Terry Lloyd's Blog, page 20
January 30, 2022
Motherhood.
One incident that brings a smile to my face is that of what could have been a tragedy, but for some good fortune and a complete twist of a tail.
In a derelict building there was a pregnant dog that had been abandoned. It was that by chance a caring lady rescued the dog and gave it shelter in her own home. The dog was in a poor physical condition but duly gave birth to two puppies, that shortly after entering life sadly passed away. The poor mother dog was looking for her pups everywhere. It was getting incredibly distressing and so heart breaking that in the end the lady searched for some puppies that the distraught dog could perhaps adopt, but to no avail.
The situation seemed dire. However, as the lady looked and looked, it turned out there where some kittens that had lost their mother. The lady knew it was not an exact match but decided to give the opportunity of a motherhood substitution and assemblance of a new family a chance.
Nature is full of beauty and tragedy, and in this case the ever strong maternal instinct dominated the situation. The dog took to rearing the small, furry infants straight away. She cleaned and carried the tiny kittens and the kittens responded and even went through the motions of latching on to the mother dog. The lady fed the tiny kittens with cat milk from a syringe and the animals continued to thrive in their own family, it was an idyllic situation that was a delight to see.
Another heart touching moment occurred, when this time three little kittens needed a foster mother. On this occasion the mother dog already had several puppies but the sightless kittens were decided should be cautiously introduced to the female dog. There appeared to be an immediate bond and the kittens flourished until they become independent of their dog mother and ready to make little lives of their own.
Empathy has no bounds and it appears that this is true between different species, including all manner of life and humans. There have historically been some astounding animal and species exchanges which have gone on to prove that a maternal instinct can be intriguing, strong, powerful and at times totally miraculous.
In a derelict building there was a pregnant dog that had been abandoned. It was that by chance a caring lady rescued the dog and gave it shelter in her own home. The dog was in a poor physical condition but duly gave birth to two puppies, that shortly after entering life sadly passed away. The poor mother dog was looking for her pups everywhere. It was getting incredibly distressing and so heart breaking that in the end the lady searched for some puppies that the distraught dog could perhaps adopt, but to no avail.
The situation seemed dire. However, as the lady looked and looked, it turned out there where some kittens that had lost their mother. The lady knew it was not an exact match but decided to give the opportunity of a motherhood substitution and assemblance of a new family a chance.
Nature is full of beauty and tragedy, and in this case the ever strong maternal instinct dominated the situation. The dog took to rearing the small, furry infants straight away. She cleaned and carried the tiny kittens and the kittens responded and even went through the motions of latching on to the mother dog. The lady fed the tiny kittens with cat milk from a syringe and the animals continued to thrive in their own family, it was an idyllic situation that was a delight to see.
Another heart touching moment occurred, when this time three little kittens needed a foster mother. On this occasion the mother dog already had several puppies but the sightless kittens were decided should be cautiously introduced to the female dog. There appeared to be an immediate bond and the kittens flourished until they become independent of their dog mother and ready to make little lives of their own.
Empathy has no bounds and it appears that this is true between different species, including all manner of life and humans. There have historically been some astounding animal and species exchanges which have gone on to prove that a maternal instinct can be intriguing, strong, powerful and at times totally miraculous.
January 23, 2022
Chance Survival.
Then and now, the past and the present, each situation and set of circumstances can have an influence on an end result. I find it really interesting to contemplate how many times there have been instances whereby the continuation of my own personal life could have been so different.
In a wider context, all of life has twists and turns. The current virus is one of those many testing trials and surely there will be more to follow. It will be of little consolation, but even battling with a highly concerning infectious pandemic, does not mean a lack of similar historic experiences before it. There have been far greater loss of life in past generations but perspectives on these facts have to depend on interpretations of influential external factors and relative statistics.
Sometimes there are milestones of change that can effect current life. Such as the oxygen in the atmosphere, that took thousands of years to accumulate. The first single cells that eventually combined into multi celled orgasms, the ones that are the very building blocks of life for every one of us.
The demise of the dinosaurs, it took place well before that of a latterly categorised mankind. One could ask and even debate how well would an earlier form of society have fared if the dinosaurs were still in existence? Then there is the epic and somewhat dramatic notion of the probably most relevant milestone, and that is of homo sapiens surviving competition against other hominids. Although, factually current DNA found in many people, will show the historic interbreeding of those early ancestors.
Were those significant, life determining milestones connected with intension, or merely a more chance survival way that history is formed? If intended, the saga covers a huge expanse of time and there were some seemingly, unrelated events. To put things into perspective, modern humans can be traced back two hundred thousand years and early forms to six million years. However, life of all types covers approximately four point four billion years.
Life is a gift, and I think to be able to appreciate the past, allows a recognition for the fragile twist and turns of survival. Chance or determined, survival is a huge part of what drives the natural world. It can fascinate, inspire and even help to shape our comprehension of what it means to be alive.
In a wider context, all of life has twists and turns. The current virus is one of those many testing trials and surely there will be more to follow. It will be of little consolation, but even battling with a highly concerning infectious pandemic, does not mean a lack of similar historic experiences before it. There have been far greater loss of life in past generations but perspectives on these facts have to depend on interpretations of influential external factors and relative statistics.
