MAKING SENSE OUT OF LIFE

We all like to make sense out of life, one minute we are assured and steadfast, another we are as it were all at sea in a hurricane and our grounding is without merit and we feel so alone and possibly helpless in the enormity of it all. Whatever it is we feel that feeling emanates from our mind and our limited thoughts that produce it, it can't nor does it come from anywhere else. We can only think for ourselves and circumstances no matter how gloomy they look or appear are always subject to change, which we all too often negate that possibility by dwelling on the negative and not the positive solutions. The more we ponder over the negative side of life the more we miss out on all the positive and good things that can take us away from where we are to a better and more productive and happier place. If we are not careful we can easily get into a rut with the thinking "poor old me" and compare ourselves to others and better times and get even more depressed - self depression that is, just through melancholy thoughts and dull thinking. When we feel trapped into a reality of our own it can appear that all is against us but it happens to everyone on planet earth, and it makes no difference whether we are rich or poor, the feeling is so strong it permeates our inner self and makes us feel introverted and detached from life. Nothing is the same anymore as our thoughts completely subsume our personality and the solution of the problem of where we are and why it is at the forefront of everything we do. We have to rid ourselves of that in order to break this imaginary barrier which we have drummed up ourselves in order to see the light yet again and also rid ourselves of all the negative perceptions of "will it ever be the same" or "when will it end" and all the other stupid and selfish mind games we drum up in order to appease ourselves. As fabulous as the human race is and as individuals can be we can also let ourselves down badly and be totally fickle too.

We often hold on to concocted notions, become more sensitive to others and our surroundings but it's not a healthy sensitivity it's a morbid and even subliminally jealous one that fuels that feeling that "it's all right for others but in our circumstances it isn't" which is a pack of lies and full of self deceit and really pathetic, but it's also very common too. This mindless thought ruins any self esteem we may have within and lowers our resistance to going forward and moving to a better place which we will ultimately do. We really do have a lot of power and fortitude within us for our benefit yet if we reverse it it can work against us, and if we do that it's because we have consciously done it against ourselves, it's not a case of it's just happened because that isn't true. A number of years ago when many things appeared to go wrong all at once I thought well if I was a little slimmer I would feel better anyway under the circumstances, so I lost weight and whilst that was great it made no difference to how I felt about what else was around me. It's this mental comparison that the mind is trying to compensate and say that "it's all right" which it isn't and whilst losing weight was great, everything else is in a different league and we have to deal with or tackle what we have to do in each respective area as an entity in itself. Life is holistic in that it's made up of many constituent parts and each part represents an area that does something that needs tending to like eating and drinking, we have to do that in addition to anything else we do.

Of course life is literally what we make it, if we seek happiness or seek love we will if ever find it because both of those commodities are within us already, it's just us being pitiable and trying to outsource them thinking that everything we want or need is elsewhere, it's not. Many also have that feeling that the "answer" to their problems and solutions lies "out there with some saged person" and if they can just access that person or their knowledge then all will be well, it won't, you're stupid if you think that way. It doesn't mean that there aren't others who have more or better knowledge than yourself but at the end of the day it's you who has to walk the walk and talk the talk no one else. And whilst we can always learn if the attitude is that success is a line in someone else's book or a few words uttered by someone else then we will be perpetually at a loss as to do anything for ourselves. And no matter what great and truthful words burst forth from the lips of those that have done well, there is forever that eternal "time line". The "time line" is what they did then, at that time, with those circumstances, with that mind set, with those prevailing conditions, and so forth, it doesn't mean that a parallel course in advance with a near identical situation will follow suite to be successful because it rarely happens that way. The smart words remain, life moves on.

