Mindset Over Age - Positive Thoughts Go A Long Way

It always seems my Blog gets more views than the source of this article so I've added it here.

This past month has been full of experiences at work that I felt impelled to write about it. I work for a company and help people with vulnerabilities. This can be age, health or low income related. Most of this is done over the phone where a lot about a person's state of mind can be found out during our conversation.

There will always be people that feel down due to one of the above but what really makes me smile is the amount of people that think positively regardless of their situation. Two that stood out for me recently were an 84 year old lady that had just returned from a 2 mile walk. She mentioned that it shocked her earlier that day to realise she was now 84. She said that others may be expecting her to slow down but she had no intentions of doing that. The other was an 80 year old lady. She honestly sounded like she was 30. When I mentioned this to her she said that she had long blonde hair, a slim body and wore up to date clothes so there was no reason for people to think she was a fuddy duddy 80 year old.

I love having conversations like that with customers. It shows that age is just a number. It's how you feel inside that matters - not how old you are. This happens time and time again in my job. In fact some take umbrage that they are called vulnerable due to their age. When I advise the only way we know if they truly are is by speaking to them then they are okay with it.

I have even found customers that have such massive health problems which may include them being on mains powered medical appliances but they always believe that someone may be worse off so they get on with their day without complaining. On the other side there are people that feel the world has done them a disservice. They feel depressed and stuck in a dark place feeling like victims. To them every day is the same and there feels no way out for them. Sometimes I hear they have been on antidepressants for years and never sent for any kind of counselling. I think this is a disgrace as we should be trying to help these people get back to a normal life.

Life for all of us is made of up and downs. If we look at what we learn in a down period we can apply this to our life to increase the amount of up periods that we have. I do not focus after work on all the customers that are so down although every so often one can really affect me. I listen to see if I can point them in any direction to help them and move on. This type of job is not for everyone I can assure you. Instead at the end of each day I think of anything that stood out in a positive way. This is what I take home with me rather than feeling dragged down by all the doom and gloom.

Getting back to age though I can often speak to someone in their 50's or 60's who truly sound as if they are 90. They have perhaps retired and have nothing to do with their lives. They already have closed mindsets that they cannot learn new technology because they are too old! I told a customer last week that if I had £1 for everyone that mentioned they may not still be on this earth next year that I would be very rich. It's a shame that people feel this way as they are wishing away their lives rather than finding things to enjoy in it.

I had a lady recently who came to one of my reiki workshops. Her plan had been to learn reiki when she retired later this year. I asked why wait till then and she has learned it before retiral. She has already thought of what she wishes to do in retirement and will be working through her level 2 in the future. The main thing I believe is to have extra interests outside of work or home before you retire. That way you can still have things to look forward to when it is time to move on.

Life should not stop until we are no longer of this earth. Every day we are alive we should make sure we are actually taking part in it. Like my 84 year old lady take a walk or a hike in nature. If your health restricts you take up a hobby. Nowadays there are many groups that can collect you and take you to places to meet other like minded people.

To all those that have the positive mindset I take my hat off to you. You know how to get the most out of life and are probably enjoying yourselves more than others in similar circumstances.

Take a look at your life and see where you are going? Are you going to be someone that makes the best of life or if not you can start to change it now.

Joy Fraser
Usui Reiki Master / Teacher
Edinburgh Scotland
http://www.peaceharmonyandjoy.co.uk

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Living your life with Gratitude

I have recently had the Bon Jovi song "It's my Life"  going round in my head. Check out the lyrics here. It talks about living while you are alive. It made me think how many people go through day to day just existing rather than living.

Do you have a job you go to that feels not right for you? Are you there just to pay the bills or because you like working there? Do you  go to work then come home and vegetate? Would you call this living while you are alive? I certainly don't think so. Life has to have some sparkle to it both in and out of employment.

There may be some of you reading this who are unemployed and may feel you just have to get through each day as everyday feels the same, perhaps without much hope depending on where you live. You all have the choice to make changes. It's up to you if you choose to do something about it.
If you look around there is so much more out there for you to use your time wisely.

There are many charities needing help and there are many organisations set up for whatever you like doing. It could be music, sports, films and so much more.  Search and you will find something to do that will make you happy. If you feel down check out all the pages on the internet starting with the words Positive or Grateful. They both actually go together. The more grateful you are for things in your life, the more positive you become.  Remember also that your thoughts attract so being positive will start aligning you with more positive things coming your way.