Sometimes there are milestones of change that can effect current life. Such as the oxygen in the atmosphere, that took thousands of years to accumulate. The first single cells that eventually combined into multi celled orgasms, the ones that are the very building blocks of life for every one of us.
The demise of the dinosaurs, it took place well before that of a latterly categorised mankind. One could ask and even debate how well would an earlier form of society have fared if the dinosaurs were still in existence? Then there is the epic and somewhat dramatic notion of the probably most relevant milestone, and that is of homo sapiens surviving competition against other hominids. Although, factually current DNA found in many people, will show the historic interbreeding of those early ancestors.
Were those significant, life determining milestones connected with intension, or merely a more chance survival way that history is formed? If intended, the saga covers a huge expanse of time and there were some seemingly, unrelated events. To put things into perspective, modern humans can be traced back two hundred thousand years and early forms to six million years. However, life of all types covers approximately four point four billion years.
Life is a gift, and I think to be able to appreciate the past, allows a recognition for the fragile twist and turns of survival. Chance or determined, survival is a huge part of what drives the natural world. It can fascinate, inspire and even help to shape our comprehension of what it means to be alive.
January 16, 2022
Pleasure.
One thing that we all probably associate to in different ways and at different ages, is pleasure. However too much of a good thing could cause disaster. Take something simple, such as when a child is placed in front of an array of appetising treats. Analysing that level of pleasure as opposed to comprehending the consequences of it, might only be a lesson that for the majority, is learnt with the application of a more mature mind.
How about that tempting box of sweet breakfast food that is still on the breakfast table? Even though someone is not hungry, that does not always stop the pleasure motivated reasoning of what harm would it do to just take another hand full of that crunchy, sticky happiness? Although as is so often noted with pleasure and the human acknowledgement of it, one handful can often lead to another and another.
Serotonin, dopamine, endorphins and oxytocin are widely known as the happy hormones, as they promote positive feelings like pleasure and even love. Dopamine results in feelings of well being and can be a primary driver of the brain's reward system, because it spikes when people experience something pleasurable. It is important to be able to be able to recognise what triggers the increase in serotonin as while some actions can give a short term lift or boost, there are healthy alternatives that may provide lengthier positive experiences of mood enhancement and pleasure.
Exercise can instigate and improve longevity in levels of serotonin and foods in the diet such as certain fruits or oily fish can be significant in similar ways. Facts can be fundamental. Perhaps the more pertinent point when thinking about the topic of pleasure, is what happens when you are not aware of misinformation. Everyday there can be an absolute avalanche of advertising stating that a particular product is good for you. The key to repeat buying is pleasure and fear. Hence the technique of, our product does not have x in it, so it must be good for you.
It is only looking into it for yourself that can usually uncover the truth of any claims and any advertised statements can be independently verified. It is somewhat ironic that many of the ideals and heightened notions of obtaining a pleasure in well being and good health might be based on false premises.
Pleasure and happiness might sound similar but there is a major difference in that pleasure can become addictive, whereas happiness is a state of mind. It could be argued for some people happiness can be found by being alone, whereas others feel a contentment from social activity. Versions of pleasure and happiness can differ throughout life but a constant can always be depicted in a comprehension of the facts. Being able to tell pleasure from happiness and how to find both in life but in the best of ways, can be truly rewarding for the mind, spirit and body.
How about that tempting box of sweet breakfast food that is still on the breakfast table? Even though someone is not hungry, that does not always stop the pleasure motivated reasoning of what harm would it do to just take another hand full of that crunchy, sticky happiness? Although as is so often noted with pleasure and the human acknowledgement of it, one handful can often lead to another and another.
Serotonin, dopamine, endorphins and oxytocin are widely known as the happy hormones, as they promote positive feelings like pleasure and even love. Dopamine results in feelings of well being and can be a primary driver of the brain's reward system, because it spikes when people experience something pleasurable. It is important to be able to be able to recognise what triggers the increase in serotonin as while some actions can give a short term lift or boost, there are healthy alternatives that may provide lengthier positive experiences of mood enhancement and pleasure.
Exercise can instigate and improve longevity in levels of serotonin and foods in the diet such as certain fruits or oily fish can be significant in similar ways. Facts can be fundamental. Perhaps the more pertinent point when thinking about the topic of pleasure, is what happens when you are not aware of misinformation. Everyday there can be an absolute avalanche of advertising stating that a particular product is good for you. The key to repeat buying is pleasure and fear. Hence the technique of, our product does not have x in it, so it must be good for you.
It is only looking into it for yourself that can usually uncover the truth of any claims and any advertised statements can be independently verified. It is somewhat ironic that many of the ideals and heightened notions of obtaining a pleasure in well being and good health might be based on false premises.
Pleasure and happiness might sound similar but there is a major difference in that pleasure can become addictive, whereas happiness is a state of mind. It could be argued for some people happiness can be found by being alone, whereas others feel a contentment from social activity. Versions of pleasure and happiness can differ throughout life but a constant can always be depicted in a comprehension of the facts. Being able to tell pleasure from happiness and how to find both in life but in the best of ways, can be truly rewarding for the mind, spirit and body.
January 8, 2022
Environmental Earth.
