Wordless Wednesday: Cirque du Soleil does Children in Need

An Instrument of Change

At its most basic, money is a tool that enables us to meet our individual needs. As a form of potential energy that empowers us to generate change, it is neither good nor bad. Yet many people react emotionally to issues concerning finances, unconsciously condemning currency itself, the manner in which money is spent, and people who live lives of financial abundance. Individuals who are rich in gifts such as high intelligence are acknowledged for their positive traits while those who have acquired material riches or aspire to become wealthy are frequently judged harshly. However, wealth is not a trait upon which judgment can be legitimately passed. It tells us nothing about how a person lives, what they believe in, whom they care for, or the scope of their values. Like any blessing, wealth is merely an instrument of purpose that can be used both constructively and destructively.

From an early age, people learn to court wealth while simultaneously associating money with greed, selfishness, and unethical behavior. Consequently, this idea becomes entrenched in their hearts as envy. To attain a balanced and rational comprehension of money, as well as a fairer perspective of wealth, we need to recognize that outward manifestations of wealth tell us little about the individuals enjoying those blessings. When we feel the finger of jealousy prompting us to draw unflattering conclusions about people whose lives seem more financially secure than our own, we should remind ourselves that there are many elements of their circumstances we cannot see. Their wealth may be the result of long hours of taxing labor, they may donate a large percentage of their resources to charitable causes, or their bounty may be an incidental aspect of a life spent doing what they love. Ultimately, we can heal our hurtful associations with money by turning a blind eye toward both wealth and poverty when interacting with others and instead focusing on the individual before us.

If you take a moment to consider you own feelings regarding money and wealth, you may discover that you equate financial prosperity with happiness, power, security, independence, or self-indulgence. Money itself, however, is none of these things. You can begin developing a healthier view of wealth by simply accepting that while some possess great wealth and others do not, we all have the potential to create lives of beauty, substance, and wisdom using the resources we have been granted.

DailyOM

Nearly Wordless Wednesday: Noses with toeses

Selfish Saturday: Geek gene splicing

If I’d written last Saturday’s post at the end of the day, it would have turned out much, much different.

Even though it was the hottest day of the year (34 degrees at 4pm, when we started on the way back home), we headed into Colchester for lunch and the Invasion Colchester event. Once more, it was more for our little geek-in-training’s benefit, who had no idea what he was in for.

He started twigging when he came face to faceplate with R2D2, whom he loves enough for a hug, though he didn’t care for the accompanying Ewok. Further along the way there was the TARDIS, with both the Fifth and Eleventh Doctors in attendance (the Tenth was there earlier in the morning, it turned out). Little lad was too overwhelmed to squeal, and a bit intimidated by the red Dalek standing by; I think he hadn’t realised that Daleks are bigger than he is right now.

More wandering around brought more close encounters: the Ghostbusters, a Cyberman, an Ood, General Lee, the Alien, Loki, the Witch King of Angmar, Captain Jack Sparrow, and, for the grand finale, Darth Vader and his entourage of Stormtroopers and Imperial guards checking out library books (photographic proof up there!).

I hope they raised some serious funds. Going about in costume on a day like this mustn’t have been too much fun, although interacting with the people certainly was. I think I forgot a lot of my own trouble while being out there, though the wave of exhaustion that swept over me towards the end reminded me swiftly enough. (Upside: I got another strawberry lemonade. Downside: husband wouldn’t bother to come into Costa with me, since he wasn’t getting anything, and I had to watch both an overactive, overstimulated little guy and the progress of our order while we were in there. How do I keep getting myself into such corners?)

Only one more week of summer break, and I’ve given up hope to have as much as a day off. September can’t come quickly enough.

Selfish Saturday: Hearty times

The negotiations hinted at last week didn’t exactly kick in auspiciously.

We found ourselves in our local Costa branch (and long overdue in coming it was, too) on Wednesday evening, and there was a poster for a child-oriented fundraising event to be held on Saturday – that’s today. Bouncy castle, face painting, staff in fancy dress… it looked like something the young one shouldn’t miss. Husband agreed. So I was hoping for some alone time at home, or at least sharing the watching… only to have him flat out declare he didn’t want to go. So, rather than disappoint the little one, I set my jaw and took him by myself.

It turned out to be a boatload of fun, after all. It was warm, at no point was there a threat of rain, and for just £1.50 (£1 donation to the event and 50p for a cupful of sweets) I got to watch my laddie enjoy himself for a couple of hours. He only got off the bouncy castle to play jack-in-the-box with another little boy (shut in a box made of playmat pieces and jumping up and out of it, demolishing it in the process). He even needed some persuasion to stop playing long enough to have his face painted and pretend to be Captain Jack Sparrow (that’s not him in the pic up there, but it’s uncannily close).

He downed his peach cooler, I savoured my strawberry lemonade – Most Refreshing Drink Ever! – and when daddy turned up to drive us home, we just flooped in satisfaction. We both needed a lie down, he rather grumpy as usual when tired, but it was a good kind of tiredness.

Still, I wouldn’t want to be doing this too often. It may be fun, but it’s still tiring, and I still need rest, real rest. Besides, it’s the kind of thing that the boy should be sharing with his father, and I’m beginning to worry about the amount of time they are (not) spending together. Like when I was a kid and my father took me out on Sundays, to the cinema or the theatre or just on walks. Lad bonding time is as important as mama recovery time.

Don’t you just love how I can’t put my own wellbeing first and foremost to save my life? I don’t.