Terry Lloyd's Blog, page 15

Being a Good Person.

A good life can mean different things to many people. For me, I chose to write epic blogs with interesting ideas and matter of the day questions. Sharing your life with other people is a responsibility that requires thinking about their welfare and living with that opportunity to open minds and innovate for the future.

Choosing what profession or trade is important and gaining an education to further your aims can be an important choice, because it could determine a whole life’s focus of activity. Achievements can convey huge improvements on a small scale or even an international level and careers can allow for a practical demonstration of objectives and aims. There are occasions in life when one may have to change their work and find a new goal but these junctures can prove to be experiences and lessons for enhancement.

Apart from work and study, there is one important choice that each individual must decide at an early stage of life, and that is what sort of person do you want to be? Honest, trustworthy, to tell the truth at all times, maybe generous, kind and sympathetic. I remember having those thoughts until in preschool I sat on a tricycle and a larger girl wanted to take my place. So the next thing I remember is looking up from the floor in dismay as the larger girl was prominently sat astride my tricycle. Dispossessed, I thought that was not right. I launched a counter attack by grabbing her clothes to pull her off my tricycle. A nearby adult stepped in by grabbing my collar and the seat of my pants and then added to the indignity of the experience by spanking me. The tears I shed were not from pain but the unjust treatment I had received. To make things worse there was no chance to redeem the situation. As the adult had only seen me try to get the girl off the tricycle that I had been sitting on. The last thing at that moment and on my mind was being a good person

Albeit besides the childhood flare ups and flip outs, having a desire to act in a fair and just way has been a constant priority in my mind. There are times when in hindsight I could have done better but I treat those times as learning pointers to guide as to how to keep on the right course. I think the responsibility for being a good person is always that of the individual and the intent should not be to look for others to blame when falling short. In following this approach integrity, valour and respect for oneself quickly adhere.

Existence.

Like many people, I have pondered existence, that is everything that exists or has existed. For me it is quite simple. How things exist can be described as change and intention. Let me explain, there are two forms of change, either with intention or without it. With intention would require an agent of some sort. Whereas without intention would be how the matter of the universe changed from heat into atoms and eventually gas clouds, stars and solar systems with planets. Without intention has no specific aim and is due to natural properties of matter and physics.

I asked myself why should a universe exist? It had the properties and survived the process of coming into existence. When you think about it, that is natural selection. Only a universe that does that can exist.

An Important part of the universe's existence is natural order, surviving the chaos of the birth of the universe. Within chaos, there is natural order that can be observed through physics and chemical change of matter. Millions of stars are being born, like our sun and that is on an everyday basis. That is an example of change without any intention. There is a continuation of stars being born and dying.

The existence of life on earth is due to unintended change, such as the collision of a planet with the earth resulting in the moon. The moon is ever so slowly moving away from earth, also the moon is slowing the spin of the earth. The structure of earth is important as it provides matter and internal heat and the external heat from the sun is vital neither to hot or cold. That is at the moment, however the environment can drastically change as it has in the past, and very probably will change in the future. Life for a very long time existed without the need for oxygen and in fact when oxygen was produced as a waste product it meant death for some but new life for other creatures. Even the development of cells from single to multiple organisms was due to unintended change.

On the shores surrounding the UK there are examples of early life preserved as tiny fossils. They are millions of years old and represent one stage of former life. They came about by unintentional change. Whereas if you have a watch, that has come about by intended change. It has a specific purpose and is complete and of course it had an agent to cause the necessary change to make the watch.

Existence does not need intention in order to exist. There are so many examples of unintentional change that result in a product. However if you want something specific and complete, that would need an agent to supply the intention.

Communication.

Communication is an important part of social and business life. However it was not until recently by accident I was talking to someone and they had covered their mouth and turned a little away from me so I could not see their face, that I experienced an utter state of communication confusion. From that time onwards, I could no longer understand their words and I was totally at an information loss.

It is surprising how important a facial expression is to have a clear understanding of the insight into a particular conversation. Words can sometimes have a subtle difference to the point being made, and clarity of context can depend on the way in which the speaker is behaving.

