This Blog, as I trust loyal readers will know, is for people who want to live their best lives. It aims to inspire and to offer new insights on life, living with purpose and experiencing peace and joy.
Recent events, highlighted by – but certainly not limited to – the despicable terrorist attacks in Paris, may easily cause even the most ardent lover of life to reflect on civilisation and whether we really are evolving away from control, hatred, intolerance and brute force, towards living together in peace and harmony with kindness, gentleness and respect.
On the 13th November, the day of the deadly attacks in Paris and Baghdad and a day after the dreadful suicide bombings in Beirut, Wikipedia noted that 289 terrorist attacks had already been recorded in 2015. That’s not far off an average of one murderous incident every single day.
Tune into the news media regularly and you could be forgiven for sinking into a state of complete despair about the state of our world.
Yet, ironically, for those who can see through the desperation of those who would drag us back into the dark ages and see past the manipulation of the all pervasive media, this is a time of tumultuous change, positive transformation, rising consciousness and real hope for a far better future.
[box type=\”shadow\”]“The wings of hope carry us, soaring high above the driving winds of life.”
– Ana Jacob[/box]
![\"wings](\"http://www.life-coaching-insights.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/wings-of-hope.jpg\")
Wings of Hope (continued)
Resignation, acceptance and fear
Despair is an emotion that arises from a belief that you have no power to influence the situation that you find yourself in. It involves resignation and acceptance that you exist at the mercy of your external world.
This is a state in which fear prevails. When you feel powerless to dictate your own future, fear can strike at your heart easily and without warning. People whose thoughts are dominated by fear and worry will tend to seek out evidence in the outside world to validate their feelings.
Something for everyone to worry about
They need not look far. Our media, with the global reach and real time communications technology available to them will find and broadcast something for everyone to worry about every hour of every day.
A self fulfilling prophecy
And, as we know, we attract what we consistently focus on, good or bad. So not only does living in fear become a self fulfilling prophecy, it also descends into a vicious cycle.
The good news
So what is the good news in all of this?
The good news is that more and more people are beginning to awaken to the fact that they do have the personal power to take control over their own destinies.
Truth as a perspective, not an absolute
More and more people are starting to discover that the only ‘truth’ that exists is the truth that they choose for themselves.
They realise that whereas organisations, cultural groups, political parties, nation states and religious collectives all offer their own versions of the ‘truth’, these are only perspectives, not absolutes.
More and more people are realising that true joy and harmony comes, not from trying to force your version of the truth on others but from allowing others the freedom to choose their own truth and exercising the tolerance and respect required to live side by side with them.
Live and let live
Personal power means living and letting live; choosing and letting choose, exercising free will without impinging on the rights of others to do the same, taking control of your destiny without attempting to take control of others’.
A growing body of people are coming to appreciate that authentic power comes from within and is not granted by someone or something else in the outside world, nor is it to be gained from controlling others.
Unique yet interdependent
These people recognise that, while we are all unique we are also interconnected and interdependent. We can only thrive as a species if we are each allowed to find our own truths in an environment of mutual respect and, ultimately, love!
Wings of Hope
I believe that there are wings of hope starting to take flight!
As you digest what I have said and whether it has meaning or truth for you let me leave you with the words of this powerful and haunting song that makes the hair on the back of neck stick up:
Conquest of Paradise
Composed by Vangelis and sung by Dana Winner.
To really appreciate it, watch/listen on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4N76logehtM
There shines a light in the heart of man,
Defies the dead of the night,
A beam that glows within every soul
Like wings of hope taking flight.
A sunny day, when a baby\’s born,
The little things that we say,
A special sparkle in someone\’s eye,
Simple gifts, every day.
Somewhere there\’s a paradise
Where everyone finds release,
It\’s here on earth and between your eyes,
A place we all find our peace.
Come – open your heart,
Reach for the stars,
Believe your own power.
Now – here in this place,
Here on this earth,
This is the hour.
It\’s just a place we call paradise,
Each of us has his own,
It has no name, no, it has no price,
It\’s just a place we call home.
A dream that reaches beyond the stars
The endless blue of the skies,
Forever wondering: who we are?
Forever questioning: why?
Come – open your heart,
Reach for the stars,
Believe your own power.
Now – here in this place,
Here on this earth,
This is the hour.
There shines a light in the heart of man,
Defies the dead of the night,
A beam that glows within every soul
Like wings of hope taking flight,
Like wings of hope taking flight.
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looking and reaching upwards and higher at times of adversity is the essence of human nature. our individual hope can and must make a difference in the world. thanks for a most appropriate message for us all here in europe.
You’re welcome Eve!
You know Bill, far from feeling despondent about the latest carnage, I think IS has finally gone far enough to provoke an effective reaction. And Russia, of all people, has come to the table! The European cultures need to protect what has taken 2 thousand years to accumulate and the response has been heartfelt.
Sadly, war works. I have not forgotten that each of those IS people came into the world a dear baby expecting love, care and fulfillment. Each could have been a fantastic person, living for the good of themselves and others. But they didn’t. And until they go looking for a different philosophy on life, they remain damaged, hate filled but capable human beings, unreachable and downright dangerous. And now everyone is going to have to play the danger game. I will go on hoping they find enlightenment. How many interesting and intelligent people are there among them? With high hopes, Wendy
Thanks Wendy, for your interesting perspective.
I think what you say just goes to underline how important life coaching is in this world, whether that be formal life coaching as we know it in our businesses, or informal life coaching that happens in the home, schools, communities and churches.
Hey Bill what an awesome encouragement of the soul, thanks Bill you really touched my spirit
You’re welcome Nokuthula
Since the desire to maim and kill will always remain a mystery to those of us who treasure the gift of life, I have but two questions for the whole human race: ” What if we were to become like the children we once were? ” and ” What if we were to treat others in the way in which we would like to be treated? “
I think the second question is highly pertinent. It is a similar way of expressing what I wrote above: “allowing others the freedom to choose their own truth and exercising the tolerance and respect required to live side by side with them.”
Excellent comments. We all need wings of hope. It’s times like these it’s good to be reminded of them. We all have a choice how to respond and what better way to respond than with love and openness.
You bet!