What is Our Priority?

What is it that we view as more important than anything else?

What do we value the most in our lives?

What do we think needs our extra attention?

What do we choose to focus on as our priority?

Do we have an urgency about certain things but not other things?

Do we have a mental list of what we think is our priority in our life?

Do we just accept our Priorities in life and never question them?

Do we think checking our social media is more important than a real life chat?
Do we put watching Sport before the health of our family?
Do we see our headache or sore throat as less priority as it’s only minor?
Do we have a ‘to do’ list that is our major priority?

Is our work our biggest priority?
Is security and protection our highest priority?
Is our next holiday our main priority?
Is making money at whatever cost, our only priority?
Is nothing really a priority anymore in our lives?

Are the kids our greatest priority over our own health?

Do we feel our true health and well-being is not at the top of our priority list?
Do we think our partner suffering with pain is ok as it is not a 911?

Do we actually care what our Priority in Life is?
Do we ever stop and ask the WHY question?
Do we ever review our Priority in Life?

Have we ever stopped and asked what is our PRIORITY IN LIFE?

Over 20 years ago, I had emergency surgery and my partner was not able to be with me as he was playing in a sports tournament. Not having his support most certainly affected my time in hospital and understandably so. At the time his PRIORITY was to not let the team down above anything else.  Fast forward today and that would not happen. WHY?

Simple – we now have a different PRIORITY and that changes everything.

Could it be possible that when we start to take true RESPONSIBILITY for our own health and well-being and make this our number one PRIORITY, we begin to value things differently?

Could it be possible when our body’s health is number one on our priority list, our daily choices hold a quality of Responsibility?

Could it be possible when we start to value our true health, we hold that EQUAL value for another, no matter who it is?

Could it be possible that if we make lifestyle choices that support our body, we are equipped to deal with anything that life presents?

Could it be possible that when our PRIORITY is to ensure our well-being is at the top of our ‘to do’ list, others get the best of us?

Could it be possible that once we put our True Health at the top of our Priority list every single day, our health systems will feel the benefits?

Could it be possible that if our PRIORITY was our True Health and Well-Being, we would feel the urgency that our world is suffering?

Could it be possible we would then sense the RESPONSIBILITY we have to inspire others by the way that we Live?

Could this be the answer to our World Health problems?

Dear World,

Could it be that simple?

 

 

 

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Comments 55

  1. Oh man… What a question.
    In reading this blog I can see how simple it is that if my life is not working or feeling the way I know, deep down, it could & should be & feel I can see that it is time to look at and re-assess my PRIORITIES.

    In having this question put before me, “What Is Our Priority?” I look around and easily see that, on the whole, we as a human race we are not prioritizing what most needs our focus in order to address and change the many issues, illnesses, disharmonious ways & relationships we are all in.

    This question is a big deal and worth looking into as raises true answers to all our miseries.

    Over the past 6 years, Simple Living Global has inspired me to focus much more on my body and well being. I am still shifting my priorities over from the many peripheral, ‘fun’, surface distractions I used to use to not deal with my self, my situation or life, to listening to and honoring what my body is communicating to me. This has changed my priorities with others as well and brought me into a more responsible perspective as I look out to life.

    Now that I am living a more healthy and whole life due to changing my ‘priorities’ I know the big part I am to play in this world where self care comes, all too often, at the end of a long list…

    1. Great point you make Jo Elmer how we simply do not prioritise and focus on what is truly needed that is important and this is what can lead to all sorts of stress and complications.
      The blog title is a question that as you say is ‘a big deal and worth looking into ..’ because we could get back on track if we got our priority in life.

      The reason you feel inspired by Simple Living Global is simple – the person reflecting to you another way to live is presenting what they live. That means there is no room or empty gaps in there for made up stuff and fluff to fill it all up. It is real, practical, easy and above all LIVED by the person saying it does work – give it a go.
      When someone chooses to present what they live it holds a quality, a vibration so to speak that is felt by others. For some they may say they don’t like it because they don’t really want change and thats ok but the truth is you can’t knock it as deep down we can feel what is truth and what is not.
      Changing our priorities in life is a game changer and one we all need to get to one day.

  2. Priority for our health and well being is way down the list for most of the world today.
    Sad but true. This is why we all need a stop and pause moment to question WHY.

    WHY do we not have our health and well being a the top of our priority list?
    WHY is RESPONSIBILITY so needed at the top end of our priority list everyday?

  3. The question about our priorities is a great one because it shows us that the ball is in our court so to speak, that is, that we have free will to change our priorities. We can actually choose to make more loving choices and make that our priority.

    1. Thank you Elizabeth for spelling it out that ‘we can actually choose..’
      The power of choice is huge and it speaks volumes. We have a choice in everything and that includes what we want on our priority list.
      Even if we are not aware, we all have some form of priority in our life. For some it maybe their parents or kids, others work, sport, food whatever. The state of our world today is that our human frame and its well-being is not on the top priority for the majority and our health statistics confirm this fact.

  4. What IS our priority? Great question which is worth assessing again and again.
    Looking at the world around me it appears that we have Security prioritised way over the Quality of life.
    We have Comfort prioritised way over true Connectng to and Being True to who we are deep down.
    We have Images of what is the Right Way to live prioritised way over the True Way we can sense in our Hearts.
    We have prioritised the Quantity produced rather than the Quality inherent in all things.
    And we have Function of our body and every other aspect of life way over the Harmonious Rhythm and Flow which allows and naturally promotes a Loving Expression.
    Why do we not wake with absolute Joy to face our every new day? And Why is our wold in such dire mess? All we need do is look at our priorities.

    1. Great that you have expanded on this blog Golnaz and given the reader more to ponder on about what is their priority in life. Thank You.

      Security and Comfort as you say are big priorities in most peoples lives. Fear based usually coming from our past and then anxiety about the future makes us seeking security at all costs.
      I agree quantity seems to be favoured than quality.
      Even in research qualitative research which is anecdotal is not really taken seriously.
      You give a great answer to your question about why the world is in such a mess –
      ALL WE NEED TO DO IS LOOK AT OUR PRIORITIES.

  5. This blog highlights the importance of Priority and brings it’s focus to what really matters, our responsibility with our choices and truth of what this word carries. How easily Priority can be put onto everyday things rather than the self responsibility you talk of, and wow what difference this would make on our health systems. I know for sure changing my choices to responsible ones have stopped me being a drain on the health system. Listening to my body’s messages, pains, aches, illnesses and responsibly doing something about it along with deeply caring for myself has brought remarkable change to my health and wellbeing. Thank you Simple Living for asking ‘ What is Our Priority ‘ .

    1. A great comment Ruth and thank you for sharing.
      I like what you say about ‘the truth of what this word carries’ when you talk about RESPONSIBILITY. How many of us ever stop to feel the truth of what a single word carries?
      Your own story about taking responsibility means you no longer drain our health system and this is huge and well worth taking note of. Doing something about why you got ill in the first place and being honest about how your choices may be why you got the pain, ache or illness is taking responsibility and should be a priority for all of us.

      1. Yes and with the over burdening on our health services and packed out hospitals, rather than us complaining about these services and long waiting times maybe if we started to look at why we are ill or in pain, at our choices in life.. making This Our Priority, not only could this be the beginning of our true healing but ease the amount we are leaning on the health services, like the NHS.

  6. I have been feeling the deep hurt that I felt when my mom choose not touch me with tenderness. I am feeling the devastation I felt when her priorities were other then loving me.

