You Are The Sum Of Your Experiences
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Hi Reader, Welcome to my first newsletter. A successful writer I know told me the best way to build an audience was to: Write consistently and hit publish. You will soon find out if people are interested in what you have to say. So here goes. Yesterday, I got a comment from a troll on social media. It upset me hugely. I am a ‘live and let live’ kind of soul, so the whole trolling thing escapes me. If you haven’t got anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all. My website and newsletter are in their early stages. The point being to share what I learn in the hope that it will help others. That’s all. No other agenda. But the prospect of putting myself out there and being open to abuse made me falter briefly. Then, I read another quote that turned me around. The right quote often finds you at the right time. It was merely this. The meaning of life is to discover your gift, the purpose of life is to give it away. I am not sure exactly what my gift is, but I like to help. So, I am giving away what I learn in the hope that it will help someone else. I was recently given this to share. You are the sum of your experiences, that includes other people’s kindness. Repay in kind. Sometimes, we encounter people we find it difficult to foster kindness towards. Someone who has hurt us or committed an act we cannot comprehend. But consider you are only seeing a small snapshot of this person. Had you encountered them at another time in their existence, you may have considered them a most beautiful soul. We all make mistakes, and the people we dislike the most are the most in need of our compassion. They have lost their way. Focus on the light, always, Natalie Attenborough |
Focus on the Light
Hi Reader, The Dalai Lama teaches that anger is a weakness, and counsels never to act or make a decision when in an angry state. While passionate feelings may inspire great deeds, no good comes from anger. I am generally an agreeable person. Though we all get angry at times. When angry, my natural response is to try and rationalise the situation. But my reasoning is flawed by the negative emotion, and I always, and I mean always, either make things worse or hurt others or myself. So now, when...
Hi Reader, I went home for a few days recently. My family home. My parents still live in the house I grew up in. It is a house filled with memories, and love. The same chair where I sat on my Mums knee as an infant, that I now sit in with my daughter when we visit. The dining room where my family shared Christmas meals after opening gifts. The bedroom I shared with my older sister. Every square inch of the house is crammed with memories. As is the village it is located in. And going there I...
Hi Reader, When I became a parent I was given one piece of advice that I found particularly useful. Never compare your child to others. As a first time parent it can be easy to question your own methods. And by comparing your child to others, conclude you are getting it wrong. But as we know, every child is different. So I chose not to compare mine to others, particularly for significant milestones such as crawling, walking and potty training. And I let my daughter proceed at her own pace....