The Lakeland Festival of Light – Being A Light
The Lakeland Festival of Light events have been raising funds in our stunning Lakeland environment for various charities over the past few years including relief projects in Nepal since the earthquake there in 2015, and local Lakeland Mountain Rescue Teams.
The events brings folk together from around the country who want to show solidarity in making a difference in this world, people who simply want to be a light.
Andrew Galloway Photography
And this week was no exception as the north west facing ridge of Fleetwith Pike, Buttermere, was illuminated by the head torches of those who braved the cold to raise funds for Cumbria Youth Alliance (CYA).
Nick Landels Photography
CYA believe with a passion that all young people have potential but that some simply need a helping hand to realise that potential. Their mission is to “Work with and for young people in Cumbria to help them reach their full potential”, particularly those who may be disadvantaged.
This week’s light festival was the third and final event of the team’s year, raising over £1,200 for CYA’s Duke of Edinburgh’s Award programme and bringing the 2018 total to more than £13,000 for various good causes.
To find out more about the Lakeland Festival of Light series, you can click here
Stephen & Grace on Fleetwith Pike
Of course, you don’t have to put a head torch on and climb a hill at night to be a light in the community where you live. Through words of encouragement; even just a quick phone call to someone who’s on your mind, and simple acts of kindness; even offering to make a cup of tea for a busy colleague, we can easily look out for one another and be there for one another to make a difference, to be a light in their world, and cumulatively, wow, what illumination we can bring. That’s what true community is about.
As the weekend approaches and we reflect on the week that’s past and the week that lays ahead, may we give thanks for those who’ve been a light on our journey, and seek ways to be the same to others on their journey.
The Courage of Launching Out
Can you remember the first time you flew?
The feeling of excitement and anticipation of being in a completely new place?
The feeling of leaving the security of the ground behind, the feeling of “Should I really be doing this?”
Flying for the first time is a lot like creating your own online business, launching a start-up, or establishing a nonprofit organisation. Stepping out from your ‘norm’ requires overcoming the very real fear of leaving the safety of solid ground behind, defying gravity, and taking a path of unexpected variables toward your destination.
Let’s face it, it requires courage.
Did you ever wonder what the Wright brothers had on their minds and in their hearts that caused them to build a machine heavy enough to hold people yet light enough to fly through the air?
What compelled them to utilise scrap materials (from a bicycle shop of all places!) to build wings that would forever change the world?
What drove them to try and fail and try some more and to keep trying time and time again when not only friends were against them, but even when the wind was against them?
Whatever it was, their passion for innovation, underpinned by perspiration, resulted in aviation!
The Wright brothers knew the laws of gravity worked against them. They knew that people thought they were crazy for even trying to create a flying machine that could soar through the skies above everyone else. However, they persevered, refusing to give up until they discovered new laws, principles of aerodynamics that enabled a craft of a certain weight traveling at a certain velocity to gain momentum and catch flight. These pioneers of the skies created a new norm, so life-changing that it transformed the way we live our lives today.
My Father’s life was saved last month because of an Air Ambulance. I’m thankful the Wright Brothers didn’t give up on their dream. Who could suffer if you give up on yours?
Now maybe you aren’t interested in building a flying machine, but in essence the Wright brothers’ aspiration is the goal of every entrepreneur; “What do you need to build in order to get up there into the sky of economic viability?”
How can you take what you have and escape the gravitational pull of a salary that limits your ability to escape from living paycheck to paycheck?
At the end of the day, the same courage and perseverance that fuelled the Wright brothers is what will determine the direction of your own dreams. It is the power of a transformative belief that says: “Just because I haven’t seen it modelled in my past doesn’t mean that I cannot create something that changes the direction of my future.”
Simply put, it is the power to make the seemingly impossible dream that’s been placed in your heart and mind become your new reality.