    I understand now that because she could not love herself, she could not truly love me. And I understand that it was my responsibility to love myself at some point and that I carried that hurt for so long because I did not want to take responsibility for loving myself because I felt the world owed me that love.

    With support from Simple-Living Global I am changing my priorities so I can serve mankind in the best way I can.

    1. It is interesting how we carry deep hurts and demand from others what they simply cannot give us. We judge others when their priority is not loving us in the way we want them to. It is great that you now have an understanding and have taken responsibility to love yourself and not expect or demand it from another.
      Changing our priorities as this blog is presenting makes sense and can serve our world instead of draining mankind.

  7. Great questions are raised here that are shaking the comfort we are sometimes in – always inspiring to read the articles on this website. Bringing awareness and deeper understanding for our responsibility.

    Thanks Simple Living Global for uncovering that what is not true and getting the awareness back to that what is needed to be done for a better and greater together.

    1. Questions need to be asked so that we can all be shaken out of the comfort that we are really finding uncomfortable.
      Comfort is delaying our evolution. Nothing changes, the world continues to suffer and we have to live with our misery and agony every single day.
      Change our priorities and things get moving in a way that ensures a more joyful and content life because taking RESPONSIBILITY is at the top of our list.

  8. Many people believe that there priorities are ok because they are doing things that they believe are good for people or our earth. But are they really helping when they are so exhausted they need stimulants to get through the day?

    I learned from my parenting experience that I could not take care of my children, with any quality if I was exhausted. Also that children learn from what they see, not what they are told, so what am I showing my children as a way to live?

    My children were my priorities but was I really helping them if I was living a life that was in disregard of myself?

    It takes a deep level of honesty to ask questions like this, but this is what it takes to create true priorities in our lives.

    1. This comment speaks volumes Ken Elmer so thank you for your honest sharing.

      How many of us actually stop and question the QUALITY of how we are living as a priority?
      In other words, if we are exhausted as you say here Ken then how can we believe we are doing good for other people or our planet.
      Is it really serving humanity if we are lacking a deeper level of honesty and think we are doing ok when the quality is simply not there because our choices tell us so?
      A good point you mention about your children being your priority and yet you was living with a level of disregard. Kids know and they can feel everything. They may not express what they truly feel for whatever reason but if there are no true role models around, we can bet our bottom dollar they will not have a true priority list that does not harm self, others or their environment.

    2. Ken you raised an interesting point about parenting from exhaustion.

      I have observed this constantly in my work environment as a midwife. Mother’s give birth to their babies and whilst they are on the ward, the other children or extended family visit. These mothers continue to mother the other children visiting them in hospital forgetting she had spent hours in labour or that she has to present herself with a certain image to the extended family.

      One woman looked absolutely exhausted made herself get out of bed despite a disturbed night with her baby all because her in-laws were visiting. She stated she had better make an effort and yet disregarded what her whole body was saying – ‘you’re tired, please rest/sleep’. Half an hour later all made up, she waited for them to visit. Where is the sense in this, her body was already signalling and she continued to function.

      How is it impacting her baby? How is it impacting her feeding or relationship she is forming with her baby, who is this woman when she is with her newborn? She ignored her body, she ignored what her priorities were in that given moment with her newborn

  9. A powerful message here – what is really going on with the world?
    Technology is making things faster and yet we are no further a head. Health systems aren’t making any one well from true health but from a quick fix health and then no wonder they are always busy.

    I have worked in the health systems in both Australia and UK and I have observed, priorities have changed, patients’s length of stay, let’s get them in and let’s get them out just as quick. Audits are a priority, are we achieving high scores, if not why, then fix it so we can look good, forget that we are short staffed or ran off their feet, audits are a priority – the list is endless but sadly I observe no priority in the state of the staff’s health.

    I was at the receiving end of not prioritising my own health, just functioning and existing. As already mentioned, exhaustion, was continually knocking on my door till one day it broke it down, I had no choice but to take heed and listen to the messages that were always there, I asked myself, who am I really living for?

    Fast tracking 2 years, with no perfection, mastery or degrees I am listening to my body more. I pay more attention to what is important to me and my body, the rest will prioritise itself as I become me, the real me, the whole me instead of part me.

    1. A great question here that you have given us all Shushila – who are we really living for?
      We all need to be asking this and starting with honesty so we can get to Truth one day.

      If we do not make our body that of True Health and Well-Being then what is the quality we are doing things in?
      Those like you working in our healthcare system care for others so there is a huge RESPONSIBILITY to present a body that is at the minimum being taken care of which means paying attention and listening to what it is communicating as you say.

  10. Yes, it is all about priorities but my my experience is I can not prioritize truly if I am exhausted. Of course if I am exhausted my priority should be to take care of myself, but i have been exhausted most of my life and did not realize it. So what is going on?
    Even when i could barely walk up stairs and my doctor said i was in good physical health I still could not accept the fact that i was just wiped out. I feel this is because I had done all the “right” things in my life, so i could not possible be exhausted.

    So my beliefs of how I should be really controlled the choices i made. I have felt I am more open to doing something different then many people, but i realize now how my beliefs still have a strong hold on me.

    I am slowing down and checking in with myself more often. This gives me a better chance to make choices that are good for me, and that will allow me to make better choices that affect humanity.

    1. So many of us would be able to relate to what you are saying here Ken Elmer about the fact that you could simply not prioritise because you were exhausted.
      This is telling us something here – that our thinking is not clear and it is like we are in a fog and cannot see through it when our body is exhausted.
      You mention about your doctor confirming you are in good physical health when you felt ‘wiped out’ is telling us something. With due respect to our doctors, could it be possible that they themselves with all that training in medical school and enormous pressure and workloads actually have exhaustion?
      Could it be possible that we cannot see or confirm exhaustion in another when we carry that ill in our body as it is not cleared?
      This might sound a bit way off but it is no different to a smoker telling someone to give up smoking. The person advising still carries the ill so the words do not hold the power for true change.
      From lived experience I know that my priorities change and sometimes it is daily. Life is constantly moving, nothing stands still and the same even if our comfort minds like to think so. That ‘checking in’ with yourself that you mention at the end of your comment Ken does need to be one of our priorities in life as our body knows. It just knows.

  11. This is true for me too. For example, I’ve discovered if I eat late and I eat too much, I need more sleep and my productivity, my ability to stay present and my wellbeing are much reduced, but if I eat just what I need and not too late, then the quality of my sleep is deeper, I need less of it and I’m able to be of greater service and bring more of me to people and to the day.
    Sleep, for me, is super-healing and I feel vibrant when I get good rest – others feel it too and what a reflection to get from another, to inspire great sleep choices? This is foundational for everything else and yet if I don’t prioritise it, it slips and then come the knock on effects. So there’s a responsibility there for sure, to stay committed to caring about what I eat and when I go to bed. It just makes sense. And then I look at this statistic about 27 December 2016 being one of the busiest days ever for A&E in Hospitals, with 60,215 patients attending. 60,000 humans going into A&Es around the country in a single day! That’s like entire football stadium of people needing help at the same time. What on earth are we living that we’ve created such a massive surge on hospitals over Christmas? A surge with which hospital staff can’t even begin to keep up.
    The NHS is groaning at the seams and noone seems to know what to do about it.
    Reading this blog and having a good hard look at our priorities would be a powerful place to start.

  12. Just pausing to really think about this one for a moment:

    ‘Could it be possible that when our PRIORITY is to ensure our well-being is at the top of our ‘to do’ list, others get the best of us?’