Our reality and the reality of others whilst at times may seem almost a concurrent motion and thought process, it seldom is, the bits on either side that we don't see nor know of deliver a course by both or additional parties to a destination ranking in different qualities. It's this self imperative status that we need to foster to be who we are and not latch on to others hoping that we can surf their wave too, we can't and often what appears really cool and great in someone else's court is far from the truth and not a tangible reality in the long term. It's ironic but in times where we feel we need guidance we get very little help and at times when everything is moving well we seem to get the help we want with great ease. However, it's our own personal dexterity in times of need and often in conjunction with our lowness that we need to fight onwards as it's in these times we grow more than usual and break through into newer and better areas of elevation, understanding and confidence. Even when doors are shut in our face or avenues of thought turn out to be abrupt endings, we are still cancelling out the wave of negativity to the extent that ten, twenty, a hundred tries is by default narrowing the field and we learn en-route even if it's disheartening in the process. Eventually that one door is open or we come across a conduit to leap to our new destination and that's what separates the men from the boys as it were, that's what makes success all that much sweeter because of the dedication to winning the game and not giving in.

Life holds no favourites, it takes no prisoners, it holds nothing in store whether good or bad, it evolves itself and in doing so we must evolve too or be left behind in a spacial time warp of old thoughts and ideas which will render us not only incomplete but redundant in purpose and constantly battling with a nothingness of our own creation. Smart books and inspirational speeches are all very well and good but it's still us that has to do all the work, find the energy, find the money, find the purpose and find what we are really like as people none of which others can help us with. Any help we do get has to be offset by what we can contribute in the main part as it's for ourselves we are engaging in whatever it is that we feel is going to be worthwhile. All around us are people purporting to be able to transform us into prized trophies who overnight will enjoy success, wealth and all that goes with it, sadly even when we have paid out a small fortune we realise that the money would have been better spent in getting our act together and not thinking that others will do it for us or give us the missing jigsaw pieces to make it happen, it rarely does even if we do come away with more information it rarely gets us off the ground.

Going forward in life must be enjoyable, if it's an uphill struggle then we are going to be on edge all the time and feeling disappointment whenever something doesn't go our way. Stress and anxiety can kill us, they can dislodge our equilibrium and throw cold water on everything we do.  We have to walk with a heart which contains love and humility which doesn't mean we are push over or easy meat for someone else, it means that we have the fortitude to continue in the roughest of storms and still smile in the middle of it. It means that when we become successful we will have a feeling of real achievement without having to buy endless possessions to fool ourselves that we've made it, even though we may like to do so because we can there is a difference. If we don't enjoy life then that's what we have decided and if we have a list as to why this is so we are already a failure in life and it's all a big cop out. Good migrates to good, bad migrates to bad and indifference is a waste of time and thus displays itself by that thought process and all that goes with it. Your life, happiness and everything else is in your hands, if you think it isn't you've lost.

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©John Rushton / The Life Alchemist 2011

THE EVOLUTION GAME

None of us know what's going to happen tomorrow, we have a very good idea based upon our lifestyle, our work, what we have forward planned, our routines and what may come our way in the way of friends contacting us to joing them for some function or other, but other than that we don't really know until it happens what is going to happen. Everyday someone somewhere is diagnosed with some illness, someone dies in an accident and people get made redundant. There are also grand catastrophies like Tsunami's and earthquakes and there are revolutions like in the Middle East, which will go on for many years to come. And for those who get caught in aspects of life that don't hold great value it's an almost about face change in an instant, all our thoughts and planning goes literally in an instant, a realignment of thought and purpose has to immediately take effect and that seperates us from life itself even though we are still a part of the bigger picture. Evolution is both good and challenging, it's good that we progress even if we make mistakes en-route, it's good that many people are living a better life, it's good that evolution brings us potential too, although it's wasted on some people and countries that are religiously controlled as they forever hold everything back. It's challenging in that the grande move forward brings with it a change in life circumstances, weather conditions, illnesses, earth temperatures and a host of other things, but man in his quest to be better for fellow man generally overcomes such obstacles and in his own right generates an evolutionary process all of his own. Even the internet has brough millions of people within easy grasp of each other and at the same time highlighted the mentally sick and perverse in those speading electronic viruses, spam and creating 'on-line' fraud because they are part of the global dross, rejects and the sad people that come with the whole parcel.

