A simple step

The recent earthquake in Japan and tsunami that followed were truly devastating. Another quake in Tonga today. The earth truly is on the move. Until a few weeks ago, 2011 in New Zealand was ticking over quite nicely. The economy stirring from the doldrums, the weather sunny and warm the whole summer through, and the kids had all gone back to school. People had returned to work after the annual 'month off' and everyone had started to get excited about the Rugby World Cup. Then another earthquake struck Christchurch killing many people, injuring others and causing more devastation than this small country has never seen. I doubt that anyone living in New Zealand is completely unaffected. This, just after Christchurch had picked itself up, dusted off it's shoulders and started to rebuild. My thoughts are with all those affected people and families. The City is shattered. Go well. Christchurch is an outstanding place and community and the City will flourish again. Quakes a...

Acceptance is a very powerful word, and one that often has a real influence on our direction and our future. The things that happen, the events that occur and how you react or respond to them helps to shape who you are and where you are going. Sometimes we react against things, fighting against what we believe and consider to be wrong, inappropriate or unsuitable. Typically, this reaction relates to things that have been, or that have occured. Sometimes it also relates to things and events that are on the horizon, pending or about to occur. In traditional psychology, pundits talk of 'flight or fight' as a response to things that affect or are likely to affect us in a 'bad' way - there is no obvious space here for doing nothing and simply accepting things as they are. Acceptance often brings peace of mind, no matter what the situation. Provided you are able to see fear for what it is, acceptance helps you to breathe. When you breathe, you often find that you can se...