    There is a lot here. The idea that something might be more important than the commitments we’ve made. Than doing our day job. Than having a tidy house. Than making our phone calls. Than replying to our emails. Than doing the laundry. Than getting the life admin done. Than helping with the homework. Than going to the gym. That there is something that must come first or else the rest of it is simply a waste of time, or worse. That there is something that will ensure the quality of all that we do and that the quality of what we do has a massive impact on everything and everybody. That the quality can drain and impose and control and disturb, or it can settle and expand and inspire and pull up and heal.

    I know which I’d prefer, but what is the magic ingredient and how do I bring it into my life?

    Enter this website. Prioritise our well-being. Get the basics right and build from there. Sleep, gentle breathing, self-care.

    For me, the idea that you would put your own well-being at the top of your to do list is a tough one. A busy job and kids and a home and all the rest aren’t going to take care of themselves. With a volume of commitments, self care sounds almost self indulgent. But I’m realising however alien or self indulgent it might seem, it is fact the absolutely right and responsible thing to do.

    What sort of quality is in all that activity and those relationships if there is no well-being? What reflection are people getting if there is no true self care? That it’s ok to overwork and rush about so long as you are capable and look presentable while you’re doing it?

    It almost feels like a conspiracy, where society accepts, perpetuates and even celebrates the paradigm so we all play along. Something passed down from generation to generation. Given the seal of approval by the media. Busy-ness seems to be the new norm.

    Isn’t it time we all shouted ‘cut’ and walked off set to work on another way?

  13. I could add to this awesome list of ground-shaking questions: ‘is work more important than quality time with our children? ‘.

    Exactly a week ago today, I had decided to stop work early and pick up my kids from school, even though they were booked into afterschool club. I had a powerful and productive day with work, loads got done, easy. School pick up time got closer and I went into ‘just clear a few more things’ mode. Looking back this was nonsense behaviour – I had done much more than a day’s work already, the value of my contribution was huge and yet I was behaving like it wasn’t enough. I picked the boys up an hour later than I had planned and was told one my youngest had been distressed at going to aftershool club as he wanted to go straight home. Of course he did!

    What a lesson. It did not feel good. What were my priorities that day? What does it show me about how I’m prioritising more generally in life? Do my children come after my work on the priority list? And why didn’t my amazing work feel complete or enough?

    So it’s a week later. Today I get to choose again.

    This blog really helps focus your intention.

  14. I feel it would be very challenging to have raised my children with myself as a priority. But I understand now that would have been the best parenting thing to do, showing them that taking care of myself is critical if I really want to help someone.

    Yes, it challenging to do something different, but sometimes it is only way to to change something that is not working.

  15. I have been watching how my body and soul prioritize things in my life. When they see an opportunity to deal with an issue, they know exactly what to do to support me to evolve. Even to the point of interrupting my sleep to clear something because that is a better time to go deeper to access some old stuff. Or allowing me to get in a situation that does not feel ok, but is needed to deal with something I have been avoiding.

    The more I trust this process, the easier it is to get out of the way and allow in all the love, support, and amazing intelligence that is all around me.

  16. Thank you Simple Living Global for these very pertinent questions.

    Surely it makes sense that by taking responsibility for our own health and well-being, the answers to your questions would be YES.

    If we, being the microcosm, made our own health and well-being the priority, the microcosm would soon become the macrocosm.

    So why is it that we are not prepared to take responsibility for our own health and well-being?

    Why do we:

    Smoke
    Drink a proven poison called Alcohol
    Work too many hours
    Take drugs
    Push our bodies through strenuous exercise
    Not rest when we are in pain or when we are ill
    Be nice to others just to ‘please’ them
    Hold back what we want to say for fear of hurting others

    The list could go on but it shows that we treat our bodies with a lot of disrespect.

    Why is it so hard to break free from these harmful behaviours?

    Could it be that we would have to start to look at our issues that we are holding onto?
    Could it be that our issues give us a meaning in life?
    Could it be that we are comfortable with our issues?
    Could it be that by making our health and well-being a priority, we would have to change our way of life?

    How awesome would it be to know that by changing our priority of our own health and well-being, we are potentially changing the whole WORLD?

    1. Yes Tim, when you put it like that.. in making our own health and well-being-being a priority we are potentially changing our whole world. That’s massive. The benefits would be vast not only for us on a personal level but for us as humanity.. and for our planet.

      If this is considered.. doesn’t it make it a choice worth taking?.. to take responsibility for our health and well-being?

  17. Changing our Priority in Life is a game changer.
    I know that my priorities today are completely different to the past and I know I will never go back to that nonsense behaviour as I call it.

    I seem to talk to myself and check in during the day if I am not focussed on doing what I know needs to be done.
    There are days when the list is long and it is what it is. By pushing and driving myself, which was my old style I seem to go backwards.
    Priority for me now is to make sure my body is not feeling disturbed by anything whatsoever that is undealt with. That does not mean honking my horn or going off on one to somebody but feeling the truth of what I am feeling.
    In others words honouring what I feel and not dismissing it.

    Looking after my health and well being, to the best of my ability will continue to be my top priority as this supports me to do what I do best – Get on with it.

  18. I have reached a point in my life where things are very good but at the same time I feel a discomfort.

    The discomfort is the fact that it is clear that I am to place my relationship with myself at the top of my priority list. I’ve been very good at making sure that everyone else is OK first and putting myself last, but now life is asking me to shift the balance. It feels very selfish and not completely natural but only because I’ve been used to another way of living.

    I moved house a few weeks ago and this morning I took the time and space to cut and place my drawer liners and complete the last piece of unpacking BEFORE I did anything for others. I also made sure I had some hot water in a flask ready and with me so that I could nurture my body at the same time.

    I know that it’s making these kind of small changes daily that will enable the balance shift to occur.

  19. I have been observing an ever increasing trend in the use of distractions & addictive & extreme behaviors in society around the world from hobbies to hard drugs to sexual abuse and social media.

    This to me shows a trend of people ‘opting out’, a trend in priorities being about escaping-from rather than dealing-with the issues and emptiness we are all feeling.

    We once had news casters with integrity on TV, one was named Edward Morrow and he said that “TV in the main, is being used to distract, delude, amuse and insulate us.”

    It is our priorities that shape TV, consumerism and the world?

    Is it time we stop blaming and look at what we are choosing/prioritizing each day?

  20. A couple of months ago I was attacked by verbal abuse in the early hours going out to my car, my car was hit on the window. It scared me and all I wanted to do was get away, which once I got into my car I did. Instead of calling the police I drove off and after stopping to settle and come back to myself I continued my journey, only later to call the police.

    I now realise the impact that in not calling the police straight away had, they were not able to get any finger prints from my car as I had travelled. As I left it until later to call them the person had long gone so they were unable to trace them. I can now see how my choice not to report this incident straight away allows this person to be out there and potentially do it again.. to myself or someone else. This has been a big learning for me.. to look at in how I prioritise in this kind of situation.

  21. I was speaking to someone in the property industry where they build big residential blocks. Part of those blocks must be dedicated to social and affordable housing.

    He was saying that the local council were not happy with the plans they presented for 4 bedroom apartments because the layout would not meet the ‘expectations’ of those needing free housing.

    A high proportion of those on the housing list apparently want a separate television room and not a kitchen/living area in one.

    This is a priority for those needing housing and those placing them in housing.

    What is going on here?

    Why is a television room a priority for those without a home?

    Why are these expectations met without question?

  22. Our priorities basically have produced the world we have.

    So how can deal with all the illness and disease that we have in the world? Just make that a priority in our lives.