I am lucky to enjoy the people that I deal with in my work but I also make sure I have a life outside it. One of my students Beata Dziameka tonight posted an awesome photo taken locally that took my breath away(see the top of this blog). Isn't nature wonderful? We can't always be in the right place at the right time but through social media we can see it through someone else's eyes.I love seeing wonderful posts from across the world but for me it's more spectacular to be able to see things closer to home. I am so lucky to live in a city that has sea, hills, parks and lots of green spaces so there are always places to go that make me feel good. I remember years ago when I was in a darker place that I would go to the same sea as above and sit in the car for 30 minutes.  When I returned home I was always in a different frame of mind.

We are now in a world that we have distressing things thrown at us on TV, Newspapers, Radio and just about wherever we go. All of this pulls our vibrations down so it is good to look out for things to raise it too, We all need balance. This wonderful little girl was brought to my attention this week. Just listening to her will raise anyone's emotions.

As Bon Jovi say "We are not going to live forever". It's your life so make sure you enjoy it while you are here.

Comments are welcome.



www.peaceharmonyandjoy.co.uk

Joy Fraser
Reiki Master / Teacher
Edinburgh, Scotland

CHILDREN ARE OUR FUTURE

I recently had a client who spoke of her Grandmothers positive attitude. She died a couple of years ago aged 100!  The client mentioned that she used to feel uncomfortable if she was complaining about a bad day at work as gran had been on her own all day, but then she only had positive things to say back to her granddaughter. The Grandmother had always been like this and the client thought this was what had made her live so long and contentedly. This made an impact on my client and she now tries to think positively in many more situations she finds herself in.

It may have taken some time to break through but the connection was finally made.  Now this client is going on to bring her children up in the same way. This is the way I  believe that children should be brought up, knowing they can look for the best in things as well as knowing they are loved. It is important to be aware that how we talk and what actions we take will all make a difference on how our children grow up
.

We have to remember that the greatest thing we can do is give them a life of happiness by instilling them with joy of life. Interacting with children on a daily basis by doing things such as painting or baking is a great way to bond with them. It is not the amount of time you spend with them that is important though, rather the quality of the time you have together.  Giving them lots of hugs will make them feel loved too. Children are our future so we want them to learn how to raise their vibrations and those of people around them from an early age. This way they can impact on the world to be a much better place as they grow older as well as being confident and happy. I saw something recently that said if everyone had the heart of a dog, the world would be a happier place. That surely would be a great thing to see.

 Help children to see the magic that is all around them. See the world through your children's eyes and teach them to observe the colours and sounds all around them. Make sure they spend time outdoors. Another thing is to help them learn to be still. More and more times these days we are being told children have ADHD. I do not believe this is correct. The problem is children no longer take time to be still. All you need do is talk to a primary school teacher. They find children fidget and are restless much more now than in previous years when they are having either quiet time or story time.

Many children also no longer get to sit or lie still while adults read a story to them, which is a shame as reading is a great bonding time for both adult and child. Too often they are busy playing games on computers or watching television and then they are expected to immediately wind down and go to sleep. It's like you watching a horror film then trying to sleep. No wonder many children play up at bedtime. 

Meditation is a great way to help still the mind and can be started at any age. A great book I have come across is Calm Kids by Lorraine Murray. Lorraine is soon to release another book on meditation for children with special needs. I remember listening to a meditation cd a few years ago with my young Grandaughter. She was so involved in the meditation that she wanted to know where the Unicorn had gone to. Another time I took her on a meditation journey that I had made up after reading Lorraine's book. Watching as her head moved following the journey was a beautiful experience. Children have great imaginations if we only take the time to help them use it.

Remember that children are our future and help them grow up to be happy, thoughtful, positive and grateful members of our society.  They will thank you for it!




Joy Fraser
Reiki Master / Teacher
www.peaceharmonyandjoy.co.uk

Get with the programme this summer.

Do you ever feel it's time to wake up and get with the programme?  I was speaking to someone recently about how they were going to make a social media comeback. It made me think that I needed to increase my blogs as I was letting down those that looked forward to my posts. I think we all have spells of concentrating on different things but letting people find out about your business should be constant.

I have been remiss in blogging this year as I have been spending time on my reiki workshops and of course my lovable dogs. I am loving the amount of people coming forward for reiki workshops this year but more importantly it's as if everyone is waking from a deep sleep and becoming more spiritual either before or after training in a workshop to become attuned to reiki. The changes that I am seeing in each person are wonderful.