Our own lot comprises of aspirations, dreams, likes and dislikes and the need to fellowship with other human beings, all of these things are within our grasp but for the majority only a few ever realise what they aspire to do and then when they get there they find it 'different', not necessarily better or not necessarily worse but just different. Our forward dreams always need modification which rarely happens so when somehing like what we wished for comes along the edge is talen off it with regards excitement, often it may have been so long in the process of coming that we feel we are more in need of it than anything else. Time, experience, life itself hones our thoughts and melds our wants and likes to a more palatable understanding of what we really want or need as opposed to a "what we would like" thought. Enjoying the daily moment no matter what that is is essential for if we can't enjoy today it's rare that we will ever enjoy tomorrow. Postponing happiness is something of a habit which we must not ever get into for it will make time speed up and thwart totally our ability to go forward with a positive attitude and mind.

For some evolution is a step too far, for many religious leaders evolution is almost evil in that they can't conrtrol it and can't come to terms with modern developments and ancient scriptures because they are personally inept, dull, boring and short sightend and even frightened themselves. It's a hotch potch of personal ideologies which it shouldn't be because man is not God and shouldn't "play at being God" and make things up, which many do, and why so many suffer because of it.  Evolution takes place under our own eyes, our children grow up, get married, leave home, start new jobs, etc, a whole host of new things and how we allow that freedom to benefit us or selfishly restrict it because of reduntant and outmoded cultures and traditions that have no place anymore in today has a price to pay. We may as well get used to evolution because we are a part of it, a miniscule part and our part to play or role is what we make it, there is literally no right nor wrong but it's how we mentally assimilate it all that makes a difference.

One thing for sure that in a free world we are the masters of our destiny, if we develop for the good of mankind, for our fellow human beings we are part of the noble picture of what man does and has done for centuaries, no matter how small a part it is. It's where all modern medical science and technology is today, it's why most of us live in civilised societies and can freely communicate with others around the globe without interference, hindrance or control by those who don't possess foresight and vision. It's where equality of life strives to be better as opposed to being repressed, life moves forward and it's how we respond to it that makes the difference. Evolution is where the Middle East is waking up and where Africa is still asleep, where both of these end up is down to themselves, but wrong moves based upon religion and ideology will be more than catastrophic in what transpires, where they both are now isn't working. The Middle East has to get it right now for when the oil runs out they will have no appreciable income.

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©John Rushton / The Life Alchemist 2011

THE PHANTOM LIFE OF NOTHINGNESS

The more we do the better life is, we find the energy and the ability and the will power to get through, even if we are exhausted and shattered, we do it. We plan our times and make the appropriate arrangements and fit in the appointments with the dentist, the doctor, having the car serviced, shopping, socialising, and whatever else we have to do we do it, and what's more actually have something called "a life". We dream or aspire to having to "do nothing" to be on that beach or countryside, chilling out over leisurely meals, a glass of wine, reading, swimming, adventure trekking whatever it is that gets our proverbial juices flowing. The moment we get time to ourselves we take advantage of it - or do we, strangely enough the "doing nothing bit" we often initially enjoy but that soon leads to a thought that we have "wasted out time" and didn't do what we had intended. We may have cleared the attic, the garden, painted the kitchen whatever, but then whilst that can in itself be immensely satisfying, we still haven't had that idyllic leisure time that we deep down would have liked so we often carry that feeling over. How we "decide" to enjoy life is down to us, if we hold near to our hearts a perfect restful time that we can indulge ourselves in then the chances are for most people such times will be few are far between. With that in mind we will forever be looking at falling short of our goals or ideals or whatever and thus there will be a stigma associated with our leisure time, which there shouldn't be. We should utilise what time we have and if by chance we literally "do nothing" then that's absolutely fine because it will have done us some good even if it's not what we would ultimately liked to have done. Aspirations, goals, realities, we can pick and choose and still be happy if one doesn't fit the bill at the last minute. We can't go through life harbouring the "I should have done this" or "I wanted to do that" etc, and not gotten round to it. Live and enjoy the moment rather than fear the "I should /could have" past tense scenario. If you didn't - you didn't, if you haven't - you haven't, that's it, move on, get the habit and eventually you'll get all you want done without the burden of mental pressures always lurking beneath the surface.

