The Black Friday blues

It's Black Friday,

It's that time of year,

To bag a good bargain,

Be of good cheer.

Shall I battle the crowds,

Maybe go into town,

To save a few pennies,

It would be stressful, I frown!

So I sit on the sofa,

And go on the net,

I can shop in such comfort,

On that you can bet.

I hit the first site,

See bargains with glee,

That's lots of nice savings,

Plenty of goodies for me.

Into my basket,

The items I pop,

Then it is time,

To pay for my shop.

Welcome back!

The page it does say,

Input your password,

And then you can pay.

But I can't remember,

It's been quite a while

Send a reminder,

It's easy, I smile.

But it's not to be,

Because the link,

Goes to the wrong place!

I sit, groan and think!

I can't be bothered,

With shopping right now.

My head is now pounding,

There's sweat on my brow!

I think I'll just wait,

For a day, maybe two,

Then maybe my order,

Will checkout, go through.

With all good intentions,

I started my day,

But now, Black Friday,

Please go away!

Christmas shopping

Anne closed the front door behind her and leaned against it with a weary sigh.

When did Christmas shopping become such a battle? She asked herself.

Kicking off her shoes, she flung her many shopping bags onto the sofa and padded through to the kitchen to make a cup of tea.

She was cold, tired and grumpy. Rubbing her fingertips against her throbbing temples, she sank down into her favourite chair.

Oh, those crowds! Everybody seemed to be standing right where she needed to get to, either that, or they suddenly stopped right in front of her, nearly causing an accident.

And the traffic! It was bumper to bumper all the way into town and finding a parking space – well that was a whole new level of frustration!

But she was home now, her shopping was finished.

Now all that was left was to wrap the presents and decorate the house ready for her family's arrival tomorrow.

Sometimes, she hated Christmas, it just seemed like too much hassle! Maybe next year she would go on a cruise on her own.

No dinner to cook, no shopping, no running herself ragged to make Christmas perfect for everybody.

She hugged her mug and glanced out of the window at the darkening sky. Fat, white flakes of snow began to fall.

Hmm maybe the weather men have got it right for once! They had said that it would be a white Christmas.

In the distance, she heard singing. She stood up and peered out of the window. A group of children were out Carol Singing with their parents.

She arose and opened the front door. She stood, listening, to the children for a while, and put some coins into the charity bucket that they were carrying.

How nice of them to give their time to raise money like that. It really was in the spirit of the season.

The children left, and she closed the door, still smiling.

Right, time to do some wrapping, she said to herself.

Maybe Christmas wasn't so bad after all.

Did you notice?

Did you notice the sky,

As blue as the sea,

Shining so brightly, 

On you and on me.

Did you notice the air, 

Fresh and cool,

Whipping up leaves,

Like a windy whirlpool.

Did you notice the smile of your child,

The feel of her skin.

Her soft, tender touch,

Leaves you quite in a spin.

Did you notice the love, 

Felt in your heart.

When you looked in the eyes 

Of your true sweetheart.

Did you know that you're blessed,

There is so much love,

Your life and your dreams, 

They fit like a glove.

So when the times, they get hard,

And you feel you must cry,

Remember these things, 

Smile and sigh.

Your life is so blessed, 

Is so good and so fine

That you should be quite happy, 

And write it in rhyme.

Have courage

Sometimes we have to make decisions that are difficult.

Often having to make these decisions makes us afraid, sometimes to the point that we do not make a decision at all.

But not making a decision, is in itself a decision, but it is not always the right course to take.

Although we know that it is going to be difficult to make a decision at times, if we are sure that we are doing the right thing, then we should have the courage to go ahead.

If we never do anything that we find hard, we will never move forward, we will be forever stuck in the present.

Next time you come across something difficult, make that decision with courage, feel the fear, but do what is ultimately for the best.

Have courage, be positive and  move forward.

Practice

When we first begin something new, it is often difficult for us.

Sometimes we feel like giving up because we do not find this new task easy.

It is rare for us to do something different and do a perfect job the first time.

Sometimes we look at people and see them doing things with ease, think that they have some kind of secret.

But often the only secret that they have is practice.

Our bodies, minds and spirits are built to adapt, to learn and to grow through action.

By practicing we teach our bodies and mind new ways of working.

Before we know it, that task that was so difficult becomes easier and we are the person that others think has some hidden secret.

Don't give up when things are difficult - practice, grow and learn.

Peace

As I sit here typing, I am watching the horrifying news from Paris on the television.

Such a waste of innocent lives, and many other lives will be forever changed.

My heart goes out to all of those that have been affected by this.

These events have made my mind turn once again to peace.

This is both peace within ourselves and peace for the world.

Peace starts within each and every one of us.

Instead of resorting to violence, anger and frustration, we should respond to situations with love and peace.

Peace is not weakness, it is not defeat, it is a confident, powerful and effective thing.


It makes us committed to do right, rather than being overcome by hatred and anger.

Being at peace will not only help us to deal with the bad things that happen to us, but it also helps those around us to feel calmer.

Be at peace, radiate it, be a shinning light in the darkness.

Make the time

How many times have you said 'I don't have the time'?

We all say it, but is it really true, or is it simply an excuse not to do something that we don't want to do.

If we really, truly want to achieve something, then we can find the time to do it.

It may need a little thinking about, we may need to examine our life and find some space by evaluating our priorities, but if we want it enough, then we will find the time.

By finding the time to do the important things, our life will be more enriched, more fulfilling.

So instead of immediately saying that you don't have the time to do something, either be honest to yourself and others and say that you do not want to do it. Or, if it is something that is important to you, find the time.

Make time, follow your dreams and move forward.

Little by little

In order to realise our dreams, we have to move towards them.

