Month: January 2013

Move to the Beat

~ Swisa A ~ Leave a comment

What do you think of when you think of New Years?  For most people, and I included, think of holiday festivities, family and good times with friends and loved ones.   It’s also a time when many people without family or friends feel the pinching pain of solitude.  These are the two overriding theme one often thinks about during the New Years.  Life, work revolves around this notion of “New Years” and the calendar.  We work and aim to finish all before year end so that we may enjoy the changing of the calendar.   This New Years, however, I realised that one’s health moves in altogether different timeline.  It cares not what day of the calendar it is nor what month it is.

This New Years, an uncle-in-law of mine spent his in a hospital room, lying in bed and missing a limb.

Just a month or so before New Years, uncle had gone to the hospital for a seemingly normal doctor’s visit complaining of leg pain.  He had thought it would be some muscle pain that could be cured with a simple prescription from the doctor.

Life would not be so easy.

The leg pain was caused by a tumour.  It had spread to his leg and he had two options: 1. continue to let the tumour take it’s course  or 2. slow its spread by having his leg amputated.

My uncle-in-law decided to have the tumour removed, the procedure resulting in the removal of his leg.

I cannot imagine, nor will even try to say I understand how it feels to have to make that decision.   It’s not easy and a decision that has no right or wrong.  Whatever you decide, anything could happen.  There is no guarantee that having the tumour removed will prevent its reoccurrence.

What inspires me though is the upbeat spirit of my uncle-in-law who despite having his tumour removed, did not let it put him down.  Knowing that his life will never be the same, knowing that he will forever be a changed man, he is still getting up each morning and making the best of each day.

Roughly two weeks after his operation he was hobbing around the house and even took the car out for a short round by his house.   He is a fighter.   He isn’t letting an obstacle stop him from living his life, and that is an inspiration.

So if you are feeling down, feeling depressed, get off your butt and just simply move to the beat of life.

Be human

~ Swisa A ~ 1 Comment

Sometimes things happen when you least expect it.  Life brings along its paths many experiences and opportunities yet it is your decision whether to grab the opportunity, make something of it and live the experience, or just simply go with the flow.  If you spend your days pondering the consequences of your possible actions and do nothing, debating the pros and the cons, then the one thing you can be sure is this:  nothing will get done.  Life will go on as it does and pass by.  To be happy, as in many other things, depend on your own actions.

This morning I listened to a youtube video on Happiness 101 by Harvard Professor Tal Ben-Shahar.  I loved it.

Many of the things he said are things I’ve been pondering about in life as I am sure have many people.   What is it that makes one happy?  Is it money? Is it wealth? The answer isn’t.

Happiness depends mainly on your own actions. To be happy, requires participation and devotion.  You are responsible for your own happiness. No one else is.

Remind yourself of how blessed you are.  Remind yourself of the things that you are grateful for in life.  Think positive.  Exercise.  Take time to be with your family and the people you love.  Allow yourself to be human.  No one is perfect.

Sleep.

Simple isn’t it? Easier said than done.  Good night my dear readers. Be happy.