On the other side of the track where one has endless time and does little and whilst certain duties need to be administered we have less of a hectic life and no great schedules, life takes on a completely different stance. The mind often takes over and at times not only rules the roost but plays games in the vastness of the absence of doing something. If you have too much free time to hand you can feel overly tired and lethargic indeed the whole body process slows down. When that happens the mind loses its ability to see opportunities as they quite often appear not only tiring but full of effort and it's not the warranted effort that excitement can produce. Along side lethargy is the lack of stimuli  and the lack of real zest that one needs to progress. Even good and great things become lacklustre thus the mind sees life as an ongoing lowness and numbed experience with few ups and the rest lows almost "flat lining" on a living scale. Nothingness as such has greater consequences than being overly stretched. With nothingness life appears dull, in fact everything appears dull, and life also becomes very selfishly orientated, all towards 'me' and my home, and my life, and my space and that can at times form mental barriers as to letting yourself go, or forever leaving early to "get an early night" even at weekends and so it goes on. For the elderly it makes not too much difference but for those who are quite young it can have a profound effect upon how they think, live and move or lack of all those things. In some cases mental conditions can arise and it's very difficult to get out of them. We all at times go through patches of being very busy and then it can revert to the opposite because of prevailing factors around us and with those we regularly see, it's evolution in the making, there's nothing wrong with that. It's when we rest in our own state of nothingness that the ageing process speeds up and we then become embroiled in a self designed process of stagnation and pamper to it thus we eventually cut ourselves off from the main stream of life where we should be at.  

Rest is important, but like everything in life too much or too little of something isn't that good for us as it takes moderation to iron out and give credence to our lives. So what if we are thrust into a nothingness by circumstances, we don't know of how long we will be there so mentally it's a state of lack of understanding about our future, who we are and what is to become of us. These areas if not resolved at least to some degree will not only allow apathy to raise its ugly head but thwart within our ability to move forward, get ourselves out of our quandary and enjoy the rest of our lives. In the meantime we act as if alone amongst friends and family because our want to communicate is almost "offline" even if at the other end of the spectrum we want the closeness of others to feel that human warmth and break the coldness of our current state of thought. Nothingness can be the biggest problem we ever face, it's way beyond boredom it's when nothing becomes a lifestyle and that is when our whole ideology of life changes or morphs into something made up within our thought process. The trouble with our own thought process is that it's made up of a number of areas that can either come to life or stay dormant depending upon the stimuli we have. So if we become busy we see life differently, if we become becalmed then we can revert into a state of negativity such is the "switching" threshold we have within us all, some more than others. If we become becalmed then we can almost be the antithesis of who we once were with dire consequences. After all where the mind goes the body follows, it has to so if depression looms large even if temporary then our body feels the effects of such and so it all goes into a downward spiral. The good news is that there is always a number of solutions, but it's us that has to seek them out and utilise them, after all it's only us who can take advantage of such and it's not despite our wayward thoughts going to be handed to us on a plate.

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©John Rushton / The Life Alchemist 2011

PEOPLE IN CONFLICT

We have a global community at our finger tips, world events relayed by endless magazines and media stations all with their own slant on the news and their own flavour of reporting it. We predominantly subscribe to the various media types and styles that suite our own thought processes as it's easier to digest and follow. However at the same time we still like to read the "other" publications / news items to see alternative view points. The base of much of what is put out to us is that of conflicting worlds, rich meets poor, east meets west, success meets failure,  and of course the clash of religions is always there, the progressive religions meets head on the repressive religions - almost an east meets west yet again in style and character. The changeability of life and the world at large is as such that everything is speeding up, the corporate structures in business, the world finance situation, the climate, health, fighting and dictatorial rule, populations challenging staid family run autocratic countries, wars between fraction groups, the race is on. The migration of people' across the globe is forever increasing changing the endemic structures of life and thought in some countries beyond the comprehension of native citizens. Weak ineffective governments ensue in failing in coping with such and thus undue tensions and unbalance arises because of it, in most cases in the short term it's all a detrimental step, like everything only time will allow a reasonable cross flow of unity, although some countries harbour community unrest for centuries. The worst aspect of any intermingling of people's is that of religion, where old staid meets the new and the old staid camp never fully integrate and are always the "lower class" as they can't or possibly don't want to upgrade to modernity and thus have to endure the price they pay for it all. Always living in the shadows of those that create and bring innovation to the fore they are at times permanent recipients of life's hand downs.