Just the other day, it occurred to me how much do I really know about the environment and Earth that I live on. Take the sunrise every day, it is common to think of the Sun travelling around the earth when in fact it is the Earth that is spinning. What is really surprising is although each day seems like the previous, in fact the time of the Earth’s spin is slowing down. The relative close neighbour of the Earth is the Moon. The Moon at one time was believed to be a small planet, about the size of Mars, that collided with Earth at a very early time of formation of the solar system.
Another interesting feature for me, is that of the wandering planets that appear to constantly keep reversing direction. This remained a mystery for quite some time until the real motion of Earth was understood. The Earth is in an elliptical orbit of the Sun, as are the other planets, however the speed
of orbit is different. It is as a result of this, that sometimes Earth’s orbit is approaching another planet and then passes it, so the direction of that planet will appear as if the planet had changed its direction.
The all important subject of life has a really interesting history. Little did I realise, that the early Earth had an atmosphere of sustainability and less oxygen than that of the present day. However the first forms of life, that were unicellular, thrived two billion years before the multi celled oxygen gobbling creatures became dominant in that environment. All life share common ancestry.
A major part of life is that of plants, trees, vegetables, and fruit. I find it awe inspiring to contemplate the shared genetic heritage that at one time split into the different kingdoms. The humble banana has about fifty per cent of genetic information as humans and is a good example of how evolution can alter the form, in this case of the fruit by selective intension.
If natural selection was involved in determining everything then the process would take much longer and of course have no specific intension other than survival. One important fact in life structure is how the world and the environment appear. It is only after research and investigation that the true structure of things can be realised.
Another interesting feature for me, is that of the wandering planets that appear to constantly keep reversing direction. This remained a mystery for quite some time until the real motion of Earth was understood. The Earth is in an elliptical orbit of the Sun, as are the other planets, however the speed
of orbit is different. It is as a result of this, that sometimes Earth’s orbit is approaching another planet and then passes it, so the direction of that planet will appear as if the planet had changed its direction.
The all important subject of life has a really interesting history. Little did I realise, that the early Earth had an atmosphere of sustainability and less oxygen than that of the present day. However the first forms of life, that were unicellular, thrived two billion years before the multi celled oxygen gobbling creatures became dominant in that environment. All life share common ancestry.
A major part of life is that of plants, trees, vegetables, and fruit. I find it awe inspiring to contemplate the shared genetic heritage that at one time split into the different kingdoms. The humble banana has about fifty per cent of genetic information as humans and is a good example of how evolution can alter the form, in this case of the fruit by selective intension.
If natural selection was involved in determining everything then the process would take much longer and of course have no specific intension other than survival. One important fact in life structure is how the world and the environment appear. It is only after research and investigation that the true structure of things can be realised.
January 2, 2022
Determining Morality.
Why am I talking about morals right now? For me, I see it to be a way of successfully making a bridge point for so many divided but significantly held views on accepted, correct behaviour.
So many times institutions are used to support a rigid rule, with no thought of the consequences. Unfortunately people may hide any feeling of responsibility on the consequences of their action by referring to the collective institution rule as if they have no individual responsibility for the action.
What changes a list of rules, no matter what or who compiled them? It is perhaps only after someone considers the outcome of a particular rule that the term moral can be applied to that same instruction. If you think about it, similar to that of a legal document, it is only binding when both parties agree and confirm on that agreement by a meeting of minds.
In practical terms, a bases or aim may need to be refereed to in order to consider what action is either right or wrong. The main point is accepting the consequences of making a personal choice based on the information that is available at the time. If the situation changes, then it is quiet possible that a different conclusion might arise. This I think is a fair and pragmatic way of determining morals and dealing with life’s complexities.
You might want to take as an example, one of my favourite Aesop's fables, The man, the boy and the donkey. All three were on a journey to market and as they met passers by, each made comments on how they should ideally travel. No matter how they chose to travel, with the man sitting on the donkey, then boy and man sitting on the donkey, or man and boy carrying the donkey, they could not please everybody and ended up pleasing none.
Why is talking about how to reach moral decisions important? It can be a good way of people with widely different ideological views, finding a common point of contact and that could result in an ultimate beneficial cooperation.
It is quite possible that when people talk about determining morals and morality, they may find that they share a common aim in deciding what is the right or wrong moral action to take in a given situation or in a more broader sense of applicable meaning.
I do feel that when it comes to determining morality it is the action that defines a person, rather than any professed philosophy.
So many times institutions are used to support a rigid rule, with no thought of the consequences. Unfortunately people may hide any feeling of responsibility on the consequences of their action by referring to the collective institution rule as if they have no individual responsibility for the action.
What changes a list of rules, no matter what or who compiled them? It is perhaps only after someone considers the outcome of a particular rule that the term moral can be applied to that same instruction. If you think about it, similar to that of a legal document, it is only binding when both parties agree and confirm on that agreement by a meeting of minds.
In practical terms, a bases or aim may need to be refereed to in order to consider what action is either right or wrong. The main point is accepting the consequences of making a personal choice based on the information that is available at the time. If the situation changes, then it is quiet possible that a different conclusion might arise. This I think is a fair and pragmatic way of determining morals and dealing with life’s complexities.