I wrote recently on my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/peaceharmonyandjoy that as I run small workshops I get to know people in more depth than if I was running larger groups. This is the right way for me to train and word of mouth has attracted more people to me who appreciate my style of training. This way is not right for everyone so check out in advance what way you want to learn. I feel so privileged to be able to continue my journey of learning as I help others start theirs. I learn so much from all my students and am introduced to many new things. I recently found a student to be hiding paintings she had made thinking they were nothing special. All I can say is watch this space. Hopefully in the future she will allow me to share some with you.

As the weather is changing and we have such interchangeable weather from sun one day to rain the next- or both in the same day, I will be spending as much time outdoors as I can from now on but will make sure I keep you all updated. Being outdoors makes me happy and my dogs will agree to that too.

I currently have vegetables growing in my garden and greenhouse for the first  time so it is a race against the slugs to see who wins. I have already been able to share the many plants I have grown from seeds with others  (who needs 50 tomato plants and 30 courgettes?) I would really like to share any vegetables that survive the slugs as well so will be keeping a close eye on them. For all the gardeners out there, why not pay it forward by giving away your extra plants too?

Like me, is there anything you have been putting off until now. If so, get with the programme, whether it's increasing exercise, going to the gym or just making time for yourselves. We are half way through 2014 already which is a scary thought so time for no more excuses.


If you would like to learn Reiki in Edinburgh or have already started on your journey, I have 2 workshops on in July. Check out my website for more details.

www.peaceharmonyandjoy.co.uk

Raising our vibrations.

How are you feeling today?

Here in Edinburgh we have had sunshine for 3 consecutive days. To some of you that may not seem like much but you can see the difference in people here as everyone goes about their day. You can't walk down a street without seeing someone gardening, washing their car or even sitting in a sun lounger in their garden. Most of all you see a lot more people smiling. If you smile at someone they will usually smile back so why don't you join in and keep the cycle going.

When the sun shines it lifts our vibrations. We  feel happier and more communicative with others. We go walking more and often people are to be found in the parks that they have not visited since last summer or autumn. It's like everyone comes out of hibernation. All the fair weather dog walkers can be seen again, joining those of us that are out in all weathers. This is a great way to meet people rather than shutting yourself away during the colder months. I can't believe that my 2 x15 month dogs have now owned me for just over a year. It's amazing how fast time passes when you are having fun.

Our Winter in Scotland has not been too bad. We have had lots of rain and cold winds but nothing like it was a couple of years ago. For some though who suffer from Seasonal Affective disorder it will seem as if there is light at the end of the tunnel with the ending of Winter. I often wonder if raising their vibrations with reiki  energy would help these people get through Winter easier. If anyone has treated any clients with SAD I would love to know what impact it has had on them.

I actually find things to love in each of the 4 seasons and just make the most of whatever the weather is like. In Scotland we can have 4 seasons in one day so we just have to adapt to what we get delivered to us. There is really no point in complaining about the weather when we cannot do anything to change it so it's much better to find things to do that suit the weather type. In Edinburgh we are very lucky with all our free museums for the rainy days and our beautiful parks for the sunny ones.

Now that we can all look forward to warmer days (with I'm sure wet and windy ones in between) I'm wanting to connect more with nature and visit places that my dogs can come with me. I was checking my diary today and can see that it is already getting filled up. The amount of people finding reiki this year has made me very happy, especially when they come back to me to tell me how much it is changing their lives. This often happens if I have trained them on how to use it for themselves. Life is all about balance though so I make sure that I have plenty time for clients and also myself. That is the way to enjoy life.

Although it's nice to do things on the spur of the moment, why not look at all the places in your own neighbourhood that you have forgotten about and plan to pay them all a visit over the next few months. It may be that you last saw them when you were a child but you can really enjoy them just as much as an adult. If they take you outside with nature then you will find your feelings of well being growing which in turn will make you have an even happier day. Now that it's warmer, take time to appreciate what you see as you walk more slowly down the streets too.

I appreciate watching all the gardens coming alive with colour especially as my dogs wrecked all the plants in my garden. I am very lucky though that I have a neighbour who is rebuilding a garden for me that the dogs will not be allowed access to and it's coming on great so I can look forward to colours in my garden again. I know, they look like they would never do anything wrong but looks can be deceptive.

If you live in the Edinburgh area and are interested in learning reiki or just having a relaxing session,you can contact me through my website:Peace Harmony and Joy