Terry Lloyd's Blog, page 11

Exploring the Mind.

It was not until I came across an interesting video explaining the roles of thought and learning that the importance of the mind became associated for me with the wellbeing of the body. The mind has a direct influence on the metabolic functioning of stem cells. Stem cells are capable of many different and important healing or regenerative purposes.

The major part of the mind is the subconscious and carries out learned programs. The smaller part of the mind is used for purposes that include creative, thinking and decision making. The point is if I allow my mind to dwell on the past, on an unhappy experience, this could increase stress and have a detrimental effect on my overall health.

The study of genes has intriguingly shown that not all hereditary illness will be definitively passed on to the next generation. In fact in certain instances it is more likely that influential lifestyle and healthy thinking practices can make a positive difference.

The mind and the body are linked in a much more dynamic configuration than I first thought. Understanding what useful programs are is the first step to reprogramming an unhealthy way of thinking. An example of this could be a habit of my subconscious mind to think I am not too well before there is any reason to believe that is really the case. Then I will have my subconscious mind influencing my thoughts instead of analysing how I really feel.

It can be useful to focus on what we do but more importantly how we do it. Even focusing on positive ways of prioritising and practising how we think can be a good way of promoting mental and physical wellbeing. Utilising my conscious mind to direct the unconscious habits of everyday life could mean taking control of my future and creating the opportunity for a better life.

Future of Life.

If you think about it, looking at life in general can give an interesting insight into the present day and the future. Reviewing the specifics of history, thinking about the present and looking to the future can be a telling way of comprehending the success or even the progress that is being made.

A useful fact from the past is that four hundred and forty five million years ago the first of five mass extinctions of life occurred. The creatures were the Trilobites that lived in the sea. Even today, some might say we are at the start of the sixth mass extinction of life, as every day it is believed that as many as one hundred and fifty species go extinct.

There are many reasons that can cause the extinction of species such as droughts, temperature changing, the amount of oxygen in the atmosphere. Scientifically speaking there is a constant bombardment of small meteorites and occasionally a very large asteroid, one of which is believed to have caused the demise of most dinosaurs.

There is also the ever present struggle for survival, such as took place with early humanoids and homosapiens are the ninth to survive so far.

The future of life depends on so many factors including the danger of self destruction by war or negative environmental influence. As a people, collectively each and everyone has a duty to do everything to ensure that justice, fairness and the best possible future exists. People have the power to help each other, to provide positive action in sustaining or nurturing areas of life.

If wisdom and forethought prevails, those that hold multiple lives and the future in their hands should think of the consequences of their actions. The leaders of nations of this planet have a lot of obligations and responsibility for future potential. It is when people put careful thought into actions, and ensure that they look out for instead of simply take from other people or resources that positive progress towards the future of life can come about.

Wonders of Nature.

I have always been extremely interested in nature and the environment. There is so much going on. Badgers are of particular interest as they have almost human traits and qualities such as striving to keep their homes and themselves clean, keeping a keen eye on their appearance by actually combing their long hair and sitting up while maintaining their hygiene standards. They are very social and protective of each other, working together and exhibiting an astute comprehension of the need for a stable home environment, often building and passing down sets to many generations.

Another group of animals of interest are the otters, as they are industrious and even utilise tools that they find in natural habitats. Otters have been seen using a stone while floating on their back to crack open food. Their floating homes are well kept and fit for purpose as they go about their active lives bringing up their young.

Life forms can be so varied, that for me when viewing insects it is a little shocking that an insect life such as a daddy long legs may be no more than a few days, yet within that cycle new life can be created. Such is the wonder of nature.

About three hundred million years ago insects grew to enormous sizes but then there was the development of birds. Predators and prey are involved in nature, so too can conservation and comprehension play a huge part in the survival, thriving and continuation of many kinds of wildlife of the future.

Facts about nature can provoke wonder, revelation and even a compulsion to do something proactive in favour of sustaining environmental concerns. Capturing unique camera shots of never before seen or rarely viewed scenes of their behaviour, nature resources can be enjoyed by the general public through many formats. The producers and all the necessary camera crew, narration and production team that have worked, and do work, so hard to enlighten us provide a fantastic service.

It can be heartening to know people are involved in an area of life that requires dedication and informing about. Understanding and appreciating that wonders of nature can be about more than contemplation, it can encapsulate a profound opportunity to contribute through efforts, time or even building on that precious state of play between nature, people and environment.

Acting Humanity.

At the time of horrendous news involving war in the Middle East, it can be heartwarming to contemplate actions that involve crossing the divide of different species. When life and death threatens either humans or animals, a timely intervention to save one or the other can have its own rewards and enlighten understanding of what life means.

Animals can play a vital part in making every day life for humans more accessible and pleasant. When animals can interject lives with physical capability and provide independence, such as guide dogs and animal companions, the relations that develop are unique and precious.

It is not surprising that the welfare of family pets for many is a prime consideration. There is also the possibility that groundbreaking advances in medical treatment for injured pets could be the gateway for adaptation to treatment for humans as well.