This journey may be short or it may be long, but unless we keep moving forward, we will never reach our destination.

There may be times when we feel like we have lost our momentum and that we will never get there, when we feel like just giving up.

But even if we slow down the speed of our journey, it is important to keep moving, even if this is  only in small steps.

Little by little, these small steps add up, they bring us ever closer to our goal.

Before you know it, you will have made the distance between you and the finish line a lot smaller.

So keep moving, little by little, and take another step towards your dreams.

Today is my Birthday

Today is my Birthday,

My own special day.

And I plan to enjoy it,

In every way.

It's hard to believe,

Half a century has gone by,

So much time,

It surely does fly.

A visit from family,

A bottle of wine,

A glass, perhaps two,

Would suit me just fine.

My friends on Facebook,

Will message with glee

Happy Birthday,

They will say just for me!

My day will be spent,

With frolics and fun,

From the dawns early light,

Until the day's nearly done.

But one thing is sure,

Birthdays wouldn't be such fun,

Without friends and family,

There'd be nearly none!

So if you are reading,

And do wish me good cheer,

I thank you so much,

For being right here.

Communication

Communication is an important part of our lives.

It gives us a chance to share our hopes, wishes, dreams and fears with other people.

It is also an important part of keeping a relationship alive.

To be listened to makes us feel loved, important, cared about.

And a lack of communication leaves us feeling unloved and unhappy.

Communication is a two way process. We need to be listened to when we speak and we need to listen to others when they speak to us.

A one way conversation is a fruitless and depressing thing.

So remember to take the time to communicate, to speak and be listened to and to listen in return.

We all have many valuable things to say, and we all have valuable things to listen to.

So keep that two way street open - communicate.

Sadness

Everyone at some time in their life feels sadness.

This may be because of the loss of a loved one or the disappointment of a missed opportunity.

Sadness hurts, sadness is difficult.

But the reason that we feel sadness is because we care.

So in a way, sadness is something to be embraced, because without the caring that caused it, our lives would not be so blessed.

We should accept this sadness and the reason for it, without letting it become an overwhelming force.

We should use it as a leaning experience because after the crushing initial sadness passes, there is a new appreciation of what we have, how precious our lives really are.

So even in the depths of our sadness, we should try to find the strength to carry on, to move forward.

Feel, move on, grow, remember.

What's draining your energy?

We all go through periods where we feel exhausted for no apparent reason.

Often, this is caused by situations that we find ourselves in or from the people that surround us.

These things can, quite literally, sap our energy away.

When we find ourselves cocooned in negativity, we will feel tired and drained.

But if we try to see the positive side of our adversity, rather than only the negative side, or spend time with happy, positive people, we will feel better.

Take the time to examine your life, see what is causing your energy leeches.

Take the time to change how you think and deal with them.

Make the change, regain your energy and move forward towards your goals.

Wait for it!

How often have you felt that overwhelming need to do or have something right at this second?

Sometimes taking the plunge and having it now is acceptable, but there are times when it is really better to wait a while.

If we step back and wait, sometimes the outcome can be better.

It gives us a chance to examine what it is that we want and whether it is truly the right thing for us to do right now.

By waiting, we may find that there is something better suited to our needs and will save us the frustration of having or doing something that just isn't quite right.

We may also find that by waiting, we realise that we didn't really want it after all, which will leave room in our life for something more fulfilling.

So before jumping in with both feet, step back and wait a bit. Think it through, look at alternatives.

Wait for it and make sure that what you finally decide to do is the best possible fit for your needs.

Have a great day

What sort of day are you going to have today?

Will it be just a standard run of the mill one, or will you have a great day?

How your day goes is, for the greater part, chosen by your attitude to it.

You can drift through it, just getting by, or you can chose to make it special.

You can choose to do your best, make a difference, or you can choose not to.

Every day holds the opportunities to make it great.

Even normal days carry these chances, you just have to make the most of them when they appear.

Today is your day, choose to make it great!

Live kindly

Acts of kindness come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. From the small ones right up to the huge.

Some people live a life of kindness, incorporating it into every day situations, other people do a huge act of kindness once in a while.

Acts of selfless kindness are welcomed, but the best ones are the ones that are done quietly, consistently, the ones that do not call attention to themselves.

The people that boast of their kind acts aren't the truly special people.

The truly special people are the ones that are quietly kind every day of their lives.

They bring sunshine and smiles to everybody that their lives touch.

They don't brag, boast or use acts of kindness as a way of making themselves look more important.

They do it for no other reason than that they care deeply.

Every day we are surrounded by these angels of kindness, who quietly make our lives run just that little bit more smoothly and happily.

So today and every day, live kindly. Make a difference.

What can you do?

Each of us our own talents and abilities. Each of us has a brain which is capable of learning complex, new things.

We are amazing creatures with the ability to do amazing things.

We are only limited by our own minds.

If we really set our mind to doing something, then we will usually find a way if we want it enough.

So instead of concentrating on what we can't do, we should concentrate on achieving what we do want to do.

We should use our strong and able mind to find a way, to learn new skills, to help us on our way.

Use that positive power to strive to succeed.

Learn, grow, achieve.

My beautiful life

Sometimes, I think that life has given me a raw deal, has cast more than its fair share of obstacles in my way.

But when I think about it, my life is beautiful and blessed.

There is always enough food to eat.

If I am sick I can see a Doctor.

I have a house which is dry and warm.

I have a loving family.

Yes, things do happen which are difficult, make life more of a challenge, but I am also incredibly lucky to have these things.

For many, these things that we take for granted, are just a dream.

So the next time that you think that life has given you a raw deal, really stop to think about just how much you really do have.

How beautiful and blessed your life really is.