    It seems like an obvious choice if we want to improve our quality of living, which everyone wants to do, so why don,t we do simple things that will support us? Or why do we continue to do things that hurt us?

    I have asked this question of myself. It is very humbling to get to a point where I realized that maybe I have done things that were not loving because I felt I did not deserve love.

    Simple Living Global has supported me in this process.

    Now that I understand better the reason for my choices and felt the sadness and devastation of feeling like I had to give up on myself, I now find taking care of myself, just the obvious way to live.

    Our priorities are to help other people. It is ingrained in us. But in order to do that, we need to take care of ourselves first.
    Then we know what true care is all about.

  23. An article in The telegraph, 30th august 2017, talks about how a “Beauty queen hands back crown after being told to lose weight.”

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/08/30/beauty-queen-hands-back-crown-told-lose-weight/

    A size 10 beauty queen handed back her crown after being told to lose weight to compete at an international level.

    Zoiey Smale, from Nottinghamshire, was named Miss UK after winning the UK round of the Miss Continents contest in June this year.

    But as she prepared for the final round of the competition in Ecuador, she said the organisers told her she needed to “lose as much weight as possible” to stand a chance.

    She was left gobsmacked after speaking to the competition’s national director, who said she was passing on feedback from the international director and all Miss Smale could say was “pardon” before hanging up the phone.

    She didn’t get back to them for two weeks before deciding to pull out.

    Miss Smale said, “I think it’s important to empower women and know it’s OK to be healthy, educated and a good role model. I didn’t hand back my crown straight away as I was going to go out of protest, however what example would that be setting?”

    When speaking later to the national director of the competition, she asked her to tell her what exactly was said by the international director.

    “I was told, ‘she needs to go on a diet plan as she is too big.’

    Miss Smale said, “I’m not too big at all, I’m just bang on average. I just think to lose as much weight as possible for a competition, why would people say that. Its horrible and it made me feel so rubbish for a long, long time.”

    When looking at the photographs of Zoiey Smale, it really is incredible that she was told to ‘lose as much weight as possible.’

    The photographs show a very slim woman and to lose more weight would be bordering on anorexia.

    It beggars belief, that with all the exposure there is these days about how body image has a profound effect on all people, especially the young, that an international beauty competition is advocating putting people in harms way and putting bodies into distress.

    Whatever our views are on beauty competitions, Zoiey Smale needs to be applauded for her actions.

    She has made a stand for truth and is putting herself before anyone else.

    In her interview, she said it is important to empower women and be a good role model…in standing up for herself, she has done both, and not just for women, for men too.

    By making herself more important than a title or a crown and walking away from abuse, her actions speak volumes.

    The organisers of this particular beauty competition are showing a complete lack of responsibility and regard for their contestants, and even if they don’t change their policy or the way they view people, at least one person had the courage to stand up and say NO to abuse.

  24. Just talking in the community and asking one of our local business guys how his holiday was and out comes the story we all dread.

    Got to the airport and his passport had expired. This holiday was a trip back home to the sun with baby and the mrs. We talked about it for most of this year as he is so exhausted and needs the break to catch up on sleeping.

    Imagine the stress of this and the delay, which in the end costs not just extra money but only a few days of holiday time.

    Do we tend to leave things and not bother checking simply because we are so exhausted that it is not in our radar?
    Do we live a life of coffee, sugar and cigarettes that creates a fog in our mind, so we never remember to make passport checking before booking a holiday our Priority?
    Do we ever learn from this or go into some sort of anxiety as we are afraid something like this may happen again?
    How do we start to make certain things in life a priority?

    Would it be wise to address the chronic exhaustion that we feel every single day and get that sorted by asking how we are living that may be adding to it?
    Do we consider looking at our sleep quality and make that a Priority?

    I know my last holiday was 15 years ago and we missed the flight. Both of us were super exhausted and sleeping and eating was all we could do literally when we got there a day later. We were so checked out that on returning we had no clue our passports were stolen from my rucksack on our way home.

    Thank God for all the changes that have since taken place and the current daily life choices which have got me to writing this blog and keeping this website alive, with real life stuff that may support others to bring more awareness.

  25. An article in ‘The Telegraph’ talks about how, “NHS hospitals complained at M&S healthy drinks boost.”

    NHS bosses complained when M&S tried to make its drinks more healthy in its in-hospital shops.

    The business also cut off promotions high in fat, salt and sugar in the 28 outlets, part of a wider goal to reduce calories, sugar and fat by 2019, a year ahead of a Government set target.

    Earlier this year it was announced that NHS hospitals would be banned from selling sugary drinks and high calorie snacks.

    The head of nutrition at the retailer, said a decision to withdraw fizzy drinks and other sugar-sweetened drinks from hospital stores had provoked dismay from customers, dieticians and in some cases, NHS Trusts themselves.

    She told the Public Health England conference: “We had quite a lot of negative feedback from some of the NHS Trusts, from some customers saying we are taking away their choice and from some dieticians, which I was quite surprised about.”
    “But we’ve persevered with it and kept that.”

    She also said that M&S would be unlikely to have an explicitly healthy range in future, with food and drinks low on unhealthy ingredients becoming the norm and more indulgent products marked out to customers.
    “The deals you will find in hospital stores will be on the health foods,” she said.

    What is the more ridiculous here?

    The fact that some NHS Trusts have issues with a Government set target to reduce calories, sugar and fat.
    Or
    The fact that some dieticians have issues to reduce calories, sugar and fat.

    Isn’t the whole point of a hospital to ensure their patient’s health is cared for?

    We are always hearing about the dearth of hospital beds and that hospitals are always trying to push patients out early.

    Is it possible that if patients are given healthier, more nutritious food, it will help them recover faster which will then free up the beds quicker?

    Shouldn’t hospitals be the one place where nutrition is of paramount importance?

    We can understand the customers having an issue with healthier options because when we are ill, all we want is comfort food.

    But why are NHS Trusts complaining about this?
    Why are dieticians complaining about this?

    How is it possible that there are people in charge of our health and well-being that HAS an issue with our ‘HEALTH and WELL-BEING’?

    We all know that when we are ill, we all want our treats to pick ourselves up and generally it is the sugary foods we go for.

    Is it possible that the in-hospital stores make a lot of money for the hospital and the NHS Trust that runs the hospital is more concerned about loss of revenue than the health consequences of their patients?

    With the rates of obesity increasing all the time, surely any measure to reduce people’s weight should be highlighted and championed to the hilt?

    M&S should be applauded for their actions in making people’s health more important than money.

    It’s a shame that the one place where you would expect the patient’s health and well-being to be put first is made less important than the balance sheet.

  26. An article in The Week magazine, 30th September 2017, talks about how a tech giant will not have its operating licence renewed by TfL at the end of September (although its cabs are likely to remain on the road for months pending an appeal).

    The company has attracted some 3.5 million registered users and have fares typically 30% cheaper than black cabs.

    Of course we have had the newspaper’s political opinions.

    Someone saying that that the firm has flooded London with cars – there are now 120,000 licensed minicabs on the roads up from 55,000 when the firm launched. This has exacerbated pollution and congestion, and led to surges in illegal parking and accidents.

    Someone else saying that the London mayor is denouncing the firms lack of corporate responsibility. They also said that the mayor’s union backers (who represent many black cab drivers) were very happy with his decision to not renew the firms license but previous to that, the union almost barred the mayor from speaking at their conference in Brighton because he was a “moderate”.