Animals have often shown a level of compassion that is direct and without bias. In looking out for the requirements of a future species as they grow and even in adopting other species at times of crisis, the indication of emotional wellbeing is evident alongside that of standard physical health objectives. In contrast when humans react to atrocities by deliberately causing harm to their fellow beings it might fulfil a seeming need for revenge but it is arguably shortsighted. In exacerbating conflicts there is no moral high ground and it will simply perpetuate hurt and harm.

The major dividing line often between the human and animal is our mental capabilities and the choices that we make. When we knowingly kill innocent members of the public we no longer can call ourselves acting in a humane way. It is important to think before we act, to encourage humanity over barbaric acts and to be intelligent, forward thinking beings who put their minds together to aim and successfully achieve peaceful diplomacy.

A Better Future.

It is a little exasperating to see that lately certain political sources emphasise that a cure for all our problems is to reorganise our education system. Not to say that education, if put into practice in the right way, is not important. The point I take issue with is the nature and scale of the variety of problems, when water companies are polluting our seas and rivers with raw sewage and other publicly relied upon organisations are running rampant with misconduct. When it comes to fines, that usually does not stop the malpractice as the fines are simply passed on to the customer by the offending company. Either that strategy is employed or once again penalties are paid using public funding through additional charges.

Misleading the public seems to be a tactic that politicians utilise more often and recently demonising illegal immigrants has been a good way of distorting the basic truths of a dire situation. If a cover up can pass instead of actual certain appropriate policy introduction then it appears the government will opt for that instead. Using a denial, no go zone, no tolerance attitude to a severe problem that is influencing many countries is clearly not the best way of handling human immigration, whereas allowing often highly valuable members of a society and skilled individuals into work again in a creative way would become an asset rather than a drain on the country's finances.

Problems that affect most of the public I would have thought would be at the forefront of things to do, such as health and the cost of living. Finding a solution to pay disputes in the NHS in an instant will save lives and long term suffering. Reducing people’s level of outgoing costs and enabling appropriate expenditure should be a priority.

It could well turn out not settling pay disputes early will cost the country far more in money and suffering through protests. Talking with intention to resolve issues is the only way to resolve the situation. Can this government do it? There certainly has been little evidence of it so far.

When so much attention is put on a half built HS2 and the present railway system is not operating in many cases efficiently or smoothly. It does not bode well for the long term when a finished HS2 could still suffer from the same malady.

The public deserves a functioning government that solves everyday problems promptly and precisely. A government that does not think of an agenda first and then aims to clear up the problems of neglected issues and failings left behind. An actual amount of integrity would be useful in any politics displayed and that would result in everybody's financial benefit and wellbeing.

Law and Order.

Every day it seems there are reports of the failure to adequately support law and order. Shoplifting is rampant with little chance of prosecuting or apprehending the perpetrator. Even charity shops are not now safe from incidents of large and small theft. Usually people would look to the law for help but in many cases of blatant robbery, in fact often it is claimed that the police do not appear on the scene. In some examples it seems the enforcers of the law indicate they should receive extra payment for coming out to the scene of such a crime. It is a little like extorting protection money, the cynical might think.

As a child I was taught to consider the police as the stalwart of society, there to defend and enforce the fabric necessary to ensure that we can all live a safe and peaceful life. However there have been several shocking cases where under the guise of protecting the public, the police have raped and murdered individuals of the public. This does not mean that every officer is a threat or a bad individual but it does unfortunately erode trust.

When armed police do not feel the law applies to them and actively protest to defend one of their number who has appeared to have murdered a member of the public, that does cause society to question the role that they play. If the rapport between police and public is damaged, what does the future hold?

Like many institutions the police and emergency services are vulnerable to racial and sexual discrimination. The very environment where the highest standards of social and professional conduct should be practiced have recently been exposed to awful and consistent examples of abuse, even from superiors or colleague to colleague.

I am sure there are dedicated individual police officers who do an excellent job every day and it is unfortunate that the reputation of the police force is tarnished by those that do not share the values necessary to monitor a decent society. Institutions upon which people rely need to be held accountable, they need to be known and shown in the communities in which they work. Progress and current positive qualities in work practices should of course be observed but lessons from the past about policing with integrity and local knowledge should be integrated into practical terms.

Global Warming.

I do not think there can be a more pressing issue than climate change. It was quite a surprise to see that the UK PM Rishi Sunak has very recently made a substantial change to the planned green program and to have done this at such a crucial time. The result will be a replacement of the UK position in leading green policies to a half hearted attempt of reduction in global warming.

Day after day more tragedies take place involving flooding and fires. The frequencies of these events and loss of life are likely to become more prominent. Not to do all that is possible in the shortest time is simply out of the question, the need for sustaining a thriving in our environments must be paramount.

Even the use of a shield to claim a reach in the target of net zero emission by 2050 will be of little consolation for populations that are suffering flooding or catastrophic events. There are many countries that could and have already experienced adverse weather conditions, including areas in the UK.

Global Warming is an extreme issue. It requires urgent action to counter its effect and this realisation surely must take precedence over any short term political manoeuvres by the present government. Environment matters that influence lives are more significant than any attempts to attract votes in order to retain power.

