Fakes

Are set to become one of the worst problems of this century

By fakes we are talking about any product pretending to be some well known brand

These range from Nike, Adidas to Rolex watches to DVDs to designer anything

Now fakes are moving into more dangerous areas such as prescription drugs

Serious quantities of fakes are beginning to be sold in pharmacies

These fakes carry the correct labeling down to the holograms and other product identification codes

Several people in different countries have already been killed as a result of taking these fakes

Over the coming years this will worsen

Most of us are unable to tell if a drug is in original packaging and if it is sold by a pharmacy what can we do?

Not a lot

The money being made by people selling fakes is enormous

Gangs who used to sell drugs are now also engaged in selling fakes

The money being made means that the business will keep growing

Morally some might think that it is about time greedy label owners got taken for a change

Indeed the money people will pay for an original brand handbag is pretty grotesque

Fake watches have been around for a long time and the movements or chips in all electronic watches are pretty much identical so one is paying a huge sum for the brand name

However when fakes move into the drug area we are dealing with a slightly different problem

As we are when day to day products such as toothpaste, detergent, soaps and other household items are fakes

People are getting killed or severely harmed by these fakes

Consider your own attitude to fakes

Are the brands so important to you?

Do you need to own fake products?

On one level be careful what you buy and where

On another consider your position from a moral standpoint

Greedy brand owners are one thing

Killing or harming innocent people another

Little details

Can really get to you when they are mistakes made by some corporation or government department

Because then you have to try and get the little detail changed

And very often the amount of work involved is out of all proportion to the little detail to be changed

The time and effort involved, the patience dealing with call centers, employees who often do not care or have any real interest is often frustrating

Little details though can come back to haunt us

The name spelt incorrectly resulting in a refusal or stubborn insistence that you change it

Then there are those little details that can save your life

Noticing that something has been moved

Noticing the door is open when you had shut it

Hearing a little noise that should not be there

Noticing that the birds are noisy

And so on

Two sides of little details on the one hand those that can cause real trouble on the other those that can save you real trouble

And in both cases if we are more aware we can be better off

So don't discount little details pay more attention to them they can save you big trouble later

Little details inform our lives

Become more aware of little details

Sing

And shout

Most of us do not use our voices to their potential

In fact we do not use our voices very much at all

In our modern world we do not need to

Our lives do not demand us to sing or shout

Again it is not something we think about

We talk, we laugh, sometimes we cry and shout once in a while and that's about it

Some of us to be fair do sing in choirs or other organized activities

Most of us do not

So here's the reason why it might be a good idea to go and find a lonely place and just shout

We all bottle up emotions

We all control ourselves

Most of us do not shout much as it is not considered polite

Letting go of emotions however is important

Letting out our frustrations is useful

So think about singing next time you are in the shower or alone driving

There are many places where we can use our voices more forcefully

Put it into your consciousness to sing and shout more

Apart from anything else it feels different

It feels fine to stretch those unused muscles

Enjoy doing something you probably have not done since you were a child

Approaching

Spring time approaches

Birds are coming back, the first spring songs can be heard

It is getting lighter day by day in the Northern hemisphere

Clocks go forward at the end of the month

Maybe the clocks going forward is the best sign that spring is at hand

Not such a hard winter but violent in places

Uneasiness that the winter was warm and unpredictable

In fact whenever we follow the news there is disaster of a natural kind somewhere on earth

No one really wants to compile a global scenario of unusual weather events because it would be too evident that we are into uncharted territory

Better to keep our eyes firmly on our own lives

To a point we can do this as our lives keep us running day in day out

At the back though is that feeling that things are not as they were

In these times the key is to be clear with yourself

To be honest about your own life and what it means to you

Because any approaching events can best be handled by you when you are comfortable with yourself

Be out of harmony with yourself and life is much harder to deal with

Approaching events are easier to handle when we can focus on them and not have to worry about ourselves

Never mind spring with it's fresh beauty and colors will help us to feel better

The pleasure of warmer weather and longer days

Wearing less clothes

Eating lighter foods, meals

Soon be warm enough to wander without having to hurry from place to place

Feeling the urge to explore and visit places

To do different things

Think about more outdoor activities

Meet new people

Not long now

Patience

Is not easy when day in day out we have to put up with unreasonable behavior

Every day the same selfish behavior

The same frustration and feeling of impotence

The feeling of anger at their thoughtlessness

The desire to speak and remonstrate with them

Not possible for whatever reason

Sometimes it is just not realistic to challenge the unreasonable behavior

We are obliged to live with it

Hoping that it will stop, but no it goes relentlessly on

In this situation our anger does not help

Thoughts of revenge or violence do not help

Plotting imaginary retaliation does not help and anyway is not a real option

Finally we resign ourselves because there is absolutely no choice

One thought though there is always a beginning, middle and end to everything

It might feel endless

Maybe it last years

But end it will one day one way or another

It will stop, change or something in our lives will change

So with great effort we can accept the situation knowing that our reaction or attitude towards it is what can make the difference

Look at the situation and decide that you will choose to learn how to stop it getting to you

Stop your emotions creating stress in you

Move slowly and surely towards being able to let it go

Being able to handle it without emotion just seeing it as it is

Until finally we can accept with equanimity

With patience

Patience is not easy in many situations however it surely is a great lesson to learn

If we can learn real patience we have made a great step

Be conscious of your reaction to things and turn them to your own use or advantage

Not easy however it can be done

And should you master this then of course it is useful in other situations that come along

Could you even wind up mentally saying thank you to that selfish person?