    In response to the firm’s business model a reporter from a well known newspaper says, “I am all for competition, the trouble is this firm isn’t. Its aim is to become a monopoly. Its fares are only cheap because it is running at a loss in order to drive rivals out of the market. In other industries this is known as dumping or predatory pricing. It is uncompetitive and in some jurisdictions, illegal.”

    Another reporter says that this is the way the tech giants operate. They provide a service so enticing that consumers resent any official attempt to take it away or limit it – even if it is done to protect those same consumers. This firm’s plan was to become such a core part of London life that it could never be stopped, and, on the contrary, could hold the city to ransom.

    One of TfL’s issues with the firm is over its safety record.

    It has a shocking lax attitude as dozens of people have been assaulted by their drivers, yet the firm often fails to report these crimes to the police. There are also concerns over the way it vets its drivers and how it denies them employment rights.

    For women in particular, deciding on the relative dangers of getting into a traceable cab that turns up within minutes, or venturing out in search of a black cab or waiting on a dark corner for a bus seems non-sensical.

    Within 24 hours, more than 515,000 people had signed their petition calling for the decision to be reversed because the provision of cheaper cab rides would no longer be there.

    Whatever the business strategy of this firm or the political machinations behind TfL’s decision, what strikes me the most about this issue is the amount of people that have signed this petition to reverse their decision.

    What are we saying here by signing this petition?

    Are we saying that we don’t care about this firm’s attitude to making sure the appropriate vetting takes place, as long as the price of the cab rides remains cheap?

    Are we saying that we don’t care about the employment rights of the very people that are providing this service, as long as the price of the cab rides remain cheap?

    Are we saying that we don’t care about the fact that this firm doesn’t care if some of their drivers have assaulted people, as long as the price of the cab rides remain cheap?

    Are we saying that we don’t care about any aspect of the service being provided, as long as the price of the cab rides remain cheap?

    As a society, would we rather have the facility to get a cheaper cab ride than to ensure that companies don’t abuse their power?

    Is it possible that, by signing this petition, we are showing what our priority is?

  27. A recent newspaper article showed a picture of a surfer under a huge wall of water just before it came crashing down on him with the result of him breaking his back.

    The man, whilst on his hospital bed, is already planning his return to the waves saying, “I’ve been very lucky. I’m already focusing my energy to get fit and back out there on some more big rollers. Thank you to all the lifeguards and crew who helped stabilize me and do a great spinal recovery.”

    His wife said, “I know that all he will be thinking about is when he can get back in the water. Although it is the worst thing that could happen to most people, to him its part of what he does.”

    There will be those of us who will say that this is great, that this is brave and courageous because we want to get ‘back on the horse’ so to speak, that we are being responsible, that we are willing to face our fears, but is it possible that this attitude is the exact opposite?

    Is it possible that what we are showing is a complete lack of responsibility?

    A lack of responsibility to our families?
    A lack of responsibility to all those who love us?
    A lack of responsibility to the emergency services that would have helped us?
    A lack of responsibility to our own lives?

    We may be lucky once, twice or even three times, but what about the next time?

    Some people will say, ‘we are doing what we love’.

    Is it possible that the priority here is to do something that only serves ourselves?

    What is it in us humans, that we are willing to take risks with our lives?

    Is it really worth risking our life for something ‘we love’ because if we are dead we can no longer do the things ‘we love’?

    This is not to say that we shouldn’t do the things we love, but when the consequences of our actions have the potential to affect many other people, isn’t it our responsibility to make sure we don’t put ourselves in harms way?

  28. I was talking to two people who work in Management and one said that meeting targets is the priority as it makes more money and that is what it is all about.

    The conversation started from the other person sharing how disrespectful all his colleagues are at work. He was referring specifically to the way the kitchen area, washing up and the using of tea towels had zero quality. It was like these people are not living at home and somehow it doesn’t matter how you treat the kitchen sink at work.

    The question we should be asking is what is the quality they are choosing to live at home and is it the same – disrespectful, or do we have double standards?

    I never realised that meeting targets takes precedence over every other thing and that includes the well-being of staff. Whilst this may be a one off case, I somehow do not think it is.

    What is it about business that does not have the number one priority as people before profit?

    Do we honestly think that in the long term we get away with it by having our priorities in life, upside down?

  29. Another year over and another one begun.

    Another year end celebration, in most, if not all, countries of the world.

    In Australia, across the country, cities will be holding New Year’s Eve celebrations.

    In Sydney, more than a million people will watch from the city’s famous harbour with people taking the most sought after viewing positions from 7.30am. This year’s show, costing $7 million, will feature more than 100,000 pyrotechnic effects.

    In Melbourne, more than $2.6 million is being spent on the New Year’s Eve celebrations which include 14 tonnes of fireworks.

    Other major cities like Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide will all have their own celebrations and each city will have their own concerns over security from:

    Officers patrolling on foot, on horseback, on the water and in the air.
    Dozens of riot squad members armed with semi-automatics will be on hand if a major incident unfolds.
    Extra bollards will be put in place.
    Extra train and bus services will be laid on.
    Streets will be closed.

    Then there will be the increase of admittances to emergency departments in hospitals due to alcohol, drugs and anti-social behaviour.

    Last year in Perth, paramedics attended more than 1,000 cases between midnight December 31st and noon New Year’s day.

    In London, there will be a 12 minute display consisting of 10,000 fireworks.

    Just the fireworks alone cost £3.1 million in the 2016 New Year’s Eve celebration.

    Apart from all the expense and resources used in these celebrations, the noise from the fireworks has an effect on all those that have to get up in the early hours of the morning to go to work and on all the animals, pets or wild.

    The cost of these celebrations, in one city alone, can run into many £millions – the planning, the staging, the fireworks, the emergency services, the hospitals, the extra staff, all at enhanced rates.

    What actually is the purpose of all of this?

    If the purpose of these New Year’s Eve celebrations is for excitement, is it possible that we have our priorities wrong?

    We live in a world where there are global humanitarian crises – famine, lack of adequate fresh water, war, displacement of communities, greed, corruption, men, women and children put into forced labour or the sex trade, rape, murder, etc. etc.

    These celebrations come once a year and a lot of time, energy, money and resources are being spent for something that lasts only for a few hours.

    What would be possible if that same, time, energy, money and resources were spent on our global issues?

    Is it possible our priority should be elsewhere?

  30. An article in ‘The Telegraph’, 8th February 2018, reports that a “Lollipop man quits after complaints made over him high-fiving children crossing the road.”

    A well-known lollipop man has stepped down from his role of 20 years after the council received complaints of him high-fiving children.

    Bryan Broom, who works at a school in Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, was accused of high-fiving children when he should have been teaching them about road safety.

    The 77 year old says he has now taken the decision to step down from his post as he cannot go on with the present atmosphere.

    He said: “I’ve had a wonderful time and I’ve met some wonderful people.
    I’ve seen babies just born in carry cots and prams and then they have grown up and started at this school.
    I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it and I thank everyone for the wonderful backing they have been giving me by making my job easy and enjoyable, which is very important to me.
    Its been magic and I am very sorry to leave. I am sad to leave but I just feel as though I cant go on with the present atmosphere.”

    The news that Mr. Broom will be leaving his post has left many parents at the school shocked and outraged.

    One mother said: “I think it’s pathetic and I just think the world is going crazy. When Bryan told me I was so upset for him because he is a lovely man. He makes children giggle and he is really going to be missed.”

    Another mother said: “Everyone is so upset and disgusted by it. We don’t even have to cross at this part of the road but the kids want to cross with Bryan – they love it.”

