Glen Of Scotland

Welcome

Welcome to the beginning of my blog's 6th year. I created the blog to support the work I do, offering solutions to people who would like to get to where they are going and might be a little stuck on their way. I guess you could say I'm a human glue remover!

Enjoy the 1000 plus posts with more to come, it's all about solutions, different perspectives and our connection with nature created to help you feel good and drop a question or two to help open things up for you.

Stress

Last week I posted the photos to demonstrate the effects of stress on the body, at least what we could observe on the outside. A lot of stress is generated from things going on around us and how we respond to it and of course the influence of the media. I saw this great excerpt of a commencement speech given by Ted Koppel, it was on Peter King's Monday Morning Quarterback column. I especially like the comment about slowing down for car accidents, I wish we could do the same for everything else!

"More than ever before, we live today in a world of instant reaction, constant judgment and corrosive partisanship. Political debate is a wonderful thing; but partisan shrieking is corrosive and destructive. If we are to find solutions to the challenges we face, we have to relearn the virtues of compromise. If we are going to deal intelligently with the problems we confront, we need time to pause, to consider and reflect. But our media, news and social, are intolerant of anything but an instant response ... Rather than using information to illuminate the world, though, we consume it like fuel. The more we burn, the faster we go. The faster we go, the less we see and understand. We slow down only for the accidents along the side of the road; and the biggest accident still lies ahead.

Only, I fear, when that occurs -- only when the combined impact of too many unemployed, too many foreclosures, too much debt, exacerbated by two undeclared and unfunded wars; only when the human and social costs of a crumbling education system and a flawed health care system, leave us wondering where and why we lost our footing as a nation, will we come to realize that WHAT is communicated to us is vastly more important than the medium by which it is conveyed.

... One day, most Americans will point at us in the news media and say: "Why didn't you tell us? Why did you encourage all that bile and venom? Why did you feed us all that trivial crap, when so many terrible things were converging? And no one will be happy with the answer. Least of all, those of us who offer it. "What we gave you," we will say, "is what you wanted."

At this critical juncture in your lives, then, let me urge you -- no, let me implore you to want more. More substance, more real information about important issues, more fairness, more objectivity, more tolerance for views that differ from your own. You have a truly magical array of media at your disposal. Use them well".

Ted Koppel

Steam Train

Last summer I took a trip on the  Durango to Silverton steam train, it was quite a treat. The train goes through the back country for 26 miles from Durango to Silverton, you can take the train back again or take the coach which is faster.

It's a great way to see areas that aren't easily accesible.

If you go on the train the best advice to avoid the soot is to sit further back and if it is really sunny then go with the glass covered carriage, it's more expensive but worth it.

Faces of war

Going to war with another country or even another individual is not something to be taken lightly. There is a cost not just financial, but the human suffering as well and the toll it takes on human body. Whether it is stress, fear, constantly being hyper vigilant it does change people and their bodies.

A photographer followed several soldiers before, during and after their tours of duty and was able to record the somewhat dramatic changes. You can see the rest here

 

Getting along

This is the latest in the ongoing series of different animals getting along together. Hopefully it will encourage humans of different nationality, color and beliefs that they too can find common ground to get along too.

First we have a butterfly and alligator, you can see more here

Next, we have a fawn and a golden retreiver, you can see more here

Next we have a lion cub and a skunk, you can see more here

Finally for now, we have a piglet and dog, you can see more here

Happy Mother's Day

To all the mothers other there, a very happy mother's day, I hope you are receiving all the  love and attention that is flowing your way today.

Here is a photo of a mother bear and her cub, there are more here

Tigers

There are a number of rescued tigers at the sanctuary too, they spend time outside as well as in their caged dens.

From unhappy to happy

Last week I posed some questions that illustrated how we humans take action in most situations that we are faced with. When it comes to our emotions especially when we are unhappy about something or someone we tend  to take quite a while to take actions that will improve our mood and instead complain and vent about what is going on.

I don't think anyone will ever get to the point where we don't do a bit of venting when something happens, we could cut down on the time we spend venting though, find our footing again and get back to being happy.

Sometimes the venting goes on for years and becomes part of our story. I can recall speaking with someone a very long time ago and they were complaining about an airline and what they had done to her. As I heard the story I could understand and had compassion for what had happened, I asked which airline it was and when I heard the name, I thought it was odd, that airline had stopped flying over 10 years ago! The way the story was being told, it was as fresh as if it had happened just the prior week.

To get happy, we have to let go of all the attachment to what happened and all the stories we are telling ourselves. I would go as far as to say, challenge the story you are telling yourself, as my experience is that most of what we perceive and say  isn't even true. We tend to build evidence to support the viewpoint that we have and ignore all the evidence that indicates that it isn't true.

Maybe your boss doesn't like a particular thing you did, but it doesn't mean the boss doesn't like you. How often do you gather all the instances where the boss has approved of what you have done or shows that he does like you?

Just challenging our perceptions will reduce the inflamed reaction that we have and help move us towards happiness.

Keeping in mind too, that we alone are responsible for our own happiness, of course others can add to our happiness, but our core level of happiness is our job. A good part of that will come from what we focus on and give our attention to.

If you are focused on what an airline did to you 10 years ago, then it will take a while to get happy.

Lions

Aside from the bears at the animal sanctuary there are the rescued lions there too, most were sleeping during my visit. I was still well rewarded though, and don't these lions look great?

Don't worry they are just sleeping

Very relaxed

Just hanging out

If...

If you were on a boat that sprung a leak, would you stay on the boat or swim to shore?

If you were at the movies and the movie was terrible, would you stay or leave?

If you were outdoors in a lightening storm, would you stay outside or go inside?

If you were at dinner and the food was not cooked properly, would you send it back to the kitchen or just eat it?

If your team was getting badly beaten, would you stay to the end or leave?

If someone made you unhappy, would you stay unhappy or find a way to get happy?

 Most people in the earlier questions would take action in the situations described. When it comes to finding a way to get happy again, most people complain and stay unhappy for an extended time period. Why would you do that? More next week.

More bears

There were other bears at the sanctuary and I had a great opportunity to observe them too.

These two had just got up, from the same den no less!

Meanwhile this other bear was coming out of it's den.

And eventually came down for a drink of water

And a quick bath

No need for soap

Or a towel