Tag Archive | Video

Three Ideas to Make a Difference

Jul5

I always joke that my husband’s middle name should actually be “Service”.

If you can’t find him in the grocery parking lot, look for the car with the hood open – look there, that’s where you’ll find him.

If he can’t fix it, or help you in some way – he’ll find someone who can.

He is energized by helping others, and helping, and helping, and helping.

Lazy is not in his character, his “No” button, sometimes gets stuck.

But all in all, he inspires others to do good.

He leaves me in the dust.

In this post, I’ve collected three different places on the web that give me great inspiration.

If watching the news makes you believe that we’re “Going to hell in a hand-basket”, try some of these links; see if there is something that your heart may be telling you to do.

In Returning the Favor, Mike Rowe from Dirty Jobs, “Returns the Favor” to people across the nation who selflessly give of themselves to help others.

Here are three of my favorites episodes;

The next set is for those of us who feel like we are not enough.

For when I feel like maybe I’ve crossed the line between hope and a twilight zone of some sort.

The persons in the I Am Second videos are from every walk of life, every lifestyle, every variation of behavior possible. They are every man. (and woman)

The third and last I’ll share here, is near and dear to my heart.

Rebuilding Together rehabilitates and modify homes for those with low income, disabled American veterans, and families with small children.

Rebuilding Together has 164 affiliates nationwide.

Rebuilding Together is a 501c3, and charges nothing to it’s clients. RT uses corporate dollars and volunteer labor to get it’s work done.

It’s main goal is to keep people safe, warm and dry.

Here are three videos to let you see more about them.

Whether you want to change your own circumstances, or be the one who can change someone else’s, take time to check out some of these videos, and get your own ideas rolling.

A mentor of mine from years ago was teaching about it being “too late”.

The part that stuck with me was “Don’t delay. Start today.”

Anything is possible. Make good choices!

Thanks for reading. See you next time!

Quiet vs. Silence

Jun19

Hello again “Quietude” seekers.

Welcome back!

In this post you will find;

  • Outtakes from and article in the HuffPost
  • Results of an interesting study
  • Some practical application – Do you think they are right?
  • Links/credits at the end

The article from HuffPost states that a World Health Organization report called noise pollution a “modern plague“. The article says that;

  • Silence relieves stress and tension.
  • Silence replenishes our mental resources
  • In silence, we can tap into our imagination
  • Getting quiet can regenerate brain cells

This, put another way, is the same thing as transforming, or renewing your mind, and stated in Romans 12:2 where it says; Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

“Unnecessary noise is the most cruel absence of care that can be inflicted on sick or well.”

Florence Nightingale – Founder of modern nursing.

“Silence first began to appear in scientific research as a control or baseline, against which scientists compare the effects of noise or music. Researchers have mainly studied it by accident, as physician Luciano Bernardi did in a 2006 study of the physiological effects of music. “We didn’t think about the effect of silence,” he says. “That was not meant to be studied specifically.” (See link below to continue reading the study.)

This research began by playing quiet music, then “Bernardi and his colleagues discovered that randomly inserted stretches of silence also had a drastic effect, but in the opposite direction. In fact, two-minute silent pauses proved far more relaxing than either “relaxing” music or a longer silence played before the experiment started.”

” The blank pauses that Bernardi considered irrelevant, in other words, became the most interesting object of study. Silence seemed to be heightened by contrasts, maybe because it gave test subjects a release from careful attention. “Perhaps the arousal is something that concentrates the mind in one direction, so that when there is nothing more arousing, then you have deeper relaxation,” he says. “

I found this fascinating – I hope you did too!

“All unhappiness of men, arises from one simple fact; they cannot sit quietly in their chamber.”

Blaise Pascal – French mathematician,physicist, inventor, write, theologian.

For the final part of this post, I’ve linked a six minute video without music, just nature sights and sounds.

Won’t you take some time, two minutes, four minutes, six?

See if it has an effect on you.

Can you share what you experienced?

Silent Time

Here are the links and credits for what I have used here;

Bible Gateway

HuffPost Article

Two Minute Research

Next time; Toxic Thoughts

Hope to see you then!

Stormy Weather

Jun3

It’s been raining for days.

Rain in April is great. Not so much all through April AND May.

The joke here in the mid-west is some variation of “If you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes, it will change.”

Or “9:00 AM – Winter, 11:00 AM, – Spring, 1:00 PM – Summer, 3:00 PM – Fall.”

We have often used the furnace and the air conditioning in the same day.

An annoyance to be sure, but relatively harmless.

This constant rain has some long lasting repercussions.

On the the small side – mowing grass is really difficult.

On the larger, more impactful side, the farmers cannot get to their fields. The impact will be far reaching, and most likely the costs of everything will rise.

How does any of this connect with “Quiet” or “Quietude” or “Quiescence”?

The answer is simple. Not easy. But simple.

Weather is among a long list of things that we have absolutely no control over.

If I cannot control it, then what must I do to get through it without bringing myself and those around me down?

I have found that when I take the time for quiet. Five minutes. Fifteen minutes. Thirty minutes. Whatever I can, then my mind can calm down.

When my mind is no longer running amok, then I can think rationally about what steps need to be taken next.

If we leave our minds to their own devices, they can get crazy in a hurry, and it can take a really long time to come back from all that trauma and drama.

So take a moment, or four, with me, and gather your thoughts. Calm your mind.

Be able to be constructively helpful, even when times are tough.

You may even be able to enjoy some flowers in the midst of the storm.