MINI POST: A VERY SHORT GUIDE TO THE POWER OF POSITIVE AFFIRMATIONS

Tags

anxiety, blogging, Blogging community, Coronavirus, Hope, Humanity, Inspiration, positive affirmations, Well-being

INTRODUCTION

Positive affirmations have the ability to help us think more favourably about life. They even have the power to make us think in a more reasoned way about difficult situations we find ourselves in.

There are many videos with positive affirmations on YouTube. The narrator will read a series of life affirming statements which the listener is encouraged to listen to every day. Over time, these are absorbed by the subconscious and can have a beneficial impact on our day-to-day well-being.

BENEFITS OVER TIME

The advantages of sustained practice includes a calmer mind in facing situations, being able to handle past events or concerns about the future better, developing a sense of gratitude and positively impacting on others lives.

Thoughts and emotions are inextricably linked. Being calm and peaceful has an impact on how others are to us in return. What we put out there is what we get back.

Positive affirmations won’t make the issues we face go away; they will, however, give us a toolkit to
cope with life’s challenges better.

MY GO TO YOUTUBE CHANNELS

http://www.youtube.com/user/PowerThoughtsclub
http://www.youtube.com/c/YourUniverseChannel
http://www.youtube.com/c/RisingHigherMeditation

FURTHER ADVICE

If you’re interested in doing positive affirmations, I suggest doing ten minutes a day to begin with.
It takes time for long-term changes to take effect, so sustained practice is needed.

Within a few weeks you’ll be able to quote your own feel good mantras. That’s when you know that the messages have truly sunk in to your subconscious.

I hope you enjoyed this article. It’d be great to hear any comments you have.

Peace and love, Everybody .

Poem: First Train Journey Since Lockdown (A Joyous Reunion)

Tags

blogging, Blogging community, Coronavirus, Family, Friends, Lockdown, Poem, Poetry, Train, Travel

Cloudy Monday morning, it’s 10 am.
I’m jumping back on the train again.
Lockdown: a four month gap gone at last.
Now I settle into my seat donned in face mask.
Some people, like me, look warily around,
Others are maskless and wearing a frown.
Still, on this first train there’s a respectful distance
Between all of us wishing to extend our existence.

---

I’m on the connecting train now to my destination,
Beginning to brim with anticipation
At seeing my daughter, it’s been ages
As I reflect that lockdown couldn’t contain us.
Video chats where we played, had meals and laughed,
Kept us bonded together as the time past.
And as the train now snakes through countryside once more,
I look forward to what the day has in store.

---

In this train carriage there’s hardly a soul about,
So when will we return to normal with no doubts?
I step on to the platform scouting a rest room to wash my hands,
Recalling I’ve got paper towels as part of my hygiene plan.
I’ll use my own cutlery in the pub for now, but that’s okay,
If it means we’re safe and healthy for another day.
I see my daughter in the car park with a smile and wave,
To you all: if you travel, have fun, be responsible and safe.

ABOUT

Wherever you are in the the world, I hope you get to see your family and friends soon. Please travel safely and responsibly.

I’d love to know what you think of the poem. If you have any comments, it’d be great to hear from you.

Peace and love, Everybody 😊

Flash Fiction: Mr Nighty Night (An Insomniac’s Dream)

Tags

blogging, Blogging community, Coronavirus, Discovery Prompts, Discovery-Prompts, fiction, Flash fiction, Insomnia, Lockdown, Sleep, writing

The hum of the fridge and the tick-tock of the clock sound off in my head. My eyes are too heavy to close. I’ve stared blankly at the telly for the best part of an evening, hoping to lull myself away in front of some mindless show.

Tick tock! Tick Tock!

I’m trying to sleep in the living room because as soon as I go to bed I fully wake up. But trying another room has little effect; there’s just different distractions.

It’s been like this for four solid weeks now. I’ll drift off at some point, only to wake two, three or four hours later and that’ll be my quota of sleep for the night.

TICK TOCK!

