Lightening Up

It seems impossible that changing habitual thought patterns we have unknowingly entertained as real can uplift the heart, change the mood, and improve any outlook.  Circular thinking - going around and around the same tired subject with identical words and ideas - will ensure that the same old action will be taken, and after awhile, despair and depression can result.

It is somewhat like playing an old tape that is now boring and outdated.  At some point some new music will be in order - it's progress, moving on.  Choose a new idea, one which intrigues and interests you.  Find out as much as you can about it, really get into learning about everything concerning the reasons you like it.  If the old thought routines occur to you, simply reject them and think about your new interest.

Try this a time or two, practice it; enhance the way you think, become aware of that so that it can be modified.  Tolerate no interruption from unpleasant or pointless intrusions -- you can control the process that tricks your mind into believing otherwise.  Go ahead, acquire REAL power.

Assisting Others

It often seems that we spend most of our lives helping others live theirs.  Family, community, and even the culture in which we reside seem to relentlessly absorb our time, effort, energy and money.  Most of us believe this is simply the way of it; that is, our expectations will naturally begin and end within an infrastructure which exists because another entity or entities constructed it.

A few adventurous souls widen their horizons by moving in and out of a few of these loosely defined frameworks - living in other countries, studying different languages, broadening abilities to communicate on many levels, traveling frequently, always learning and experiencing.

Charities, government agencies designed to assist others less fortunate, organizations which attempt to provide necessities of life and some luxuries where there is little comfort, or safety in life are numerous.  Unselfish giving is socially acceptable, much admired.  Altruistic behavior always seems beneficially placed.  Losing touch with one simple fact, however, will interrupt and/or end an individual's ability to extend benevolent care anywhere else:  that is, the health and well-being of the giver.

Concentrate on being healthy and strong.  With givers who love to and must assist others, maintaining the ability to remain in that role provides assurance -- to the giver AND to recipients.  Attention to the state of one's health and energy must come first.