One of the voluntary activities I’ve been involved in over the years as a Chartered Scientist is to act as a Science Technology Engineering & Math (STEM) Ambassador in Schools. The idea being, as practitioners, we can bring real world STEM examples from industry into the class rooms to inspire students with real world application of classroom theory.
Generally when I go into a school and ask “Who likes Science & Math?” very few hands go up.
“OK, so who likes making paper aeroplanes?” all hands go up.
So we make aeroplanes on A4 sheets with a template printed on them for the students to fold in certain ways. We then take their final aeroplanes and let them launch them from a special electric powered launcher which fires the aeroplane at a speed of 70mph. If the students have got the folds in the template right, the plane will travel from one end of a Basketball court into the wall on the opposite side of the court (~100ft).
Sometimes the folds aren’t right so the planes don’t make it the length of the court, or go off to one side. But that’s fine, we simply readjust the folds to optimise the product, then fire again.
At the end of the session I’ll explain to the students the principles they used to fly their product were all based on Science & Math. Then I’ll ask them the same question I asked them at the start of our session; “Who likes Science & Math?”, this time every hand goes up.
Why the sudden change in the students response?
They’d simply experienced the real world application of what was otherwise bland theory.
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The Mind Body Connection
This week I wanted to share a thought with you about the Mind-Body Connection.
Did you know it’s only since the middle ages that the mind, body and spirit have been considered separate?
Before that, we were considered whole integrated people.
Writing as I am from the UK, it’s noticeable how our Western culture has been influenced by reductionism – splitting into parts and specialisation. Each aspect is now cared for separately: surgeons for the physical, psychiatrists for the mental and clergy for the spiritual.
Matters of health tend to be viewed by many as purely physical however, it’s not that simple. For example, the Reticular Activating System connects the cortex and the sub-brain; physical stimulation affects the mind and mental stressors affect the body, generating physical responses. In other words, our physical state of health affects our mental health and vice-versa.
Let us look for a moment at what we think, believe and meditate on and it’s relation to our physical state.
The belief of the mind has enormous influence over our physical abilities to the extent that sports psychology is the determining factor in many athletes physical performance.
Most people know the basic story of Roger Bannister, who, on May 6, 1954, broke the 4 minute mile with a time of 3 minutes 59 seconds. But what many people forget is that runners had been chasing the goal seriously since at least 1886 and that the challenge involved the most brilliant coaches and gifted athletes in North America, Europe, and Australia. For years runners had been striving against the clock, but the elusive four minutes had always beaten them to the extent that it had become as much a psychological barrier as a physical one.
When Bannister eventually broke the record, even his most ardent rivals breathed a sigh of relief. At last, somebody did it! And once they saw it could be done, they did it too. Only 46 days after Bannister’s feat, John Landy, an Australian runner, broke the barrier again, with an even faster time of 3 minutes 58 seconds! Then, just a year later, three runners broke the four-minute barrier in a single race. Over the last half century, more than a thousand runners have conquered a barrier that had once been considered hopelessly out of reach (the current record is 3 minutes 43 seconds).
Many studies have reviewed this phenomena of a sudden surge of success in the physical realm. They concluded that a positive mindset based on a belief of what could be possible is actually what helped those runners beat that record.
So does that mean we can all run a sub-4 minute mile if we simply believe it?
No. Because as whole integrated people there are other factors around health and fitness we also need to take into consideration. It does mean, however, that when it comes to success and wellbeing, in whatever sphere of life, what we think, believe and meditate on is key.
So, take control of those limiting thoughts that come your way; remember you have a purpose in this world that you can fulfil through a life of integrity.
If you have a dream in your heart, you don’t have to work out every detail of it before you take your first step. Instead, take one small step today and leave the other steps for tomorrow. Focus on what you can do now. Believe you will succeed and you will!
Here’s to fulfilling your dream!
Ruth
The Power of Positive Thinking
Hi it’s Ruth here!
This week I wanted to share a thought with you about the impact of both negative and positive thinking on our physical well-being.