Tone, impression and intonation of the speaker can be integral too. One of the best examples of this is comedy programmes that have you roaring with laughter as deliberately misleading sketches overlap one another, while malapropisms are indicated or confusion is rife over the intended meaning of a word. The Two Ronnies and Mrs Brown's Boys come to mind when thinking about witty use of vocabulary and how mishearing one word can put a whole scene of dialogue into deliberate disarray.

Great memorable speeches can captivate and motivate because of the emphasis of carefully chosen words and phrasing. I think a good speech highlights a point by an easily recalled and repeated phrase. The opening and the final lines have to be winning moments that allude to a particular imagery because they define the lasting impression that is made.

Good communication is a skill that can be learnt, enhanced and vastly used across both work and personal aspects of life. Paying attention to the words and phrasing as well as the way that you speak are all part of becoming a good communicator.

The Mystery of Existence.

Where and how the universe, and all that is in it came about, is a mystery that may never be solved. What puzzles me, is when it comes to deciding on ideas of how we should lead our lives, some ideas concentrate on a priority of being a better person whereas many other concepts start off with a proposed solution to the initial cause of being. I would have thought concentrating on suggestions that unite people in a common drive towards a preservation of the health and wellbeing of individuals and society, would be the best choice.

At certain times people with alternative ideas do act for the good of others but can return to labelling each other as though the label was more important than the collective good acts that they shared.

In my opinion, starting with an idea that removes moral responsibility from your actions, can remove important human feelings such as empathy and judgement. An example of this is in following an announcement of hard and set rules and removing yourself from evaluating all the facts before deciding what is moral.

When people are looking for instruction or direction on the best way to fulfil a worthwhile life, it may help to see if supporters of the idea conduct themselves in a way that includes everybody and their goal is to cause as little harm and improve the welfare of all.

If you are tempted to explain the beginning of everything, you might start with explaining in detail how matter can be created and destroyed, as at the moment we only understand how matter can be changed into different states. However knowing about matter and how it came into existence, does not give any wisdom on how people should live their life. It is up to an individual to assess what definition to apply as for a scientific, moral or combination purpose and meaning for life.

My Motor Memories.

My first recollection of a motorcycle is as a baby sitting on my mother’s lap. I was comfortably held by my mother, in the sidecar of my father’s Triumph single cylinder six hundred cc pride and joy. It was extremely loud and had a gear change lever on the side of the petrol tank. We had a choice of either a black or green sidecar. The green sidecar had a short windscreen but little protection from the elements, whereas the black one had a waterproof hood but the windscreen steamed up very quickly! My dad looked like an alien with his soft helmet and subsequently in my thoughts, he cut an image incredibly similar to that of a conventional pilot from that of the Second World War. His goggles and gauntlets were absolutely in place and visible. He also had waterproofs and boots. The year was about nineteen forty seven and hard crash helmets had not come on to the scene.

My own first motorcycle was a Francis Barnett and it had seen better days, however it was reliable and eventually I decided to leave the world of two wheeled transport. My next vehicle was a three wheeled Berkeley sports car, which unknown to me, had a problem. My particular car would not select first gear or reverse. So one had to choose to do without one of the gears. I chose the reverse, as the car was quite light and when necessary, I could get out of the car and pick up the rear of the car and place it where I liked. A further unique thing about three wheels is that in the snow, the third wheel could not decide which side of the snow mound, left by other cars to drive on.

In the news at the time, the Mini had been doing amazing things so fired up with enthusiasm I purchased a maroon one. It was one of those things that in later life I questioned the wisdom of acting on, and as it turned out shortly after that I ended up changing the standard Mini for a blue with white roof, Mini Cooper. I was in my teens, and although usually a careful driver I abandoned some caution, as I was driving a super Cooper! After one or two fairly reckless incidents, I am very glad to say that sanity returned and once again other road users were treated with the extreme due caution that they deserved.

I enjoyed the motorcycle experience. It was a bit of family nostalgia and impressionable individual identity that combined when I was that boy on a motorbike. As time goes by practical needs do start to take over and dictate which form of transport would best suit the changing circumstances. I have gone from sidecar tot to biker extraordinaire and then on to a style first car driver. Each vehicle has taught me something about my thoughts, actions and associated objectives and as I grew older, my vehicle choice has evolved into giving a bit of the best of both worlds. I still love driving and the freedom that having a vehicle can give and what I think makes a win, win scenario for me is what that car allows me to do. Environmentally aware, easy to use and with ample provision for what is important to me, my motor memories have served me well and I hope shall continue to do so far into the future.

