Love

Enrich your Life: G I V E

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We think of riches as everything of value that we have – material possessions, power, and authority over people, a sphere of influence in situations and events affecting ourselves or the people around us. We strive, we struggle, we latch onto these things, and to whatever else that gives security and purpose to our existence. Further down the road, we anticipate contentment and happiness waiting for us. Can we or have we determined how far we need to go to get there?  Tomorrow is not guaranteed. No one knows when the heart will beat its last. We plan and work on our dreams and goals for the future but often miss out on how we can enrich our lives in the here and now. Each day brings some measure of contentment and happiness if you live to G. I. V. E.   GIVE in or GIVE up Give in when you must; go with the flow. Some things unfold in their own time. Life leaves you gasping for breath when you have to assert yourself in everything at all times like one who swims continually against the current to get across the river. Either you reach it all spent up or you drown. Life is a battlefield lived out daily; choose your battles. Giving up requires as much wisdom and courage as taking up one. As an old saying goes, “He that fights and runs away, may turn and fight another day; but he that is in battle slain, will never rise to fight again.”   IMPART (something) of yourself Each one of us has something of ourselves to give. There is joy in giving and it comes in a multitude of ways and forms. Finances or material possession Time Skill or Talent Laughter, a listening ear, your company Words of empathy, encouragement, or inspiration Truth, gratitude, understanding & patience SMILE. To a loved one, a friend, a co-worker, or some random stranger, it may be the only positive thing in the moment that uplifts and gets them through the day. Above all, FORGIVE. Holding on to anger, resentment, or grudge disables you, much as extending forgiveness enables the giver to live free from a burden weighing one down.   VENTILATE thoughts and feelings Mental illness kills. The World Health Organization states that more than 700,000 people die from suicide every year. Psychotherapy is always, if not in all, involved in the treatment of depression. Ventilating your thoughts and feelings is therapeutic. Talk to someone, find release for whatever is building up in your heart and mind. Investing in good and healthy relationships will set you off to a good start.   EMBRACE LIFE in its fullness Life is a journey that runs the whole gamut of the highs and lows – love and hate, pleasure and pain, peace and chaos, triumph and defeat. As sentient beings, we go through these emotions our whole lives. We are also endowed with a critical mind and free will to determine our paths, and the course to take. Yes, there are things within our control and things that are not. However, by embracing life in its fullness we are rendered whole.  In this material world, we are valued by what we have, not by what we let go of. Set this mindset aside, recalibrate your compass, and embark on a life greatly enriched by what you G. I. V. E.   Reference/s: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/suicide

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Pride!

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I love the film ‘Pride’. It explores the interconnectedness and importance of advocating for all rights, in the context of sexual identity equality. The film has a strong foundation of people advocating for Lesbian and Gay rights in the 1980’s in conjunction with advocating for miners and workers rights. The theory behind this being that when advocating for rights you don’t just care about one set of rights, all rights are important. Recently we celebrated Mardi Gras in Sydney. I didn’t attend any parade or celebration in person however, I did see a number of posts online. Something which I noticed and found a bit more unique to this year was the intersectionality explored and represented. What I mean by ‘intersectionality’ in relation to Mardi Grass was the advocating of LGBTQIA+ rights in union with certain minority groups. Some images which come to mind are of a group of people with Amnesty International who were a part of a Mardi Gras parade; with banners advocating for LGBTQIA+ refugees, asylum seekers and migrants. I found this intersectionality replicated in a number of social media posts. I am seeing increasing recognition of intersectionality of rights across many campaigns, parades and protests. This recognition that inequality doesn’t impact everyone in the same way is crucial for change. I think many of us have heard people say similar things to “don’t we have equality now?”. When people say things like this I feel that maybe they are thinking of a very specific image of equality and who they feel may have been previously impacted. Perhaps they have an image of the fact that initially same-sex marriage was not legal and now it is … in some places. However, as many of us know, same-sex marriage is not legal everywhere and genuine equality for people reaches far beyond the right to marry. When I see the images of people associated with Amnesty International holding flags to shed light on refugees, asylum seekers and migrants who are part of the LGBTQIA+ community, it draws attention to the complexity of equality, rights, and how many people are impacted in different ways and to varying extents. There are a number of issues which are considered “invisible” as there is not always as much media attention, interest or because of stigma. I am grateful that organisations like Amnesty International and others who are able to continue advocating for groups considered hidden, invisible and for people who may not have a voice or who have had their voices snatched. By shedding light in these areas we have a better chance at enacting change and reminding people that the fight for equality and LGBTQIA+ rights continues. It is so important to continue the fight for rights for all and to work to represent and empower the many LGBTQIA+ refugees, asylum seekers and migrants, who do not always have the accessibility and capacity to advocate for themselves and/or others. Only by recognising the complexity of issues and the intersectionality of rights can we work to challenge social norms and create genuine equality.

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Love…actually

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I don’t feel hopeless about intimate, romantic love when Valentine’s Day rolls around. It’s fun to do something silly like my sister and I do to celebrate. We usually order Thai food and watch cringey shark movies. I definitely think that love should always be celebrated and expressed, not just on this day. I often think about different types of love and relationships, similar to the way the movie ‘Love Actually’ explores them. The film explores romance in so many settings; so many settings where we wouldn’t expect it and often that love is our saviour. It may not always be a fairy tale with someone declaring their romantic feelings towards us in public. Often that love which some of us are lucky enough to experience is unconditional, hard to find and provides fulfilment and support which many take for granted. There are many different types of love worth celebrating. I think sometimes people get caught up in the fantasy of a romantic, intimate partner; which can be lovely but I think that other types of love and relationships are really worth cherishing and commemorating. Friendship is a type of relationship which I feel is neglected and its importance diminished. We live in a time where too many people see others as disposable and claim that “I’m just so bad at keeping in touch with people”. I agree that some people are wired to be more independent than others or perhaps gravitate more towards the group; so if someone organises a social event then they tag along to that. However, I hear so many other people saying “we just lost touch” or “they moved overseas” or some other excuse as to why the friendship wasn’t maintained. I remember having a conversation with someone who was admiring her father and his friend who managed to keep in touch for decades, before a lot of the technology which we have today. I agreed and said it is very admirable, whilst being quite frustrated as to how she couldn’t seem to manage to keep in touch with many of her friends. My father was the same, he kept in touch with many of his friends from childhood and his military days. I naively think that today it should be easier to keep in touch with people given how fast electronic communication is. I don’t know why it’s so much harder for people. Are we all just too busy? Are people considered too disposable? Are we deluded and think no effort should be put into relationships? I often think about that scene in Love Actually where it’s a video montage of all these different people greeting each other at Heathrow airport. I think all of that affection is such a beautiful reminder of the diversity of love and the importance of it. For many people a lot of our love which we receive and give over the course of our lives is between relatives and amongst friends. I think that is something to be nurtured and celebrated. Love…actually is around.

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