most were from an older generation, many of the female patients had not been breadwinners. All of the men I nursed deeply regretted spending so much of their lives on the treadmill of a work existence.
By simplifying your lifestyle and making conscious choices along the way, it is possible to not need the income that you think you do. And by creating more space in your life, you become happier and more open to new opportunities, ones more suited to your new lifestyle.
3. I wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings.
Many people suppressed their feelings in order to keep peace with others. As a result, they settled for a mediocre existence and never became who they were truly capable of becoming. Many developed illnesses relating to the bitterness and resentment they carried as a result.
We cannot control the reactions of others. However, although people may initially react when you change the way you are by speaking honestly, in the end it raises the relationship to a whole new and healthier level. Either that or it releases the unhealthy relationship from your life. Either way, you win.
4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.
Often they would not truly realise the full benefits of old friends until their dying weeks and it was not always possible to track them down. Many had become so caught up in their own lives that they had let golden friendships slip by over the years. There were many deep regrets about not giving friendships the time and effort that they deserved. Everyone misses their friends when they are dying.
It is common for anyone in a busy lifestyle to let friendships slip. But when you are faced with your approaching death, the physical details of life fall away. People do want to get their financial affairs in order if possible. But it is not money or status that holds the true importance for them. They want to get things in order more for the benefit of those they love. Usually though, they are too ill and weary to ever manage this task. It is all comes down to love and relationships in the end. That is all that remains in the final weeks, love and relationships.
5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.
This is a surprisingly common one. Many did not realise until the end that happiness is a choice. They had stayed stuck in old patterns and habits. The so-called 'comfort' of familiarity overflowed into their emotions, as well as their physical lives. Fear of change had them pretending to others, and to their selves, that they were content. When deep within, they longed to laugh properly and have silliness in their life again.
When you are on your deathbed, what others think of you is a long way from your mind. How wonderful to be able to let go and smile again, long before you are dying.
Life is a choice. It is YOUR life. Choose consciously, choose wisely, choose honestly. Choose happiness.
Based on this article, Bronnie has now released a full-length book, titled The Top Five Regrets of the Dying. It is a memoir of her own life and how it was transformed by the regrets of dying people. It may be ordered through bookstores worldwide or from Balboa Press.
It is also available via the link on this page.
Details for wholesale orders may be found on Bronnie's official website.
For me thinking about dying is something everyone who is alive and has any health and life left in them should take some time out to do, probably on a regular basis.
Meditating on death is a classic Buddhist teaching, but you need neither to be a Buddhist nor someone who can mediate to simply think about dying.
The second point to make is there is only one absolutely certain thing that will happen to you in your life; that you will die, so therefore by process of elimination, your death is very important to you, so you should definitely consider it.
With the help of my 100 days Hard Qigong training in 2010, which is the most grounding process I have probably every undertook, I found myself without any real reason, reflecting on dying, or more specifically, thinking about what it will be like to be lying on my death bed and reflecting on my life. This can produce some rather interesting emotions, but I guess, that in the same way as when you are actually on your death bed, there is only one person to answer to and satisfy....and that is of course yourself!! So, if you can actually think about it, despite it being rather overwhelming at first, it can quickly highlight the elements of your life that you are not happy with.
Point three is, you never know when death will come to you. You may not wake up tomorrow, you make wake up tomorrow but get hit by a bus, or you may live until 108.
I found if you can focus on the main individual elements, you then have only a few options; give in to the feeling that you can't do anything about it and let things carry on as they are, or get up and make changes to your life that will improve the things about the situation or element of your life that you are not entirely happy with. Admittedly some things are not easy to improve, often because of finances, and may take a long time to make headway, but everyone has only one person who can help, and the same one person to rely on...yes it'
s you again!It is very easy to be caught up in the modern society we live in, and if you can open your eyes enough you will see it is more and more geared to filling your life with meaningless crap to make you work harder to consume more and more things you don't need, with any ever increasing distraction factor. I have been blessed with the opportunity to step back and make moves toward changes which already mean I know if it all ends tomorrow, I can lye there smiling. Just ask yourself a simple question, how can someone with next to nothing other than food and shelter be so happy, and yet someone with huge material wealth be unhappy.
The above came to surface after reading this following article today from someone who has spent a fair bit of time caring for the dying. An admiral and enlightening job it seems
http://www.inspirationandchai.com/Regrets-of-the-Dying.html
REGRETS OF THE DYING
People grow a lot when they are faced with their own mortality. I learnt never to underestimate someone's capacity for growth. Some changes were phenomenal. Each experienced a variety of emotions, as expected, denial, fear, anger, remorse, more denial and eventually acceptance. Every single patient found their peace before they departed though, every one of them.