There are some countries that are permanently in conflict, they have a duality of resident, those that live within the detritus that abounds and often have a fairly good life, and those that are part of the ongoing upheaval because it's a part of their life, even though rarely anything positive comes out of it. The losers are the masses who remain uneducated and are modern day peasants who see, hear and look but are able to do nothing other than survive from their lowly jobs of self livelihood at doing whatever they do. There are still 27,000,000 black slaves in Islamic countries today. Governments of such countries are almost always corrupt because they can be, because they can see glaring differences and are privy to the means of spoils because of their position. They are also egotists, and backhanders which are rife in the Middle East and Africa in particular forever stopping real progress as somewhere down the line even charities get their funds or products syphoned off to the fortunate few. The overseeing of aid fund isn't always a guarantee of fair play, and even the EU Commission doesn't have audited books to the level of costs and expenditures that most governments wouldn't, it has already EU3bn unaccounted for expenses. Religious organisations are also to blame as they are inept at foreseeing a future so prefer to keep their worshipers festooned in a time warp of religious fear and lowliness, too much education and their congregation would grasp the bigger picture for themselves and move on. The flow of science, technology, lifestyles, global travel and media has overtaken most religions who live in a sterile world of their own and in real terms are far from Godly people, their leaders see themselves are God's representatives as opposed to God's servants and here lies an area which they have self cultivated in order to seemingly keep a degree of authority and power, it's fading fast.

Home life, business life and the state of our national health whether mental or physical or indeed both is under attack as medical science wants us to live longer. Once we lived the way we chose then we died, now we have a formulae or regime on how to live to stave off certain conditions and improve our lot, whilst at the same time manufactures plough us with unhealthy foods mainly aiming at the lower end of the market of convenience at a price. It can be devastating to be in a conflict with family, friends, business, life, countries, as it throws our whole system into a mode which is based on rather unsavoury thoughts and feelings, the niceties of life tend to stop flowing once we have decided that we are in conflict and our ideology changes too. To commerce human beings are but fodder to gain a revenue from, to religions they preach one thing sometimes sincerely but haven't the personal nor professional ability to deliver it honestly, and then we have the media who are happy to be whores and game for anything including the ZOO TV slots making fun of unfortunate people for cheap but profitable television, no morals, cold, callous, insincere, thoughtless - yes - just bring it on. The same TV companies that seek to make award winning documentaries about overseas exploitation of humans and people trafficking are ironically supported by their own immorality at home.

We need to keep our wits about us as to the real truth that lies behind the stories. Whilst a story may purvey the truth via  the merits of its content, the bigger picture when placing all the stories together depicts often a far different picture at times acting as a catalyst for one another and accelerating great disharmony, disruption, unhappiness, subterfuge, and the rest. The "gatekeepers" those that are in positions to judge ironically are usually the most inept having an 'overall' view of what they are judging yet are so off the mark as they can't literally 'see' cleverness or brilliance or 'out of the box' thinkers. Their own inner judgment is impervious to such people and thus reject often emotionally people who should be given prime time and not be placed upon the reject list. Conflict is nothing new, it's been around since year dot, there are even programmes for conflict management, and border wars still happen based upon who has this and who has that, and so it all goes on. Most of us get in a bit of a huff about something perhaps even literally trivia and egotistically lead thoughts but we just get over it and move on, which is how it should be. Life isn't for harbouring negative emotions, some base their lives on conflict and let it rage within as if it's their sole reason to live, but we steer clear of such people - don't we? At the end of the day life has a strange way of readdressing balance, although it may not be in our life time, but in between we need to enjoy life and not be embroiled in a conflict of our own and miss out grandly because our interests are vested in negativity. Enjoying life to the best you can allows one to see over and above the obstacles in front and often the reward for that is somewhat sweeter than one could have imagined.

For more : www.thelifedoctor.info
FREE "E" Book : www.the-alchemy-of-life.com
John Rushton / The Life Doctor 2011