You might want to take as an example, one of my favourite Aesop's fables, The man, the boy and the donkey. All three were on a journey to market and as they met passers by, each made comments on how they should ideally travel. No matter how they chose to travel, with the man sitting on the donkey, then boy and man sitting on the donkey, or man and boy carrying the donkey, they could not please everybody and ended up pleasing none.
Why is talking about how to reach moral decisions important? It can be a good way of people with widely different ideological views, finding a common point of contact and that could result in an ultimate beneficial cooperation.
It is quite possible that when people talk about determining morals and morality, they may find that they share a common aim in deciding what is the right or wrong moral action to take in a given situation or in a more broader sense of applicable meaning.
I do feel that when it comes to determining morality it is the action that defines a person, rather than any professed philosophy.
December 11, 2021
Goodwill.
It is that time of year again, when generally good will is emphasised and celebrated. I love the spread of smiles and good feeling that can circulate at this time and upon thinking about it, I pondered that like in Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll at the Mad Hatter’s unbirthday party, why not have the same celebration but in practical ways every day of the year? After all, an emotion of misery and inhuman action have become far too common place and unfortunately observed in multiple countries across the world.
Are we as individuals such terrible people, as to be complicit in acts of cruelty and uncaring? I feel myself responding to this question with the words, of course not, as regular appeals and pleas for charity or positive action are held throughout the year. What does this truly achieve? In certain, more affluent nations, probably a lot more than elsewhere. As the same pictures, of often the same desperate people, in horrendous situations spur people to give and keep giving, even this cycle can sometimes demonstrate only corruption and political disparity or inequality.
Sadly, often it is not that there is not sufficient resources to alleviate the inhuman conditions. It is the lack of cooperation, by so called social and political leaders in conflict, and an unwillingness to work together for the benefit of all.
An answer to this dire state of affairs was sought and found with the forming, many years ago, of the United Nations. What a great and noble idea it was and it started with a fantastic set of ideals. All Countries coming together in a united endeavour to relieve the conflict and depredation in all areas that needed help. In reality, there is so much arguing and political manoeuvring that often an agreed plan of intervention for humanity’s sake, simply does not take place. That said, what populations can be grateful for, is the limited medical and peace keeping efforts that do take place, but it could be so much more.
How about individual countries working together such as to alleviate the trafficking of immigrants? Fleeing their homeland, a place that often has become a colossal bomb site with no social or economic future. It often is no fault of the nationals, that other countries have invaded their former country and left it in an economic ruin. What is the sentiment of Christmas, the moral compunction of a humane society to watch men go to such desperate lengths of life and death to leave a country formerly known as their home, or to act as observant as mothers and babies, struggle to stay together or even live in the most basic of conditions.
If bordering countries work together to provide medical attention, warm shelter and food in the temporary country of transit without politicising nearly every action, then maybe once again the generosity of heart could overpower the many absolutely vile atrocities that take place. The immediate pressure to take unnecessary risks with their lives would be reduced, and productivity could be organised so as the economic burden of supporting the current steadily rising immigrant populations, could be better sustained. Similarly as with certain virus and vaccine deployment theories, how each and every nation treats each other and their own people, matters.
It is clear that goodwill is not the focal problem in multiple nations, but organising how to effectively circumvent obstacles to achieve the benefits of goodwill, should be the main objective.
I wish you all a happy and healthy Christmas and New Year. I will be taking a break, but do not worry because my blog will be back on 3rd January 2022.
Are we as individuals such terrible people, as to be complicit in acts of cruelty and uncaring? I feel myself responding to this question with the words, of course not, as regular appeals and pleas for charity or positive action are held throughout the year. What does this truly achieve? In certain, more affluent nations, probably a lot more than elsewhere. As the same pictures, of often the same desperate people, in horrendous situations spur people to give and keep giving, even this cycle can sometimes demonstrate only corruption and political disparity or inequality.
Sadly, often it is not that there is not sufficient resources to alleviate the inhuman conditions. It is the lack of cooperation, by so called social and political leaders in conflict, and an unwillingness to work together for the benefit of all.
An answer to this dire state of affairs was sought and found with the forming, many years ago, of the United Nations. What a great and noble idea it was and it started with a fantastic set of ideals. All Countries coming together in a united endeavour to relieve the conflict and depredation in all areas that needed help. In reality, there is so much arguing and political manoeuvring that often an agreed plan of intervention for humanity’s sake, simply does not take place. That said, what populations can be grateful for, is the limited medical and peace keeping efforts that do take place, but it could be so much more.
How about individual countries working together such as to alleviate the trafficking of immigrants? Fleeing their homeland, a place that often has become a colossal bomb site with no social or economic future. It often is no fault of the nationals, that other countries have invaded their former country and left it in an economic ruin. What is the sentiment of Christmas, the moral compunction of a humane society to watch men go to such desperate lengths of life and death to leave a country formerly known as their home, or to act as observant as mothers and babies, struggle to stay together or even live in the most basic of conditions.
If bordering countries work together to provide medical attention, warm shelter and food in the temporary country of transit without politicising nearly every action, then maybe once again the generosity of heart could overpower the many absolutely vile atrocities that take place. The immediate pressure to take unnecessary risks with their lives would be reduced, and productivity could be organised so as the economic burden of supporting the current steadily rising immigrant populations, could be better sustained. Similarly as with certain virus and vaccine deployment theories, how each and every nation treats each other and their own people, matters.