My blogs will be taking a short break now, but will be back on 9th January 2023. I would like to wish you and all of your nearest and dearest, a very happy Festive time and a happy, healthy New Year!

Indomitable Spirit.

How people deal with life can be a never ending spectacle of the ups and downs involved in multiple challenges and widely ranging objectives. In my mind, that tenacious sense of spirit that motivates athletes to compete for gold and inspires those courageous carers in our societies to help others to simply live, is absolutely astounding. Life has shown us throughout history that there can not be a more awe inspiring instance of characters with indomitable spirit who persevere in their steadfast determination to further their positive vision, as those pioneers who lead in areas of care and compassion. There are many motivating figures who fit this criteria and despite terrible times have gone on to influence the quality of care that is given, such as Florence Nightingale.

Doing what is best is not always easy and especially when a crisis is felt, there are those examples of heroic inspiration that can come to the foreground. It is even harder to achieve caring feats when the most basic of requirements to achieve those life saving goals are reduced. However there is an army of people who shoulder the burden of simply doing what is necessary for everyday life for themselves and others that they have a responsibility for and it is for those examples of the indomitable spirit that there is often no easy opportunity for ample rest. It needs an indomitable spirit to carry on with sometimes little thanks or hardly any recognition of the noble act of caring for other people.

Everyday people choose to participate in physical activities and mental aims that can put their own strength and conviction to the test. Often the reward of completing the task or recognition of their success is seen through the thriving or flourishing of other individuals or noted in how well aspects of society can go on to improve.

When the ease of living itself is in the balance, the stakes of success or failure for many vulnerable categories take on a new and defined importance, and it needs characters who have the indomitable spirit to persevere. People who can strive for better, envision a more enhanced way forward for the future and those who have a courage of heart and wisdom of mind.

Thoughts to Action.

A near constant stream of depressing news and financial worries is a necessary requirement but simultaneously it may overtake and give a false outlook on how life could be in the future.

Life is a mix of the good and bad, triumph and adversity. It is often in the most dark of times that rays of light can be found. People can show extreme courage and generosity. Quick minds can come up with solutions that ease a crisis or at the least give support to areas that need it the most. Success can be found at moments of desolation and it is important to note that useful lessons can be learnt along the way.

Positive action is often needed to break the cycle of depressing thoughts and fears. If the worst case scenarios are focused on, then an inability to move forward can ensue. It can be vital to look outside one circumstance and instead decide on how best to lessen anxiety.

I use even the briefest of times to practise deep breathing exercises and focus on a short positive but strong memory recollection. Both of these help to put me in a better and more sure state of mind. Feeling physically better and being in a relatively relaxed state can then be the optimum point from which to look at potential and possibility.

Situations and circumstances can vary greatly but one influence that can remain in common, is what can be done about problems from an individual perspective. Each of us has the power to decide, use our thoughts to enable a better course of action and try to do the very best that we can.

Happy Times.

Sometimes it is an absolute pleasure and I think most probably a relief, to review previous happy times, no matter when or how short they might have been.

I find making time to indulge in nostalgia has a unique reward. Reliving for me the joy and celebration of passing my driving test, is just one of the epic experiences of exhilaration in life. Achievements can come in many forms and those that usually involve particular effort, insight or desire can be amongst the most meaningful and even motivating.

Family life is a major factor for many when they think about happy times and specifically for me are those significant memories involving the wedding day and the birth of my daughter, several years later.

People often say that swimming is an activity that they enjoy, but for me this pastime was beyond my persistent attempts to learn and I had felt a failure at it for many years. The breakthrough came when instead of kicking my legs like mad and holding on to the side of the pool I was instructed to lean back from a standing position, at the same time push up with my feet and tense my body while in as straight a line as possible. In no time, I found myself floating on the water surface and feeling perfectly calm. The flood of joy I felt at that life accomplishment was beyond belief.