    The council confirmed that they had received a number of complaints from parents about the behaviour of Mr. Broom.

    A spokesperson said: “These complaints were investigated but not upheld.”

    This comes after, Colin Spencer, an 83 year-old lollipop man was banned last week, by the council, from high-fiving children outside his school in Stockport.

    In this case though, the council has now apologized and admitted it was “clearly wrong” to impose the ban.

    Mr. Spencer had said the decision had left some pupils in tears, unable to understand why he could no longer high-five them.

    There will of course be those that say the lollipop person is there to do a job and teach children about road safety.

    Is it possible that the lollipop person can still do that and also interact with the children?

    Is it possible that interaction with the children is a valuable teaching method in itself?

    Is it possible that these children will grow up and not be afraid of interacting with adults?

    Is it possible that these children, when they themselves become drivers, will see the role of a lollipop person as a very valuable service and not as an inconvenience?

    Is it possible that in sending a message that high-fiving is not allowed, we are telling our children that interacting with others is not acceptable?

    The children obviously get a lot of joy from high-fiving – why would we want to take that away?

    But it is not just about the children here.

    Someone has been robbed of the opportunity to share his love and joy with all the children he meets.

    What is our priority here?

    Is it making sure that someone does their job officiously and adhering to exact policy or allowing someone to do their job bringing in the elements of love, equal-ness and unity?

  31. We were viewing a house this weekend. They had spent a lot of money doing it up, but you could feel underneath it that they were not actually caring for the house.

    In the shiny bathroom, the shower head was full of mould. Perhaps most people wouldn’t notice that, amidst all the shiny things there were to see, but it stood out like a sore thumb to me.

    It made me think about priorities. How much do we take care of the details? The tiny details of how we live? Do we think these details are important or do we focus on other, more obvious things and let the details rot?

    It made me want to find any metaphorically mouldy details in my own life and take deeper care of them.

    1. This is a great ‘real life’ comment JS and what comes to me is the blog on this website called “Expression is Everything”.

      What that means is everything is the same so no point doing one area shiny and amazing but not something else.

      I am big into detail and I see it as something super important and I value and appreciate the small stuff like when I soak my shower head regularly with the stuff that removes the hard limescale and then I go for it with an old toothbrush and bring it back to new.

      Taking care of the small stuff has its benefits as it keeps things moving in life with no room for stagnation.
      Many of us cannot be bothered to do a deep clean or take care of the small stuff like the limescale build up so we think it is ok to just discard and replace what it is we want.
      We don’t really give a hoot about where it all ends up or how it affects our planet, as long as we get what we want.
      Of course this then becomes a cycle so it happens again and again, repeats but with nothing changing.

      Paying attention to something like the shower head could be a reflection of how we could then bring that focus to other areas and for me I know with certainty that it does have an effect on our life and there is no space for any rot as you are dealing with it as you say JS, metaphorically speaking.

      Finally being into the detail has many benefits and it sure helps to live a life that is the same and not double standards – a thing I see all the time when I am out. Example – nice cafe or eating place and really truly sub standard toilets/washrooms.

      For me, running a company – the toilets would have as much attention to detail as my office. In my world I cannot see the difference of one being more important than the other. I value and appreciate both/all equally.

  32. I was reading an article about how economic statistics like GDP (‘gross domestic product’) are our main measure of how well a country is progressing.

    When we think about ‘progress’, are we focusing on the wrong thing?

    Are there not other considerations that should be our priority?

    Like the well-being of people.
    Like the quality of our relationships.
    Like the interconnectedness and care in our communities.
    Like how many of us are working with purpose.

    Could it not be said that focusing on these things will make us all richer?

  33. What is our priority in life?

    We all have such different standards about what is important and what is not and this seems to dictate what we prioritise.

    For example I know that for some, money is the focus.
    For others it may be having a partner, driving a nice car, having a big house, being liked by friends and colleagues, having the most up to date fashionable items, being able to have three holidays a year and the list goes on.

    Whatever our priorities in life, they dictate the the choices we make each day and the direction of our lives.

    Previously I know that my priorities were:

    To be happy
    To have money
    To be able to buy what I wanted
    To have a partner
    To not get hurt by others
    To not rock the boat in any situation
    To keep out of other people’s way

    All of this came from the number 1 priority of needing to protect myself.

    Today my life is quite different, as I no longer settle for happiness but know that an internal feeling of Joy is one that I carry with me every day; as my priority now is to live my life knowing that everything that I do in the way that I live affects others.

    This means that having money is no longer the priority and neither is being able to buy what I want.

    Having a partner is definitely not on the priority list, as I feel fulfilled with my life as it is.

    A priority for me now is to be honest and express what I feel, even if it means that I or another feel uncomfortable.

    Another priority is to not hold back what I know is true and to not pretend that I am unaware of things when I am aware.

    A very practical example of how my priorities have changed in the last year are that I took a hefty pay cut to be able to work closer to home.

    Now, instead of a three hour a day journey, I have 10 minutes to travel.

    This is giving me the space to look after myself and build relationships with those that are close to me.

    As a result I am not drained like I used to be and I am less on edge.

    My priorities are less materialistic and more about the quality of life that I am living and I know that I would not trade this for all of the money in the world, as my life is so much fuller and richer now.

  34. Did anyone know that there are hotel suites that start at £14,000 per night?

    Offering the most luxurious mattress in the country filled with 4kg Mongolian yak hair, this is not just your average room but a specialist suite which is more like an apartment with even the option to have a 24 hour butler.

    Why as consumers are we demanding this?

    I understand that we can all do what we like with our money – but have we ever considered the bigger picture and that whatever we do contributes to society getting on track or contributes further to the mess we currently have?

    Does renting a hotel suite at £14,000 per night do anything to evolve humanity or is it just about ourselves and the indulgences we desire?

    Is it possible that when we prioritise what we want for ourselves without consideration of whether it evolves others – the world that we bitterly complain about and every single human being in it is left less?

    Is it possible that if we truly want to make changes in our world, we would be wise to reassess our priorities?

    1. More on this topic – a hotel suite at £75,000 per night

      We seem to have gone mad with extravagance and indulgence and anything extreme, with this suite also boasting dead animals as artwork.

      Have we stopped to ask – is there not enough going on in the world that needs our urgent attention and requires us all to collectively work together?

      Is there much work to be done to bring humanity to a true state of homeostasis, harmony and right balance?

      Does this extravagant way of living do anything to unite and bring us all together?

      Are these rooms and suites designed just so that we can show off what we can create with the decor and artwork?

      Does this go any way to helping us relate to each other or does it leave us focused on what we can create that is superficially attractive, stimulating and entertaining?

  35. The Guardian – 27 June 2019

    https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/jun/27/snacks-for-babies-and-infants-loaded-with-sugar-says-health-body

    Public Health England has found that snacks for babies contain “unacceptable” amounts of sugar.

    They have criticised baby and infant food manufacturers for loading products with large amounts of sugar and wrongly promoting them as good for health.

    Food companies have made many nutritionally harmful products and breached official guidelines.

    PHE highlighted that snack foods aimed at young children, especially processed dried fruit was a particular threat to infants’ health and they found many foods marketed as healthy snacks were loaded with sugar.

    Some sweet snacks contain as much sugar as confectionary. The industry are promoting routine consumption of such foods as snacks to be eaten between meals.

    Dr. Alison Tedstone, Chief Nutritionist at Public Health England says “early years feeding is crucial in shaping future taste preferences and healthy habits.”