It is clear that goodwill is not the focal problem in multiple nations, but organising how to effectively circumvent obstacles to achieve the benefits of goodwill, should be the main objective.
I wish you all a happy and healthy Christmas and New Year. I will be taking a break, but do not worry because my blog will be back on 3rd January 2022.
December 5, 2021
Natural Health.
I have a question for you. What is the best way to start the day? With a laugh, of course. Why? It is a medical fact that smiling and laughing releases endorphins that promote good health. Smiling stimulates far more muscles that frowning. So, there might well be a medical benefit to smile and turn that frown upside down.
Even a tiny action of starting the day off in a good frame of mood can have untold health benefits. Smiling sends a message to the brain which responds by releasing chemicals such as serotonin, which is a natural antidepressant and the endorphins that are transmitted are beneficial as mild pain relief.
Throughout the day, we may not realise that stress is building up, and taking time to consciously take a break to have a moment for positive well being reinforcement such as a simple smile now and again is not a bad idea. I am not suggesting to walk about with an insane grin on your face, because all too soon and the question would be, what is the joke? A suitable acknowledgement of the power that can be found in a little light laughter or even a happy frame of mind can have an appropriate time and place, but ensuring that you do not neglect to fit this into any daily or nightly schedule can lighten your mood, attitude and impact your physical ability as a result.
It might sound odd, but training yourself into a mindset of regularly appreciating the need and physical aim to smile and be happy, is a healthy practice. Stimulating your own positive thought structure could be due to an instigated happy thought about your past, present or even something that you are looking forward to doing in life. If it is a mental process that leaves you smiling, this can increase your own sense of well being and even influence others around you to smile more, thus gaining them health benefits as well.
Putting yourself into a positive frame of thinking can assist in relaxation, and thereby thoughts of a happy enjoyable experience, could be a good way of preparing for a good night’s sleep. Sleep can have a profound influence on the body and mind. Did you know that a molecule called adenosine builds up in the brain and one way to dissipate it, is through sleep. Adopting a positive relaxation regime can be useful but in terms of sleep, having a nice cup of tea or coffee just before bed is not a good idea, as caffeine blocks the mechanism for reducing the build up of adenosine in the brain.
Good sleep is vitally important but one question many people ask is does it count when you have stressful dreams, such as loosing something or getting lost. Where is the dividing line between dreams and nightmares?
One of the most important issues in this kind of query for natural health is if after a night’s sleep, whether you still feel tired in the morning. If you are unfortunate to have recurring nightmares such as the type of nightmare where you wake up in the middle of the night, with your night clothes and body soaked in sweat and your heart racing, it can cause a terror of going back to sleep.
Natural health requires sleep for multiple reasons and if in the morning you feel drained of energy or lack concentration then this could be an area that you can work on. The benefits of sleep are well known and help on sleep hygiene is available. There are many tips that can assist in breaking a bad sleeping cycle and can promote a much better natural ability to help the body recover and rejuvenate.
Smiling and sleep are two relatively pragmatic and powerful ways in which to have a positive influence on the mind and body. In instigating any positive objectives into a life, it can provide benefits, both in implementing a healthy change and lessening the stress or negative effects of problematic habits or patterns of behaviour.
Even a tiny action of starting the day off in a good frame of mood can have untold health benefits. Smiling sends a message to the brain which responds by releasing chemicals such as serotonin, which is a natural antidepressant and the endorphins that are transmitted are beneficial as mild pain relief.
Throughout the day, we may not realise that stress is building up, and taking time to consciously take a break to have a moment for positive well being reinforcement such as a simple smile now and again is not a bad idea. I am not suggesting to walk about with an insane grin on your face, because all too soon and the question would be, what is the joke? A suitable acknowledgement of the power that can be found in a little light laughter or even a happy frame of mind can have an appropriate time and place, but ensuring that you do not neglect to fit this into any daily or nightly schedule can lighten your mood, attitude and impact your physical ability as a result.
It might sound odd, but training yourself into a mindset of regularly appreciating the need and physical aim to smile and be happy, is a healthy practice. Stimulating your own positive thought structure could be due to an instigated happy thought about your past, present or even something that you are looking forward to doing in life. If it is a mental process that leaves you smiling, this can increase your own sense of well being and even influence others around you to smile more, thus gaining them health benefits as well.
Putting yourself into a positive frame of thinking can assist in relaxation, and thereby thoughts of a happy enjoyable experience, could be a good way of preparing for a good night’s sleep. Sleep can have a profound influence on the body and mind. Did you know that a molecule called adenosine builds up in the brain and one way to dissipate it, is through sleep. Adopting a positive relaxation regime can be useful but in terms of sleep, having a nice cup of tea or coffee just before bed is not a good idea, as caffeine blocks the mechanism for reducing the build up of adenosine in the brain.
Good sleep is vitally important but one question many people ask is does it count when you have stressful dreams, such as loosing something or getting lost. Where is the dividing line between dreams and nightmares?
One of the most important issues in this kind of query for natural health is if after a night’s sleep, whether you still feel tired in the morning. If you are unfortunate to have recurring nightmares such as the type of nightmare where you wake up in the middle of the night, with your night clothes and body soaked in sweat and your heart racing, it can cause a terror of going back to sleep.