It’s not funny. I’m grouchy, snappy, overly emotional: all things that I’m not usually. I can’t be bothered with people at work; I’ve no energy for family or friends either. My personality has completely altered. I don’t have anything particularly bothering me to keep me awake, except now, obviously, I just can’t sleep. I’ve lost the ability to care about anything due to exhaustion, anyway.

Remedies, cold showers, no technology before bed…. you name it, I’ve tried it. I. Just. Can’t. Sleep.

TICK TOCK!

Do I want a sandwich? Or a beer? Or to read a book? No, they all involve actions that may stimulate my brain too much and induce this insomnia more.

So, I’ll stare at the ceiling until my eyelids are pasted shut against my eyes and hope that this time I can break the spell to stay in the land of dreams for longer.

TICK TOCK!

ABOUT

I found this piece of work in a random ideas file on my laptop and spruced it up a little bit before I put this post up. I remember when I wrote it a couple of years ago I just couldn’t sleep for weeks for seemingly no reason. It affected my creativity, so I just ended up writing how I felt at the time.

All this reminded me of how I felt early on in lockdown: like a mindless zombie that couldn’t see a way through. I thought it apt, therefore, to post it now.

THANKS FOR READING

I appreciate you reading this post. If you have any comments, it’d be great to hear from you.

Stay safe (and sleep well), Everybody 😊

Poem: Let’s Begin Again

Tags

Adventure, blogging, Blogging community, Coronavirus, Discover Prompts, Hiking, Lockdown, Poem, Poetry, Travel

List of things to do

But the sky is blue.

So I put on my shoe

One and then two.

Head out the front gate

Quick walk, won’t be late.

Calm, not in a state.

Out again, that’s great.

Lockdown shut me in

Start again, let’s begin.

To see Nature – a win!

I can say with a grin.

For now respect and keep apart –

Please keep this in your heart

As we adapt to this new start –

And plot a new course to chart.

ABOUT

As Lockdown begins to slowly lift in the UK, I wrote this as we can enjoy the outdoors again. However, it’s also important to have respect for others and keep a distance as we acclimatise to this new way of being.

Wherever you are in the world, it’s my true wish that you enjoy the Great Outdoors without worry and that you stay safe.

Have a happy weekend, Everybody 🙂.

Self-Publishing Update: I went to the Faroe Islands!

Tags

Adventure, Book, Coronavirus, creative writing, Discovery Prompts, Faroe Islands, Hiking, Lockdown, Novel, Self-publishing, Virtual hiking, writing

Hi Everybody,

I hope you are all safe and well and coping with the mental strain that the current pandemic can cause.

I hit a block this week. As I was editing my hiking book I realised that certain info needed revising due to the lockdown. One of my themes in the book is to encourage people to get out into the countryside by any means necessary. However, in the UK we’re currently being told to avoid public transport.

So, if I published my book any time soon I’d get roasted for the advice I offered.

It made me stop in my tracks for a few days. Initially, I thought that the pandemic had put paid to my work of the last two years. I admit I walked away from it for a few days as I was uncertain about what to do. I reached out to my editor and she suggested to add another chapter about how I’ve coped in lockdown, to add any resources I’ve found useful and to modify the parts of the book that need it. She added that painting a message of truth and hope is important.

Whilst it’s true I’ve been out a lot less, I have adapted my hiking. As I can’t drive I’m sticking to streets close to home and I’m hiking in my garden. I’ve been aware of my thoughts and anxieties. Plus, I’ve done other things to motivate me to keep the passion for hiking burning, e.g. living a weekend off army ration packs as if I was in the wilderness.

I realised, then, that I had some material for the makings of an extra chapter. Before I knew it I had plotted a deeper outline for it and I felt more calm about everything.

The main problem is now when to release the book as we just don’t know how long the lockdown will last and what the aftermath will be. But that’ll be a chat with my editor another time.

THE FAROE ISLANDS

As I fleshed out the ideas it made me realise just how much hiking is in my blood. In recent weeks I’ve read travel books and watched hiking videos on YouTube. As good as this has been to keep me going, something more was needed. I don’t know how or why, but I used the term ‘Virtual Hike’ in Youtube – and this was a game changer.