    Parents are being urged to give their children foods such as broccoli and spinach to help them avoid developing a sweet tooth at such a young age.

    In the PHE’s review findings included manufacturers promoting snacking on sweet foods and many foods being marketed as suitable for babies aged four months, which means solids are being introduced earlier than recommended.

    1 in 5 children aged two to four years old are overweight or obese.

    12% of three year olds have visible tooth decay.

    The current state of the UK baby food market encourages snacking from an early age and high exposure to sugary foods which can lead to Obesity, Type 2 Diabetes and tooth decay.

    Can we wait for the government to tackle this issue or can we as responsible adults take matters into our own hands in our own homes?

    Why are we not using good old fashion common sense right now?

    If we join the dots having read this news story, what have we come to?
    What is the simple understanding here that is staring us in the face.

    Babies are not going to ask for sugar as they cannot even speak, so it is us – yes the parent or guardian who is making the ill choice on behalf of a new infant.

    WHY would we ever do that?

    Do we need to be made aware?
    Do we need to have classes on responsible parenting during pregnancy?

    What is it that is missing that leads to an adult giving sugar in whatever form to a tiny baby?

    WHY is this not making any sense?

    Back to joining the dots – we have very young children now who are obese.

    Could it be possible that what we are feeding them (sugar) has a part to play?
    Could it be that simple?

    We can blame the food industry but they supply because we the consumers demand it.

    If we all got super sensible and started to respect our bodies and got off the sugar, then chances are the industry would not survive in its current form.

    Next – when we become new parents, what happens to the so called intelligence we have?
    Has it gone or are we simply not aware that all the baby food and snacks being offered are not going to truly support our infant to become healthy?

    If our three year old has visible tooth decay – what is this telling us about our parenting?

    Before we blame everything outside of us – would it be a wise move to look inside of us and see what it is in the Responsibility department that we have not been doing?

    Then ask WHAT IS OUR PRIORITY?

  36. The Guardian – 15th February 2020

    Black Gold – A Move from Khat to Coffee Could Revolutionise Yemini Farming

    Yemen has exported coffee since the 1400’s. The Red Sea port of Mokha gives chocolatey coffee its name. Although native to Ethiopia, the coffee plant was developed into the form that gives us the modern beverage by Sufi monasteries in Yemen, who shared it with traders and pilgrims.

    Eventually, coffee made its way to Constantinople, Baghdad and London, leading to the rise of the coffee house.

    Today the global coffee industry is worth more than £60 billion a year, making coffee the most valuable trading commodity in the world after oil.

    Decades of political instability, however, mean that the quality and availability of Yemeni coffee beans has fluctuated. But a growing handful of dedicated farmers and exporters are determined to restore Yemen’s reputation as the birthplace of black gold.

    Yemen has long suffered from chronic water management problems, exacerbated by the country’s fondness for khat, a narcotic leaf chewed by most men. At least half of the water drawn from ever depleting aquifers for agricultural purposes is used to grow khat, a quick turnaround crop, rather than the corn or millet that the food insecure country desperately needs.

    In a region of Yemen, more and more locals are deciding to clear the terraced farmland of khat and grow coffee instead. About two million khat trees in the area have been cut down and replaced with coffee and corn in the last decade.

    The high-altitude terrain is prone to drought. The difficult conditions mean yields are small but the product is acclaimed worldwide by coffee critics for its unique flavours.

    The Saudi-led blockade of Yemen’s airspace and borders, which poses significant challenges to getting fuel, medicine and food into the country, also often creates problems for fledgling coffee exporters.

    One farmer sells his coffee for $18 a kilogramme. The sought after product is then sold to buyers mainly in Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Japan and the US, where it can sell for almost $500 a kilogramme – the most expensive, and arguably the best, coffee in the world.

    Yemen is going from cultivating one drug to another – khat to coffee.

    They are both stimulant drugs which means they speed up the messages going between the brain and the body.
    https://adf.org.au/drug-facts/khat/
    https://adf.org.au/drug-facts/caffeine/

    The buds and the leaves of the khat plant are chewed for stimulant and euphoric effects and traditionally have been used for medicinal purposes as well as recreationally. Khat contains cathinone and cathine, which are the chemicals that produce the stimulant effects.

    The effects of caffeine from coffee are extensively presented in another blog from this website – The Real Truth about Caffeine. https://simplelivingglobal.com/?s=caffeine

    As stated earlier, both of these are drugs and as such, both have short-term and long-term effects on our bodies.

    What is known is that any drug takes us away from our natural state.

    If a country has food shortages, like Yemen has, why are more farmers not planting corn or millet to feed the population?

    Is it possible that more money could be earned by cultivating a drug rather than food crops?

    Is it possible that the long-term farming and use of this drug has distorted their priorities?

    What should be our priority here – to keep the country stimulated or to provide much needed food for the country?

    On a couple of side notes:

    Although the price of this coffee is very expensive at $500 a kilogramme, the farmers only receive $14 a kilogramme – so who is receiving all of the money?

    Doesn’t it seem strange that one country can put up blockades of airspace and borders which denies the people of Yemen vital food, medicine and fuel, but then the same country will buy the coffee products of the country they are blockading?

  37. The Guardian – 15th February 2020

    Is Anybody Out There? Biggest Hunt Ever to Begin for Alien Life

    Astronomers are to sweep the entire sky for signs of extraterrestrial life for the first time, using 28 giant radio telescopes in an unprecedented hunt for alien civilisations.

    The project is a collaboration between the privately funded SETI Institute (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) and New Mexico’s Very Large Array (VLA), one of the world’s most powerful radio observatories. Gaining real time access to all the data gathered by the VLA is considered a major coup for scientists hunting extraterrestrial lifeforms and an indication that the field has gone mainstream.

    The field has been boosted in the last decade by the discovery that about a fifth of stars hosted planets in the “habitable zone”, meaning their atmospheres and temperatures would enable liquid surface water to exist.

    The director of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, which runs the VLA said: “Determining whether we are alone in the universe as technologically capable life is among the most compelling questions in science, and our telescopes can play a major role in answering it.”

    The VLA initiative is one of a wave of SETI projects outlined at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) conference in Seattle.

    An emeritus researcher at SETI said: “It seems to make this next question about intelligent life more realistic. It’s not as far on the fringes as it once was – it’s almost mainstream.”

    Other organisations are also hunting for less intelligent varieties of alien life. The person who leads NASA’s virtual planetary laboratory at the University of Washington said: “It gives us our first real chance to search for gases given off by life on another planet.”

    The director of the Berkeley SETI centre announced the second tranche of results from the $100 million Breakthrough Listen Initiative: no alien transmissions have been detected so far.

    What is the fascination we have with looking for signs of life on different planets?

    Why have we never seen any signs of alien life?

    Is it possible that there are NO other life forms like ours in the universe?

    Is it possible that if there actually were similar life forms to ourselves, would they really want to let us know that they are there, considering the way that we treat each other?

    Is it possible that we should be dealing with all of the inequalities on this planet before we start to look at the possibilities of other worldly life forms?

    Surely we need to get our own house in order before we start to knock on someone else’s door?

    And what if we do find there is life outside of our own, what are we going to do?

    Is it possible that, with our past historical record, we will probably end up going to war with them?

    Globally, it would appear that we are spending hundreds of millions of dollars on the search for extraterrestrial life.

    Is it possible that we may never find any signs that there is life beyond this planet?