Did you realise negative thoughts actually impact our physical health in a negative way, and positive thoughts impact our physical health in a positive way?
Both my parents were in Medicine and they used to (in fact still do) say; “A merry heart is good medicine”, and based on that statement, I wanted to share the following fun experiment with you, but you’ll need a partner to help, so why not print this off and go and get someone and follow the instructions below:
1) Close your eyes and think for a moment of a time where you felt really down. You doubted your ability to accomplish that next step in your career move; your boss had put you down. You didn’t think you were worth anything…
The next step requires a partner!
2) Now raise your arms to your sides as if imitating an aeroplane!
3) Ask your partner to try to push your arms down to your side again.
What happens?
4) Now shut your eyes again and imagine a time when you could conquer the world! Anything was possible! That next career move, no problem!
5) Raise your arms in the air again to the side.
6) Get your partner to push your arms down.
What happens…?
See the power of positive thinking in your mind!
This demonstrates the truth of the adage: “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t, you’re right.” (Henry Ford).
I tried this at a get together with my friends the other evening and the results were amazing!
When I had negative mental thoughts I was physically weaker and my arms were easily pushed down by my friend Jackie, but when I had positive mental thoughts I was physically stronger and Jackie had to struggle to get my arms down. Our other friends watching just laughed and thought we’d planned it or were making it up, but we weren’t. How I was thinking mentally, really affected my physical strength at the same time. So why don’t you try the experiment and let us know your results?
You see, whether it’s a new business, a new skill, a new direction, you have the power within you to make a success of whatever you do by thinking positively, or to let yourself down by thinking negatively, so think positively!
I’m not saying you can think something and it happens, but there’s a principle here. If you allow something to become big in your mind, if you let it consume you, you are giving it permission to happen, so be careful what thoughts you dwell on. Don’t listen to negative thoughts or comments made about you!
You have the power within you to succeed at whatever you turn your mind to, if you tell yourself you can, you will be able to do it!
Have a positive weekend!
You are never too old to learn
We used to dream big.
We were going to climb the highest mountain, sail the deepest sea, whatever it was, we were going to make a real difference in this world despite the risks. Then we got older, and this world told us why we couldn’t have our dreams, they didn’t belong in this world. So after a while, many of us stopped dreaming.
In this context, it’s humbling to reflect on the conversations I now have with my kids about their big dreams. I tend to point out the negative dangers of those dreams, the costs and risks involved. They smile back and simply point out the positive benefits.
I hope they don’t lose their positive perspective as they grow old in this world.
I like the story of 88-year-old Ursula Shepherd from Devon, England. It’s a story of holding onto a dream to learn which I’d like to share with you.
Even a year ago, Ursula couldn’t read, and what inspires me most about Ursula is that she didn’t let this world rob her of her dream, a dream to be able to read to a class of children.
You see, Ursula had a number of learning difficulties which weren’t recognised in the 1930s, so she didn’t have the opportunity that many of us have had to a proper education.
“I would sit with a girl and she was reading but I couldn’t read, so when she turned the pages I turned my page over because I didn’t understand.” Says Ursula. “I felt sad because I always wanted to read, you see, and they just put me in the corner. I felt like I missed out.”
Through her life, she has had to rely on others to read for her. But even at this stage of her life, she has had the courage, and perseverance to take the first step to fulfilling her dream to learn to read.
She learned as all of us have to, one letter at a time, and now at 88, Ursula has fulfilled her dream and has read to class of children.
So what about our dreams?
They may have been muted, for whatever reason, but we all still have them.
Well, Ursula shows us it doesn’t matter how old we are, if we simply focus on starting small ‘one letter at a time‘ and ignore the world’s opinion, we too will get there…
Oh, and I have to tell you this. Learning to read has inspired Ursula to try other new things too. Last year she went on an aeroplane for the first time and now she wants to skydive when she’s 90!
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