Suddenly, I was transported into a world where the videomakers stayed behind the camera as they strolled up mountain paths and through valleys gifting me free views of what lay in front of them as if it was me taking the hike. It’s the best I can do for now, but it’s good to know I can go to a lot of new places in the world.

Maybe in time Virtual Reality will allow us to use senses like smell and touch in a virtual walking world.

Being in the real world is obviously better – and the days of seriously hiking in it shall return – but to be able to walk anywhere in the world from my front room is quite liberating.

DID I MENTION THE FAROE ISLANDS?

My favourite gem I found was this weekly virtual walking tour of the Faroe Islands:

http://www.remote-tourism.com

It starts at 6pm (Greenwich Mean Time) on Wednesdays. A guide does a walking tour of an area of the islands whilst pouring out facts to the listener. The unique feature of these trips is that viewers can control where the guide goes via use of the on-screen joypad.

WHAT NEXT?

So, from things grinding to a halt, I’m now back on track – even if there’s more work to be done. Having discovered the world of virtual hiking I’ve found something that will be a new hobby in lockdown and a source that’ll help me get the new chapter written.

I hope you’re all okay and that you get to travel to where you want soon. For now, I highly recommend you take a virtual tour of the Faroe Islands.

Peace and love, Everybody 😊

Be Inspired and Inspire

Tags

blogging, Blogging community, Boredom, Coronavirus, creative writing, Creativity, Family, Friends, Inspiration, Lockdown, Poem, Poetry, Prose poetry

Do whatever makes you happy.

Write, draw, paint, dance,

Watch a movie, cook a meal,

Work out, make music, knit,

Play games, do gardening.

Sit still if you want to and imagine –

Just don’t let everything that’s going on

Get you down, down, down.

Maintain standards and create,

Bring ideas to life

Or just let them play out in your mind.

Keep in touch with loved ones,

Surprise those most in need.

Share and inspire. Inspire. INSPIRE!

And if today you find yourself bored

Remember that on this day being bored means keeping well and healthy.

(I wrote this poem as a counterattack to the boredom I’d felt in lockdown. Some recent posts I’d read here on WordPress about positive thinking inspired me too. There’s so much power in being creative: it nourishes soul, body and mind. When creativity is shared with family, friends or strangers it can ripple out and have a potently positive effect. But sometimes being bored is okay if we can reframe it and put it in perspective. Stay safe and well, Everybody 😊).

Discovery Prompts: Distance

Tags

blogging, Blogging community, Coronavirus, Discover Prompts, Discovery Prompts, Poem, Poetry, writing

I reach a hand out to future me

Five or ten years from now.

Looking for confirmation that all those I love

Got through this year somehow.

The gap of uncertainty grows wider and wider

Making all I knew worthless and obselete

There’s a growing mountain of boredom

That makes it hard for me to get off my feet.

But there’s wisdom to be gained in these times

An understanding previously untouched.

Learn to grow, educate, share and reach out

Time to make life something that means much.

Days and situations like these can define us

Shape us, evolve us and affect our daily lives

So please commit to what makes you happy

Commit to what makes you come alive.

My Back Garden Is The New Wilderness

Tags

Adventure, Coronavirus, creative writing, Hiking, Walking, writing

Hi Everybody,

I hope you and your loved ones are staying safe and well.

The Spring sunshine has been with us the last few days in Southeast England and the fine weather looks set to continue over the weekend. In regular times this would’ve meant that my hiking boots would’ve been on as the morning sun broke through the curtains and I’d have been straight out the door ready for a new adventure.

But these aren’t regular times as Covid-19 lurks about. The Government’s advice has permitted us Brits to pop out for exercise once a day. However, the advice increasingly points to us staying in more. Like a lot of people I know I’ve decided to not go out at all (apart from a supermarket run once a week). A lot of us are rightfully having to forego time out in the wilderness in order to stay safe.