Who knows it might turn out to be one of the most important advances you ever make

Patience

Life shutting down

Is something difficult to watch

Someone you know and love just collapsing, shutting down in front of your eyes

Life tends to retreat from the extremities so loss of mobility comes quite quickly

Sharpness of brain and mind can last to the end, sometimes not

So many variations, however in most cases the end is clear

And this end we think of is in a very real sense merely a transition

The beginning of another chapter in our journey

Life here is not the end just one of many we will experience over millions of years

So our sadness for those leaving is often very misplaced because where they are going can be much more fulfilling than their present life

Every life has a natural length assigned by nature

When this has run it's course the systems shut down

Life as we know it finishes

And this is as it should be

The idea of indefinite life is in many respects much worse than starting again a new life with new mind and body

Do you want to live forever with the same problems and issues you have today?

To leave Planet Earth for a while and come back refreshed in a new body with a new mind has to be more interesting

So while you might not have embraced karma and reincarnation as the way things work yet, probably time you informed yourself because this is your future

A future you create by your thoughts and actions in this life now.

Life shutting down is also an important part of our own growing

To observe the departure of a loved one is not easy however it is natural and normal

In nature everything has a beginning, middle and end

Including us.

Hurrying

Is something we all do but very differently

Some are organized for most things and proceed comfortably through their routines

Others are easily distracted and have to rush

For some too many things intrude into their lives, unexpected events arise rushing results

Over the course of a year the stress induced by modern life and rushing is not inconsiderable

So how come so many people do not adjust to their realities?

If we find ourselves caught in traffic over and over

Caught in crowds all trying to get on the same bus, metro whatever every day

Eating in the same crowded restaurant week in week out

Why oh why do we not redesign our lives?

What stubborn nature accepts this pressure, this stress?

Basically a stubborn fixation that there ought to be time

There ought to be a place

There might be a seat

It will be different today

Deep breath and examine if you too are forlornly pretending that things might magically change

Pigs indeed might fly but waiting for this to happen is not very realistic

A life without hurry and stress is pretty neat

Having time to enjoy the view

Eating without rushing

Sleeping easily without thoughts of things not done is easier and nicer

While you might pretend that hurrying is unavoidable the truth is that you can change this situation

But only you can change it

By deciding to review why you allow yourself to repeatedly put yourself under stress

Why you allow this to continue day after day

Why not resolve to change this now?

Only you can do this

No one else can make this choice

Constant hurrying is not good for your health

Hurrying is not inevitable

Sciatica

Lumbago and Radicula

All names we might not be familiar with

All are names of very unpleasant conditions

As an umbrella concept trapped nerve probably gives the picture best

Pain can be experienced in many parts of the body

Very often it is down the leg

In the spine

Variations can last from days, to weeks, to years

Most last from four to six weeks and can make life miserable during that time

Why do we mention this?

Because a number of people we know are experiencing pains of this nature at the moment

It could of course be coincidence but we do not believe so

It could be for many different reasons so here's ours

Because the global vibration rate has changed all of us must adjust to the new rate

This adjustment for many is experienced in feelings like a trapped nerve

So if you experience this then possibly the only really helpful thing you can do is to visit a good acupuncturist

If you cannot then reasonable exercise every day

It should pass however it is not a pleasant experience

So we hope you do not have to go through this

From time to time we are all subjected to the same events but we do not normally check with each other to see if it is just us or something that others are also experiencing

Unpleasant unexpected pains is one such for many people at this time

Measuring

Everything is the modern way

See a new car, yes and how does it look compared to the old model?

See a meal how does it look and taste compared to what we have had before?

There is little in our lives that is not experienced by measuring and comparing

To the point that it is stopping us from moving on

If measuring and comparing are how we see the world then the starting point must be how to we inform our initial opinions

Our parents, teachers, friends and media shaped those views

Without thinking about it our views of everything have been shaped by others

Others who have their own perceptions and beliefs and particular reality

Slowly we are beginning to understand that many of these are simply not true

The 20th century views of racism, sexism and other isms are just not acceptable

We are slowly becoming more conscious that many of the beliefs and habits of our parents generation are not reasonable or acceptable any longer

So we slowly move to change our habits

Slowly we discard prejudice against various groups and ideas

Consciousness is the slowest thing to change in humans

Our consciousness changes slower than anything else

The shift in consciousness is however the only way to protect ourselves

Unless humanity changes and adapts it is not going to survive any more than any other part of nature that does not adapt

Those who cannot adapt go

Nature does not allow species to survive who cannot change

So how must we change?

By examining our ideas about reality

Do not accept as true many of the things you hear

Learn to check them out for yourself

Measuring against what we already know is not necessarily very clever

What does your intuition say?

Can you even hear it?

Learn to listen to your intuition

Create a data base of your own truths so that you are free to move on when confronted by something new

Life is tough enough without sticking with lies or half truths

Search for the truth in everything

Become honest to yourself

Truth is what makes us strong

Lies are debilitating

Over time lies must out, lies destroy the liar

Look around you at those who live in lies

Let judgment go

Dogs

And cats have been around humans for a long long time

Cats tend to be selfish and independent

Dogs on the other hand have been companions and pets since time immoral

Cats are accused of altering many environments through their killing of birds and other indigenous species

Dogs on the other hand help humans in so many different ways as sheep dogs, blind guide dogs, rescue dogs, sniffer dogs, tracking dogs, police dogs, pets and so on

Those who grow up with a dog as pet learn things that children who do not have this opportunity do not

We could name specifics but choose to make the point that the experience of growing up with a dog is special

If you have children consider letting them have a dog, if possible a dog of character and reasonable size

We are not talking about little tiny imitation dogs, poor things

No we mean dogs of character

A dog as companion has helped many children learn so many things

The discipline of exercising them

Feeding them

Washing, cleaning them

Training them

Sharing experiences with them

Companionship when feeling down

Learning about the aging process as dogs live shorter lives than us

Exploring together and so much more

Consider a dog as companion for your children