    Given that the above sentence is more than possible and given all of the issues we have on our own planet like the myriad of illnesses and diseases, war, starvation, famine, mental health issues, domestic abuse, etc. etc. – wouldn’t the money be better spent on supporting those issues?

    What is our PRIORITY here?

    Are we to put in all of this time, energy and money on something that is out of this world or do we concentrate on getting our world in a truer place?

  38. At the launderette yesterday, my usual meeting and connecting with staff, one of them genuinely asked me if I can help him with his sleep.

    I shared a few things that he could understand and relate to and in particular going to bed after midnight was not going to nail his sleep issues.

    Anyway, I got busy as there are others in the launderette to engage with, as this is a place where I find the “pulse of humanity”.

    What I mean is that there is a wide range of people who come here that I have met over many years and it gives me a pulse – an insight into what is actually going on in real life in people’s everyday lives.

    Most that come are open, honest and ready to chat. Others are guarded or not wanting to say anything and I never go there as it’s not my style.

    Well this man comes and interrupts me as he is searching for this website as I mentioned we had a sleep category.

    Well not being tech savvy on a smartphone I could only direct him.
    No success and lots of customers to serve so I thought that would be it.

    Oh no, he comes back again and then again, apologising and saying help me to get this sleep category, as I want to read everything there is on it.

    What I realised in that moment was he could have dropped it or just left it as he was super busy and he had other things he could have been getting on with.

    However, he was insistent and kept approaching me and not giving up, until we eventually got it and found the category – he was delighted.

    To me, this is a genuine call and my job was to respond and that means help him with his request.
    This man was telling me by his behaviour what his PRIORITY was in that moment and he was not giving up.

    Could it be possible that this man will get to do something about his sleep issues, simply because his PRIORITY has changed?

  39. Daily Mail – 4 July 2020

    Due to the recent pandemic, the NHS have asked patients to wait a year for their operations.

    A doctor in the NHS is saying “it has been reported this week that hospitals are running at only half capacity and I am tired of the way these life changing operations are deprioritised and treated as some sort of luxury.” He goes on to say that his grandmother who never before had mental health problems became suicidal at the age of 82 due to the pain in her hip as she waited for an operation. He adds that it is ageism, plain and simple.

    We could say this is one doctor’s take on the situation but continue reading before you make up your mind dear reader of this comment –

    From real life talk here – my mother suffered for many years because the NHS made some cutbacks and carrying out knee surgery was going to be at a hospital so far away that no one would even get to visit her. Her surgeon was so frustrated and asked us to write to the hospital director and registrar and he was saddened by the lack of priority for elderly patients in need of these replacement surgeries. He was convinced that these operations worked because his parents had had them and they were totally mobile after and how he could see this as a life changing experience.

    What we need to consider is the bigger picture here. It is not just about a replacement knee. Mother was going to have one knee done and get over it before she would agree to the other knee but now, for no reason that she could understand in her simple way, it was not going to happen.
    Each day she continued to suffer and wait for the hospital to change their priority. The other important factor here is that she lived close to a hospital for the past 62 years and to then tell this elderly woman her surgery was way out of town is in itself another trauma. Important information like this is worth mentioning as we can then get an understanding of what it must be like at the age of 77 to be told this.

    Next – I have observed the miraculous change in a friend who had a double hip replacement, one and then another 6 months later. Her mobility now is hard to comprehend so it tells me how important and life changing this operation was.

    Next – my husband had severe osteoarthritis for over a decade and was told he cannot have a total knee replacement as he was too young.
    X-rays clearly showed bone on bone and this man was working full time and check this out – he never ever needed to use the resources of the NHS in his lifetime – not even go to the GP. This in itself speaks volumes and tells us this was a genuine case, paid his taxes throughout his working life, never claimed benefits as always working but told no – you have to wait because a number (your age) does not compute with what we are supposed to do at your age.

    When they did agree at the age of 57 he had to wait another year to actually have the surgery.
    It was his priority for over 10 years but not the priority of the health system that supposedly was taking care of his health. What I can say is that I witnessed the pain and suffering and the constant need for medication where it had to be increased and at times reviewed, to the point where he was taking highly addictive drugs to numb the pain. His surgeon said it would be impossible to be walking without steroids as his disability was at a chronic stage.

    I agree with the NHS doctor that has been mentioned above, that we need to review our priority, as technology has advanced so much that a human being can have a new lease of life literally by having a replacement knee or hip.

    On a final note, it is worth considering how we live our personal lives. Do we ensure we make it a priority to FOCUS on what is important and if we do, is this being done consistently? So if we are ever in the position of making decisions for others, we certainly would be aware of what is priority and what is not.

  40. Talking to a tradesman yesterday, he mentioned his son was working for a plumbing company where the owner has a reputation for knowing his trade so he gets plenty of work.

    This young man called his father in distress as his hands were cut from removing ceramic tiles and he was left to do the job on his own with no supervision. The point being he is an apprentice in his very first job, so learning correctly is important at the outset as this will set the standard for his career in plumbing.

    I was there when he took the call, so this is not a fabricated story but very real life.

    His Dad said you have to wear gloves and these should be standard for his type of job. However, nothing was provided.

    We got talking and he mentioned that this company had just gone back to a job with a huge chocolate manufacturer where 4 boilers need to be moved to a different part of the building. The cost is in excess of £30,000.

    First we said what a waste to pay such vast sums of money just to relocate boilers for no other reason but because they want to and can. This famous chocolate company is not short of money so we could say they can do what they want even if the last job cost was around £50,000 and that was not long ago.

    The point the father was making was “they can afford safety gloves” so WHY are they not provided as part of the basic tools?

    My response was that these basic standards have not been set and so there is no continuity for new staff to come on board and know that this is what should be happening?

    What we then end up with is a case like this, where the hands being the main thing needed to carry out the job have been harmed and this young apprentice will continue working not knowing what basic standards are all about.

    WHY is it that we operate our businesses with a lack of priority when it comes to health and safety standards?

    How many of us are aware that we see and sense people and workplaces where there are no proper standards to speak of and if there are they are not consistent?

    Our world is in need of setting standards and upholding them but right now very few of us are committed and dedicated to ensuring that this happens.

  41. Daily Mail – 5 September 2020

    To protect the NHS, the UK government advised the public to stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives.

    We now have been told that in our determination to protect the country’s health system, we may end up with thousands more deaths, because people have not got the diagnosis and treatment that was needed because of lockdown.

    Senior doctors have announced this week that many patients will have to wait until 2022 to see an NHS consultant, due to the backlog. Currently, there are 300,000 people waiting for knee and hip operations, yet surgical wards are empty.

    Something is not right when this news article quotes a knee surgeon saying that her waiting lists are growing by the day and all her attempts to start operating again are thwarted by managers still ‘twitching’ about a ‘second wave’.

    How long will the public put up with this and what is our Priority?

    This ultra cautious approach as Dr. Max Pemberton says is costing lives and causing misery.

    Does anyone know the pain of being on a waiting list for a knee or hip replacement surgery? This is pain at the bone level and delaying this for any length of time is criminal if there is another way.

    Why is nothing making sense – surgeons doing nothing, waiting to operate but the forces up above, those who run the show say no because of a probability – nothing concrete or absolute?

    In other words, people continue to suffer, as a minority of so-called intelligent people who have the authority to make decisions for others say ‘Just incase there might be something in the future, let’s continue to hold off and not help those currently in need’.

    As this blog presents on the very first sentence –

    What is it that we view as more important than anything else?

    This would be worth putting at the top of the agenda on the next meeting at boardroom level, for those making decisions on behalf of the nation’s health.

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