I wrote a blog post a week or so ago about doing ten thousand steps at home. I’ve been trying to maintain that – some days are more successful than others – and looking to build on that in terms of ideas to motivate me. A quick bit of maths informed me that if I do 288 laps of my garden, then I’ll do those ten thousand steps. That seems monotonous, yet it’s also a challenge I’m prepared to undertake.

I’ve figured there are a few ways to mix it up. I’ll try it at different times of the day: the mornings are lighter now and it gets darker later in the evening. Maybe I could do a night time garden walk! Walking at different times will give me a chance to compare the sounds of nature through the day. Maybe I’ll put my hiking boots on and pack some food and drink to simulate a hike. Though I may receive a few random looks from neighbours, it’ll be worth it.

I think it’s important to make use of the space you’ve got at the moment. I guess up until now I just took my garden for granted; to me, it was just a green area that needed mowing every couple of weeks. Now, it has more meaning and value than I previously thought.

Others will live in apartments and may not have access to green spaces right now and may come up with even more imaginative ways to pass the time and gain fitness.

Wherever we live right now I think it’s more important than ever to appreciate the space we have. Then, whenever we can return to the outdoors, we should appreciate that with renewed vigour too.

Hope Is Important

Tags

Coronavirus, Hope, Humanity, Peace, Poetry, writing

Hi, I’ve been inspired to write this poem because of the amazing efforts of people to reach out to others during this crazy time in the world. If you take the first letter from each line it spells out ‘Hope Is Important’. Thanks for reading.

Here we are, uncertain times,

Optimism hard to define.

Please stay at home, distance keep.

Extra care, yet lack of sleep.

Isolation, maybe self-imposed,

Seeing life as it slows.

It’s time to wake up, realise

Much love can come amid the cries.

Please reach out and offer support

Or stay at home – a battle fought

Right either way; make a change today

To combat this horrid virus

And leave stories to inspire us.

New Age for Humanity begun

Time to see we can be as one.

10000 Steps A Day At Home

Tags

Coronavirus, creative writing, Hiking, Mental health, Walking, writing

Like an increasing number of people in the UK, I’m following the Government advice to stay at home during this sadly bleak time for the world. Like a lot of people I’m also trying to find ways of passing the time.

It’s been interesting to see videos on the news or YouTube of what other people are doing to fill the hours. With a total lockdown in the UK looking more imminent, the number of home exercise videos being submitted online offers one way to relieve boredom and keep fit.

I’m usually able to follow an exercise pattern in the winter months whilst the rest of the year is left for hiking. So, to be in a situation now where my territory is limited is a strange thing. Currently, the UK Government says that a daily trip outside for exercise is okay, but, as I said, I’m electing to keep trips beyond my gate to a rare minimum.

I could keep on following fitness videos to fill the gap. I can certainly amass a decent amount of exercise by spending time doing work in the garden. The thing is I’m missing clocking the miles in the countryside, though; walking in the wilderness is outright my favourite form of exercise.

And all this got me thinking.

What if I could bring the countryside to my own home by walking a few miles every day?

So, yesterday morning I woke up early and headed out into the back garden. I did umpteen laps doing my utmost to focus on the colours of the trees and plants, the chatter of the birds and the blue of the sky. It was easy to lose myself in the vibrations of nature and before I knew it I’d totalled nearly four thousand steps.

I had work commitments after that, and so I resumed my home trek in the evening. During another solid march in the garden I concocted an idea to take the hike inside once night fell. Indoors, I popped mountain walking videos on YouTube in an attempt to simulate a hike. Then, as I paced between the kitchen and the living room, I could dream of being in the fantastic landscapes on the screen.

Seven thousand steps….Eight thousand steps….I told myself to keep pushing on to ten thousand and eventually I made it. Sure, I’d built up a number of steps doing incidental tasks in the day and there were plenty of times during this ‘expedition’ that I wasn’t walking at regular my regular hiking speed indoors. However, a sense of elation poured through me when I’d achieved it.

I hope this is something that I can repeat every day. It’s given me another way to think about keeping in shape. Having a bit of variety with workout videos is a good thing.

It also surprises me how it’s taken me until now to see that I have a hiking trail right in my own home!