Natural health requires sleep for multiple reasons and if in the morning you feel drained of energy or lack concentration then this could be an area that you can work on. The benefits of sleep are well known and help on sleep hygiene is available. There are many tips that can assist in breaking a bad sleeping cycle and can promote a much better natural ability to help the body recover and rejuvenate.
Smiling and sleep are two relatively pragmatic and powerful ways in which to have a positive influence on the mind and body. In instigating any positive objectives into a life, it can provide benefits, both in implementing a healthy change and lessening the stress or negative effects of problematic habits or patterns of behaviour.
November 28, 2021
Contemplating Existence.
Have you ever wondered, about the sequence of events that preceded now, and is the state of life and the universe. For me, I have a line of thought which starts with action and consequences, followed by agents that some have intentions and others that have not. Bear with me, as all will become clear.
Factually everything that exists or existed, had a previous action that entailed consequences, such as the inflation of the universe and the continuous birth and death of stars. Over time solar systems were populated by various types of planets. On at least one planet, agents appeared with the natural ability to induce oxygen into the atmosphere. These agents, I would class as causing consequence without intension. The reason being, cyanobacteria uses photosynthesis for energy and expelled oxygen as garbage. This was a process that spread over a considerably long time.
Eventually, agents appeared that had an intension to affect the environment around them. This included all types of life that construct shelter and migrate for survival. One species of life excelled at affecting the environment and this was to a point, that the state of equilibrium gave way to jeopardy. I am, of course, talking about homo sapiens. They performed actions with intension but unforeseen consequences. It is only now, that for many, those consequences are becoming apparent.
For me, the state of life and the universe indicates that there is no specific dictated direction. In fact, everything can be traced back to actions and the consequences of them. Agents are a product of those actions. However, a specific life or any life, does not have to come about as a result of it.
I might just add, to me it makes more sense to work from accepting there is a Universe, Earth and Life. It is more appreciable than debating how, where and why the actions came about in the first place.
Factually everything that exists or existed, had a previous action that entailed consequences, such as the inflation of the universe and the continuous birth and death of stars. Over time solar systems were populated by various types of planets. On at least one planet, agents appeared with the natural ability to induce oxygen into the atmosphere. These agents, I would class as causing consequence without intension. The reason being, cyanobacteria uses photosynthesis for energy and expelled oxygen as garbage. This was a process that spread over a considerably long time.
Eventually, agents appeared that had an intension to affect the environment around them. This included all types of life that construct shelter and migrate for survival. One species of life excelled at affecting the environment and this was to a point, that the state of equilibrium gave way to jeopardy. I am, of course, talking about homo sapiens. They performed actions with intension but unforeseen consequences. It is only now, that for many, those consequences are becoming apparent.
For me, the state of life and the universe indicates that there is no specific dictated direction. In fact, everything can be traced back to actions and the consequences of them. Agents are a product of those actions. However, a specific life or any life, does not have to come about as a result of it.
I might just add, to me it makes more sense to work from accepting there is a Universe, Earth and Life. It is more appreciable than debating how, where and why the actions came about in the first place.
November 21, 2021
My Father Part Two.
My father, like many people, had several sides to his personality. Sometimes a positive attribute can also be counterproductive. As a person, my father was a perfectionist and only the right way would usually do. This, and my reaction to his admonishing, on occasion caused frustration to him and as a child at times left me resenting him. My father had a life long friend who was the exact opposite to him. For him, any kind of way would do, to get a job finished. A screwdriver was a hammer and that was that. Among some of my father’s talents, was his love for music, and he could play the banjo. In his former years, he beautifully played the trumpet and trombone. He was able to teach music, and formed a small band of former pupils, that would regularly visit the house to play. Over time, they all became long term friends.
Something I will always thank my father for, was his uniquely deft handling of the habit of smoking for me. He enjoyed smoking, and although I was very young he announced loudly one time that if I was ever going to smoke, that I might as well do it in front of him. As you might imagine, I was a bit surprised at that sudden statement, not least because I had not indicated any desire to smoke. On the first taste though, it was enough to put me off for life.
It was quite regularly that my childhood home was turned into a hive of industry as my father pursued his talents into cane weaving various accomplished and usable items such as lamps, trays and baskets of varying sizes. All of which would be sold to supplement the family’s income. Then he pursed his love of nature by building an aviary, constructing everything from the concrete base to the closed in part of the aviary itself. First, he had canaries, but budgerigars had become quite popular so he changed to breeding those. The one thing that I remember is the difference between the sex of the bird is generally indicated as the adult male will have a blue cere, that is the covering over the top of the beak, and the female’s is usually brown. At the first sight of newly hatched birds, each time they reminded me of the presentation of little prehistoric dinosaurs.