These are just a few of my happy times. I have relayed these specific experiences as an example of the joy which we all have locked up in our memories. It is great fun and a freedom unlocking technique to quietly relive the pleasure that we experienced at those personally meaningful times. It can be appreciative of the past, fulfilling for the present and even inspiring for the future, by helping us to remember why those particular times made us so happy.

Situational Behaviour.

I think it is good to consider facts that have a direct effect on one's behaviour. To make my point clear, this is an anecdote that highlights what happened to a young boy about the age of eight. He lived with his family in a row of houses and two doors down there lived a young girl that happened to have a persistent stutter. The young girl was about his age. They played together and got on well. The friendship grew from strength to strength when suddenly, and for no apparent reason the boy developed a stutter too.

At the age of about ten, after going to a speech therapist the boy’s stutter was cured. It was explained as a learned habit and probably copied, albeit subconsciously, from the young girl’s speech pattern. The boy managed to get over his obstacle in speaking, however he was after that experience said to be extremely nervous and easily influenced by any strongly defined traits surrounding him. It was of course problematic, as people and the environment had an influence on how anxious he felt and how he went on to behave.

The next example concerns how we behave when put under stress. If asked, under usual circumstances would we inflict unnecessary pain on other people? The answer of course for the majority, would be no. Given that conclusion, consider this scenario. You are invited to take part in a psychological experiment. There are twenty participants that are divided into sets of two. One will ask general knowledge questions and each time if the answer given is wrong, an electrical shock will be applied and its strength is increased every time. Unknown to you at the time, the participants receiving the shock are acting. Observing the distress, would you continue to ask the questions? This psychological experiment actually took place and however you might have responded to the above question, the majority of participants completed the task, although they were emotionally upset about proceeding with it. In fact, frequently those involved in the trial asked the overseer that was in charge, could they stop, but they were told that the task had to be completed.

The simple truth is even though participants felt what they were doing was wrong or morally conflicted with what they felt comfortable with doing, after asking for guidance they continued with the practical actions implied to be required of them.

Despite what we might ideally feel, it is unlikely that we know how we would exactly react given any range of environment and stress scenarios. It is thought provoking to contemplate when we would take control and think outside of the environment pressure and consider or even question the right thing to do.

It is not easy to control emotion and feelings, especially when it is the environment that is building up the stress. I find taking time to consider the situation and moving to a more peaceful position, in terms of thought process, can help to revise what is going on. Ultimately keeping in control is not always straightforward but it can be intriguing to find out what works best for us and how this can be improved upon.

Solving Puzzles.

When presented with a puzzle, the first thing many might think most appropriate to do, would be to establish what the goal is for solving it. The wisest act next, might be to signify what each part relates to the whole, as in how the smaller fragments can help to assimilate and provide the ultimate answer.

Often determining a certain line of thought when working on a puzzle, can exclude other potential answers. Being as objective as possible can usually depict a more broad spectrum of clues and even divulge the desired solution. There are in life all kinds of puzzles and problems, however for what could be the biggest puzzle of all, several significant possible theories have already been presented.

There are people who start with the solution that is dependent specifically on where they live and the particular social environment that they are brought up in. There are other schools of thought that favour purely scientific modes of evaluation. There are combinations of these ideas and even completely alternative viewpoints on the matter. This puzzle is certainly one that has brought about many perspectives.

I am talking about how the puzzle of the universe and how life came about. Often people refer to books that contain many stories and characters that historically will supply all the answers. An important part of the social structure is dependent on faith and acceptance of a belief. In other examples, it can be a laboured and intensive set of experiments and analysis data that is relied upon.

There are usually best fits in finding solutions for different types of puzzles and in this instance, this question can be investigated by studying the universe and life. Is the universe expanding, contracting or static? Do things happen with intention or without or both? Can life come from inorganic material? How did the universe come into being? Not knowing the answer for everything does not stop answering some of these questions.

If one starts with the answer to a puzzle, it can be important to check how one has given any assumptions or theories, credibility. Occasionally even working up to an answer can pose insightful scenarios or questions that indicate answers of their own. It is understandable that there might at times be opposing views but it is far better to have confidence that your suggestions and solutions have been researched. In the area of solving puzzles it is useful to be able to withstand scrutiny. Puzzle solving can emphasise a lot of positive skills and amongst them, learning how to use those qualities can be imperative.