Our education methods and scientific tools have shown us that action can have an impact. Our leaders have the power to put that information into policy format and convey what matters through a positive and forward thinking approach. People can use what they have to a positive advantage and if handled responsibility, issues of such a serious scale can be moderated and learnt from for the future.

Propaganda.

For me, listening to the news has been a regular pastime and something to look forward to doing. Over the years the thought that news could be delivered in a subtle propaganda laced way was not something to worry about but that was until recently.

There is the assumption that propaganda is something that other countries do and is surely not something our own country would be involved in. It could be argued that an increasing amount of the news programmes of today are devoted to an in depth revelation of scandalous proportion about other countries' way of life with constant comments by the reporter that reflect their own personal view on how the population are being treated.

The frightening part of propaganda is the way it prepares the viewer to readily accept allegations without questioning the facts. After all, for weeks if the message that A is bad has constantly been promoted, that is how the particular promoter or government can well persuade people to vote or think in a certain way.

There are more subtle and obvious examples of propaganda usage. I am referring to recent bias towards particular reports on politics and civil rights, and the non existent weapons of mass destruction, which was the excuse claimed as fact that precipitated the relatively recent war in the Middle East.

In heightened states of feeling, to raise a voice of caution could be considered as an act of betrayal, by those with an agenda intent on war. There have been at times a relentless repetition of a false claim supported by propaganda influenced news but worryingly to question the validity of the claim could be highly dangerous to career and even life.

The power of propaganda can not be ignored if one hopes for a peaceful life. My message is simple, if the news program is not reporting majoritively objective facts or action, then be on your guard for propaganda bias and comments by the news reporter that could alter independent rational views. It is useful to absorb different news content but also to analyse how you think and feel about certain subjects and why this might be true.

Looking at Nature.

Nature is awesome. Sometimes this statement is true for its beauty and in contrast also its lack of compassion.

When animals eat vegetation, occasionally there are plants that are carnivorous and in a small way turn the table on the ambling munching beasts of the field. Why is life structured in such a way, that is a lottery of whether at the end of the day you have been a successful predator or on the rare occasion some creature's dinner? It is definitely worth provoking thought and observation.

Nature is encompassing and not only includes the perhaps more well known forms of wildlife. It is not only a threat from animal predators that can pose as life altering, a more likely result may be an affliction from a roaming virus. Nature can alter, adapt and survival is not the only winner, as even after an initial attack from a virus there may be long term effects to combat and biologically encounter.

Populations on various continents have multiple challenges and different yet sensitive projects to develop or start upon, if nature is to be admired and treated appropriately. Scientists and individuals in the fields of education, both can in their own ways enlighten and provide insight as to how best to act in the interest of a positive time aware reaction and response relationship with nature. They can guide and teach generations about the integral environmental ecosystems that exist and why it is vital to live with a mindful approach to nature.

There are many aspects to nature. That is the relationship that can flourish between humans and animals and sometimes even between animals. While there is a delicate balance and can be threats to species’ survival, there can also be a more domestic but significant dependent relevance of nature and an ability to achieve.

In particular, nature can astound whereby there can be a bond of trust between dogs and physically challenged owners. In these situations, a companion helping animal can make so much difference to the quality of life for so many people. Nature can prove to be nothing short of miraculous when even different animals can evidence how help can come in many ways. Carer animals can provide company and structure in a life but also prove to be natural, innovative purveyors of independence.

Within nature there can be massive and smaller displays of heroic, unexpected feats, elements of motherly or parental love and the drive to offer vital protection for their young despite vastly varying situations. Nature should be admired and understood. Animals, humans and environments depend on nature. At times fragile, the relationship of epic significance is about life itself. How well species can continue, if plants and environments thrive, what even the landscape can look like and if the future is a success can all involve nature.

Total Creation.

It is true that for a long time I have considered the question of creation. To be more specific, the universe and life. At first sight there is the cosmological position that an agent of some sort is necessary to start things off. This theory can be challenged in several ways. Starting with the idea of an agent presumes that an agent exists that has the qualities necessary. Therefore I prefer to use x for self motivated action and that does not require any intention or goal. That would not automatically qualify as a God but does the job.

Then X could be inherent in the start of the universe, as existence is self selecting that either the universe has the qualities to survive or not.

How can the truth of creation be found? I decided that looking at the process involved in life would ultimately indicate if there is intention or evolution that can indicate the variety of life. The point is that there does not appear to be any specific form of life that has not evolved from earlier life. That evolution has in many ways taken millions of years. Life in order to survive arguably adapts to its environment and over time and isolation, a new strain of life could come into being.

Intentional creation is specific and stops once created, as a finished article. Everywhere you look on Earth there are objects that have been created by an agent and can be recognised as a finished piece of work.

It would be a mistake to view everything that can be seen now as the same as it was at the beginning of time. A little bit of research can show how the universe and life are changing without a specific goal. That to me, suggests the initial creation of the universe has no specific intention and also that life is a product without a specific conclusion. Therefore its survival depends on unspecific actions.

It is quite clear to me that there are two forms of total creation and to ignore one in favour of the other could give a false understanding or a different and altogether less comprehensive perspective.