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Simply,,Politics is not....

16/1/2019

20 Comments

 
 ..the only reality.  I have to remind myself of this when I start thinking, as I did yesterday, What does it matter what colour my kitchen is when the world is going to hell in a  handcart?

I like to think I am politically aware and reasonably well informed, but my job is also to stay sane and I don't need an hourly, or even daily, update on shutdowns and exits. I need a part of my life where I have some control and that is in my own head, and in my own home, where I can create a clear, efficient, healthy and beautiful functioning environment as an antidote to all the madness, if only to prove that I can run my life and home better than some governments can run their countries!

From a calm functioning place I can better decide how to manage the input from the outer world. I can decide how to vote when the opportunity arises, whether to get more involved and campaign for what I believe in, or I can decide how I might support victims of the political fallout....

The way I see it someone's got to stay sane, and it might as well be me. :-)

Enjoy this thoughtful article by Hans Rosling if you have not read it already. I especially like what he says about understanding as a source of mental peace.  Perhaps finding mental peace needn't mean disengaging from the outer world (tempting) but listening intelligently, and learning.

And adding some joyful colour to my kitchen.

20 Comments
PennyL
17/1/2019 12:00:45 am

What a positive thing to read. Just what is needed during these mad times. I decided not to see or read the news this year, but have been sucked into watching the voting in Parliament etc. I’m returning to a place of sanity now!

Reply
Freda
17/1/2019 01:48:26 pm

It is so easy to get 'sucked in' !

Reply
Swissrose
17/1/2019 12:19:06 am

Utter madness everywhere. Retreating from the real world here to concentrate on my immediate surroundings and the little things... :o

Reply
Freda
17/1/2019 01:50:04 pm

Our immediate surroundings ARE our real world of course....who told us the 'real world' was somewhere else?

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Viv link
17/1/2019 02:25:55 am

Perhaps the government should try some meditation sessions and the answers will come to them clearly!

Reply
Freda
17/1/2019 01:50:37 pm

Good idea Viv!

Reply
Mary R.
17/1/2019 06:37:43 am

Such a nice article, Freda. Thank you for sending it our way. Goes along with my Hallelujah word for the year.

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Freda
17/1/2019 01:51:34 pm

All his videos are worth watching too. I do think that's a great workd Mary R.

Reply
cath
17/1/2019 07:40:53 am

Haven't read the Rosling article already , hopefully later today. My peace of mind comes from the Buddhist notion of practicing bearing witness. Which for me means staying informed without getting overwhelmed or cynical. Learning to have enough distance to form an opinion and stay in connection and not so much as to be in danger of losing interest.
These days this is more of a balancing act than ever before I find.

Reply
Freda
17/1/2019 01:53:47 pm

It seems you have found a good balance there. Rosling talks of 'the relaxing position of only holding opinions based on facts' (which is where the learning comes in I guess.

Reply
Julia
17/1/2019 09:29:16 am

We’ve decided to drop out of the news too, freda..i’m sure someone will let us know if there is an emergency that we need to address! Instead we have decided to listen to every single cd and lp we own a different one each day..it’s been wonderful!

Reply
Freda
17/1/2019 01:54:40 pm

Now that does sound wonderful!

Reply
Lotta link
17/1/2019 10:37:01 am

Sanity is good... And for a bit of light relief I can tell you that your first paragraph reminded me that I once knew a drag queen called Helena Handcart :-) The world is not all bad!

Reply
Freda
17/1/2019 01:56:38 pm

Sanity is very good. But what a name...

Reply
Grace
17/1/2019 10:40:01 am

Ever thought of running for Parliament Freda?

Reply
Freda
17/1/2019 01:57:19 pm

I think you must have heard my laugh in Paris Grace!

Reply
Damsonlily
17/1/2019 12:21:17 pm

Thank you Freda, for a shining moment of sanity in (what feels like) a spinning vortex at the moment.
I have decided that just trying to keep up with the language, terms and processes involved is a feat certainly beyond me, never mind the events.
I have instead resorted to watching gardening videos, as I am beginning to try and picture how my new garden will look. I can thoroughly recommend watching other people’s ways of growing organically as great balm for the (politically) troubled mind.
If anyone else is interested, I wholeheartedly recommend Sara Bäckmo, from Sweden (sarabäckmo.com). Find her English YouTube channel at Sara’s Kitchen Garden.
Our daughter in law gave Hans Rosling’s book to our son for Christmas. Again, highly recommended. I am pleased to say we mostly passed the test on percentage of girls being educated worldwide, etc. although some statistics pleasantly surprised me.

Reply
Freda
17/1/2019 02:01:09 pm

Thank you for those gardening links Damsonlily. I am watching Carol Klein's programmes just now. I think I will put that book on my wish list for when I have sinished Jordan Peterson's. I love Rosling's videos. There is a lot of good stuff out there isn't there!

Reply
Liz
17/1/2019 02:36:51 pm

Beautifully said. Better to light a candle than rail against the darkness. As the psychiatrist/psychologist Raj Persaud says there are only 2 options to problems 1. Can you change the situation? 2. If not, you need to change your attitude....

Reply
!Freda
17/1/2019 02:40:54 pm

In a reversal of the usual roles my (then teenage) daughter once told me I had an attitude problem! It still makes me laugh!

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