We lived in the end prefab, that was located at the top of a hill and a cul-de-sac. One day my father noticed a man standing on his own, facing down the hill, holding an open book and speaking. I was instructed to go outside and listen to the man. It soon became clear that he was reading from the Christian bible. The talking seemed to go on for ages, with just me present, until some local children began climbing the near by trees that bounded the park. It was right in front of the prefabs and they thought it was a bit of fun to call remarks out about the preacher, but fortunately after a while they grew tired of that activity and moved off. The preacher just carried on reading. Suddenly, something he was saying caught my attention. God stopped the Sun from moving to allow more daylight. The problem for me was that earlier on, some time at school, I had been taught the spin of the earth altered the affect of sunlight reaching earth. So stopping the Sun from moving would not achieve what God had intended. However, I did not think imparting that information would be well received by the preacher. Finally, the preacher finished and stepped towards me and thanked me for listening to his sermon.
A short time before my father passed away, he suffered a stroke that impaired his speech and hearing. He could play a musical instrument but no longer hear it clearly. I was in a difficult situation when he asked me what did his subsequent attempts at music playing sound like. How could I tell him the truth, because it was awful.
I believe for some misguided reason my father thought he could cushion his passing, by making me look forward to it, rather than dreading it. On the day my mother tearfully told me my father had gone, my first emotion was that of relief and it was only after several years had passed, that I could really cry with full emotion for him.
Something I will always thank my father for, was his uniquely deft handling of the habit of smoking for me. He enjoyed smoking, and although I was very young he announced loudly one time that if I was ever going to smoke, that I might as well do it in front of him. As you might imagine, I was a bit surprised at that sudden statement, not least because I had not indicated any desire to smoke. On the first taste though, it was enough to put me off for life.
It was quite regularly that my childhood home was turned into a hive of industry as my father pursued his talents into cane weaving various accomplished and usable items such as lamps, trays and baskets of varying sizes. All of which would be sold to supplement the family’s income. Then he pursed his love of nature by building an aviary, constructing everything from the concrete base to the closed in part of the aviary itself. First, he had canaries, but budgerigars had become quite popular so he changed to breeding those. The one thing that I remember is the difference between the sex of the bird is generally indicated as the adult male will have a blue cere, that is the covering over the top of the beak, and the female’s is usually brown. At the first sight of newly hatched birds, each time they reminded me of the presentation of little prehistoric dinosaurs.
We lived in the end prefab, that was located at the top of a hill and a cul-de-sac. One day my father noticed a man standing on his own, facing down the hill, holding an open book and speaking. I was instructed to go outside and listen to the man. It soon became clear that he was reading from the Christian bible. The talking seemed to go on for ages, with just me present, until some local children began climbing the near by trees that bounded the park. It was right in front of the prefabs and they thought it was a bit of fun to call remarks out about the preacher, but fortunately after a while they grew tired of that activity and moved off. The preacher just carried on reading. Suddenly, something he was saying caught my attention. God stopped the Sun from moving to allow more daylight. The problem for me was that earlier on, some time at school, I had been taught the spin of the earth altered the affect of sunlight reaching earth. So stopping the Sun from moving would not achieve what God had intended. However, I did not think imparting that information would be well received by the preacher. Finally, the preacher finished and stepped towards me and thanked me for listening to his sermon.
A short time before my father passed away, he suffered a stroke that impaired his speech and hearing. He could play a musical instrument but no longer hear it clearly. I was in a difficult situation when he asked me what did his subsequent attempts at music playing sound like. How could I tell him the truth, because it was awful.
I believe for some misguided reason my father thought he could cushion his passing, by making me look forward to it, rather than dreading it. On the day my mother tearfully told me my father had gone, my first emotion was that of relief and it was only after several years had passed, that I could really cry with full emotion for him.
November 14, 2021
My Father.
Of all my personal experiences, out of the most extraordinary, unique and special, I would like to present my Father. He of course to me was one of a kind. Although for the whole time that I knew him he was chronically sick, and for good part of the time, confined to his bed.
In his early days, before an incident at work whereby he was gassed and suffered permanent damage to his lungs, my father had been a very fit person. Physically, he had the prowess of a contortionist and it would not be going to an extreme, to say that he could do with his limbs what many others could not. However his work accident put a stop to any physically demanding aim or objective, and even the smallest of movement became a practical difficulty. His health suffered and subsequently heart and vascular problems ensued. At that time, there was no procedure for compensation and the financial situation was dire. To be fair, at that particular time my parents situation was no worse than many other people, as the end of the second world war rationing was still in force and derelict bombed buildings were everywhere.
My father's professional training was that of a skilled bricklayer and for a short time he was employed as an overseer for building in progress. Unfortunately after the incident at work, even the travelling and exertion proved too much, so another form of income had to be pursued. My mother took on being the bread winner and for a while, ran a stall in the local market. The hours where tiring and when I arrived on the scene, something else had to be found.
My father found the inactivity difficult, and soon came up with various financial ventures. In his former healthy years he had been a natural athlete and a superb swimmer. He took on the responsibility to ensure all the family could swim and that is with the one exception of myself. Try as he might, the swimming did not come off with me. Although I do remember a trip to the river Thames, a shaping moment of my youth that even now gives me shivers. I recall that with bare feet, they sunk beneath the soft revolting ooze at the bottom of the river. My father’s technique had been to accompany the novice into the water and assists if necessary. This of course was fine in theory and not so much in practice, as my total fear of water would not allow me to complete a single swimming stroke.
