Keeping Balanced

The past week has been a testing time in several ways and I am not sure quite how I have coped. Sometimes I felt completely overwhelmed and I need to learn how to deal with those situations. It has been a week of dealing with annoying and disrespectful young kids from up the road; going to a parents evening and making what I hope was a good attempt to build rapport with our neighbours; dealing with the demands of work in a slightly stressful and very busy environment; trying to work out how I design cards that instantly meet my manager's approval; desperately trying to be creative and wanting to do my best, but often feeling I fail; getting depressed at the onset of dark drives to work and dark tea times; being excited and inspired by my NLP course and teacher; wanting to go out for a walk in the wind and rain but not having the time to; meeting a group of people (Resurgence/Gaia Group) with whom I shared some common interests and touching a wider world of ideas; being given a book on shamanism (hmmm, not sure it is my thing, seems a bit too much like an area that I'm very wary of); and going for a walk at Old Warden in Bedfordshire and sensing the sights and smells and textures of autumn.

On looking back at the above there are so many bits and pieces floating around at the moment and as always I want to see them as a whole contribution to my journey and not just isolated happenings. Isn't that a bit like the chaos theory or whatever it is where a butterfly flapping in one part of the world can affect something global elsewhere?

When I met up with some fellow Resurgence readers we shared some thoughts and ideas on our lives, philosophies and ideas. Here are some things that I jotted down in my notebook:

• Be the change you want to be


• Be the best that you can be (love?)


• Keep good company; Do inspirational work; Unconditional service (Satsang, Indian philosophy)


• A wish to see people and things that are free from pain


• What makes you smile, what gladdens your heart?


• Work/life/home should inseparable from a holistic/spiritual viewpoint


• Apply spiritual work to a problem


• Common theme: Ideas and translating them into action; a daily outworking of our spirituality

Oh yes, a couple of weeks ago I found myself on a Sunday afternoon in Primark and Macdonalds in Luton. As I have had enough of being negative this week I will decline from writing anything about this experience!

Prayer
As I welcome this new day
May the wind and the rain refresh my spirit.
May I see a positive in all I do
and help me not to get bogged down
by those thoughts that darken my mind.
May I be a light
that honours the great Creative Spirit.
May I draw from that Spirit
the strength and inspiration
to be who I am -
without fear
without uncertainty
with strength
with peace
and with love.

Bless J and E.

Thank you for this day.