When questioned about any regrets they had or anything they would do differently, common themes surfaced again and again. Here are the most common five:
1. I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.
This was the most common regret of all. When people realise that their life is almost over and look back clearly on it, it is easy to see how many dreams have gone unfulfilled. Most people had not honoured even a half of their dreams and had to die knowing that it was due to choices they had made, or not made.
It is very important to try and honour at least some of your dreams along the way. From the moment that you lose your health, it is too late. Health brings a freedom very few realise, until they no longer have it.
2. I wish I didn't work so hard.
This came from every male patient that I nursed. They missed their children's youth and their partner's companionship. Women also spoke of this regret. But as most were from an older generation, many of the female patients had not been breadwinners. All of the men I nursed deeply regretted spending so much of their lives on the treadmill of a work existence.
By simplifying your lifestyle and making conscious choices along the way, it is possible to not need the income that you think you do. And by creating more space in your life, you become happier and more open to new opportunities, ones more suited to your new lifestyle.
3. I wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings.
Many people suppressed their feelings in order to keep peace with others. As a result, they settled for a mediocre existence and never became who they were truly capable of becoming. Many developed illnesses relating to the bitterness and resentment they carried as a result.
We cannot control the reactions of others. However, although people may initially react when you change the way you are by speaking honestly, in the end it raises the relationship to a whole new and healthier level. Either that or it releases the unhealthy relationship from your life. Either way, you win.
4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.
Often they would not truly realise the full benefits of old friends until their dying weeks and it was not always possible to track them down. Many had become so caught up in their own lives that they had let golden friendships slip by over the years. There were many deep regrets about not giving friendships the time and effort that they deserved. Everyone misses their friends when they are dying.
It is common for anyone in a busy lifestyle to let friendships slip. But when you are faced with your approaching death, the physical details of life fall away. People do want to get their financial affairs in order if possible. But it is not money or status that holds the true importance for them. They want to get things in order more for the benefit of those they love. Usually though, they are too ill and weary to ever manage this task. It is all comes down to love and relationships in the end. That is all that remains in the final weeks, love and relationships.
5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.
This is a surprisingly common one. Many did not realise until the end that happiness is a choice. They had stayed stuck in old patterns and habits. The so-called 'comfort' of familiarity overflowed into their emotions, as well as their physical lives. Fear of change had them pretending to others, and to their selves, that they were content. When deep within, they longed to laugh properly and have silliness in their life again.
When you are on your deathbed, what others think of you is a long way from your mind. How wonderful to be able to let go and smile again, long before you are dying.
Life is a choice. It is YOUR life. Choose consciously, choose wisely, choose honestly. Choose happiness.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Based on this article, Bronnie has now released a full-length book, titled The Top Five Regrets of the Dying. It is a memoir of her own life and how it was transformed by the regrets of dying people. It may be ordered through bookstores worldwide or from Balboa Press.
It is also available via the link on this page.
Details for wholesale orders may be found on Bronnie's official website.
Saturday, 7 January 2012
Thursday, 5 January 2012
Help
I like people, meeting new ones and seeing ones I've known for a good while....
Even though I do like people, it seems here in England currently, I can see and feel how things are (in my opinion) just going downhill for so many, by the day, as they get dragged more and more into the inane crap that surrounds us.
Well that's my thought for the day anyway, as I sit here at work listening to people whine about what others are updating their facebook with and asking if Jordan is really getting back together with god knows who
On a different note - I watched Charlie Brookers 2011 wipe last night, will be catching up on his how tv ruined your life over the next week or two and the final installment of Black Mirror asap....it's good to know there is at least one other person who sees this backward and devolving world with similar eyes to mine...Ha - Brooker for Prime Minister I say!!!
Even though I do like people, it seems here in England currently, I can see and feel how things are (in my opinion) just going downhill for so many, by the day, as they get dragged more and more into the inane crap that surrounds us.
Well that's my thought for the day anyway, as I sit here at work listening to people whine about what others are updating their facebook with and asking if Jordan is really getting back together with god knows who
On a different note - I watched Charlie Brookers 2011 wipe last night, will be catching up on his how tv ruined your life over the next week or two and the final installment of Black Mirror asap....it's good to know there is at least one other person who sees this backward and devolving world with similar eyes to mine...Ha - Brooker for Prime Minister I say!!!
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