A particular incident will help to convey the character and personality of my father. On a rare outing to the local pub, my parents were quietly enjoying a drink when two young men began to show an over formality towards my mother. My father took charge of the situation and with a powerful bark, uttered a noise that was full of determination and domination of the predicament. Needless to say it almost instantly stopped the unwanted advances of the two young men, who realising that my father had a presence of strength and capability, retreated. I always remember from that single scene, what was said was not important but how it was said made all the impact.
Things did not always work out as planned for my father. On a trip to the fare, as a young boy I had volunteered to steer the bumper car, with my mum sat in as a passenger. My father was in another bumper car and he saw that I had got my car stuck against the central reservation. Being resourceful, my father thought a simple bump of his car against mine would rectify the situation. Unfortunately he had not anticipated the force of the collision and consequently hit his face on the steering wheel. Bleeding profusely from his nose and lip, after a little first aid, the blood subsided and another memory of mine was made.
My father’s family lived in Liverpool and the canals where local to where they inhabited, one day my father saw a girl in difficulties in the canal. He immediately dived in and began a rescue of the young lady. After being thanked for his action, it was at that precise time that he realised he had lost his glasses.
At one time, earlier on in his life when my father was feeling able, he performed a physical act that even now is mind blowing. Being bed ridden for most of the time, he saw in me the potential to display some of his remarkable physical feats, such as to traverse a kitchen table over the top and under the bottom, and back to the top again, without touching the floor or something easier, as he could take a one handed floor brush and place it over the top of an open door, hang on to the handle of the brush and raise his feet off the ground and hang there. Even as a sick man he performed an action for me that took my breath away, and that was to place both his feet behind his neck and stand on his hands and even walk on them.
No, I myself did not achieve any of those feats of action but I much later did learn to swim and remove a tablecloth with dishes and cups leaving them still on the table. I noticed a lot about my father and the one important thing in life that I learnt from my experience with him is to tell people how much you love them and do it when you have the opportunity to do so.
In his early days, before an incident at work whereby he was gassed and suffered permanent damage to his lungs, my father had been a very fit person. Physically, he had the prowess of a contortionist and it would not be going to an extreme, to say that he could do with his limbs what many others could not. However his work accident put a stop to any physically demanding aim or objective, and even the smallest of movement became a practical difficulty. His health suffered and subsequently heart and vascular problems ensued. At that time, there was no procedure for compensation and the financial situation was dire. To be fair, at that particular time my parents situation was no worse than many other people, as the end of the second world war rationing was still in force and derelict bombed buildings were everywhere.
My father's professional training was that of a skilled bricklayer and for a short time he was employed as an overseer for building in progress. Unfortunately after the incident at work, even the travelling and exertion proved too much, so another form of income had to be pursued. My mother took on being the bread winner and for a while, ran a stall in the local market. The hours where tiring and when I arrived on the scene, something else had to be found.
My father found the inactivity difficult, and soon came up with various financial ventures. In his former healthy years he had been a natural athlete and a superb swimmer. He took on the responsibility to ensure all the family could swim and that is with the one exception of myself. Try as he might, the swimming did not come off with me. Although I do remember a trip to the river Thames, a shaping moment of my youth that even now gives me shivers. I recall that with bare feet, they sunk beneath the soft revolting ooze at the bottom of the river. My father’s technique had been to accompany the novice into the water and assists if necessary. This of course was fine in theory and not so much in practice, as my total fear of water would not allow me to complete a single swimming stroke.
A particular incident will help to convey the character and personality of my father. On a rare outing to the local pub, my parents were quietly enjoying a drink when two young men began to show an over formality towards my mother. My father took charge of the situation and with a powerful bark, uttered a noise that was full of determination and domination of the predicament. Needless to say it almost instantly stopped the unwanted advances of the two young men, who realising that my father had a presence of strength and capability, retreated. I always remember from that single scene, what was said was not important but how it was said made all the impact.
Things did not always work out as planned for my father. On a trip to the fare, as a young boy I had volunteered to steer the bumper car, with my mum sat in as a passenger. My father was in another bumper car and he saw that I had got my car stuck against the central reservation. Being resourceful, my father thought a simple bump of his car against mine would rectify the situation. Unfortunately he had not anticipated the force of the collision and consequently hit his face on the steering wheel. Bleeding profusely from his nose and lip, after a little first aid, the blood subsided and another memory of mine was made.
My father’s family lived in Liverpool and the canals where local to where they inhabited, one day my father saw a girl in difficulties in the canal. He immediately dived in and began a rescue of the young lady. After being thanked for his action, it was at that precise time that he realised he had lost his glasses.
At one time, earlier on in his life when my father was feeling able, he performed a physical act that even now is mind blowing. Being bed ridden for most of the time, he saw in me the potential to display some of his remarkable physical feats, such as to traverse a kitchen table over the top and under the bottom, and back to the top again, without touching the floor or something easier, as he could take a one handed floor brush and place it over the top of an open door, hang on to the handle of the brush and raise his feet off the ground and hang there. Even as a sick man he performed an action for me that took my breath away, and that was to place both his feet behind his neck and stand on his hands and even walk on them.
No, I myself did not achieve any of those feats of action but I much later did learn to swim and remove a tablecloth with dishes and cups leaving them still on the table. I noticed a lot about my father and the one important thing in life that I learnt from my experience with him is to tell people how much you love them and do it when you have the opportunity to do so.
