Family
|
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 feel the love and strength that the wealth of memories gives me. It is a mental recharge. A reset of me as I was. And helps me remember who I am. The impact of this recent visit was so strong it made me consider the effect of family division. If you can draw so much strength from a visit to your family home. Imagine the personal and collective impact of a family divided. This is a topic close to my heart as a single parent. I often ponder the full impact of divorced parents on a child or children, no matter how cordial the parental relationship remains. Between family there is an unseen bond that gives us strength, almost as if it has been woven into a tapestry. Or set in stone. Family fosters a collective well-being that deserves our respect - for the sake of ourselves, and all of our family members. And separation, divorce, or discord does not change that. If there is a divide in your family, any divide, do everything you can to mend it. Through resolution or acceptance. Focus on the light, always, Natalie Attenborough |
Focus on the Light
Hi Reader, In my meditation class I refer to neuroplasticity - the process by which the brain learns new skills and creates new habits. Our brains strengthen the mental pathways that we apply with consistency. Repetition of a thought or idea fosters learning, aids belief and creates our new norm, our reality. But that doesn't mean that everything we teach ourselves is true or helpful. While we can teach ourselves to be more grateful or capable, or train our brains to focus, or be calm. So can...
Hi Reader, I had a gruelling day yesterday. And gave too much of myself trying to combat it. The result was by late afternoon I was drained and struggling to pick myself back up. But during a trip to the shop, I struck up a conversation with a stranger that turned me around completely. I often find that to be the case. Just sharing a brief interchange with another human being can erase so much negativity. It reinforces our self worth and creates a sense of acceptance and belonging. And what...
Hi Reader, This week I completed a task long overdue that had presented me with a level of risk. I was aware of the need to complete the task for sometime however have only now been able to achieve it. On completion I was surprised to notice a palpable shift in perspective. I felt significantly lighter. I hadn't realised how much worry I had been carrying over this job. I thought I had accepted the unavoidable delay without consequence to my mental state. It reminded me that when we carry a...