FindmyFlis

  John 3:16 You gave your life to give me mine. I am free, how can it be? Why do we often have to wait until the last hour to get our breakthrough? We go round and round seeking a solution and the horizon seems flat, stripped bare. We try to write about the issues, solutions and possibilities and the page is still blank, the places we normally go for inspiration are empty. So, what is going on? Look at the situation in the Ukraine, Russia and in so many places around the world. Everyone is waiting with baited breath for the next move, holding on, hoping and praying for something good to happen. Maybe we cannot change the events that are happening to us at the moment or are not even responsible for them, but we can alter our response to how we wait during the process. Our attitude towards those around us, ourselves, our choices, values and faith regarding the things that we can do are all fundamental points of leverage in starting our break through. In Auschwitz, the prisoners could...

  I need more time...to make another impossible choice, another decision, to pack another suitcase, to catch another plane, to find yet another way...As I hunt around in the dark, early hours of the morning for the light above the capper in the kitchen, I am drawn to write another article. What is the topic of this next entry? Time. It came to me as I woke up determinedly and lay wide awake reflecting on the word...TIME...It has a fairly poignant ring about it...and unfortunately on the lips of many in the current situation with the war, Covid and some pretty cruel realities of life thrust at our door. The whistling kettle is a harsh reminder that time waits for no one. You can be the richest person, the most intelligent individual, an incredible musician or athlete, wonderfully generous, living a happy, normal life, but time will eventually come calling. The thing is, we can waste it erring on the side of caution or we can face it straight on, head held high. What do you have to l...

  Chiacchieriamo con il proprietario del bar vicino che frequentiamo da almeno cinque anni e parliamo delle ultime notizie. Mentre stiamo andando al lavoro, in treno, iniziamo una conversazione con le persone che vediamo regolarmente sul binario e conosciamo un po' della loro vita. Al lavoro ci troviamo con i colleghi attorno alla macchina del caffè, confrontandoci sugli ultimi sviluppi degli avvenimenti. Più tardi, incontriamo per strada degli amici e iniziamo a parlare di quello che stavano facendo. Ancora di più dopo il Covid, il numero di persone che stanno affrontando le difficoltà vere è aumentato. Questo non include solo la povertà economica, ma anche la stanchezza emotiva e la separazione mentale. É scomodo fare la domanda, ma le persone a cui teniamo e con cui interagiamo stanno davvero bene e in caso contrario, cosa possiamo fare? Quanti di noi onestamente considerano di offrire aiuto ma poi si tirano indietro perché hanno già troppe responsabilità e cose urgenti da fare?...

  "La resistenza è il segreto della gioia!" ​ Alice Walker Mentre mi avvicino alla solita collina su un percorso che ho utilizzato regolarmente nella mia corsa di routine, regolo la mia respirazione e il mio passo, utilizzo più forza nelle mie braccia, mi concentro sul tragitto e sulla tecnica, per darmi la forza di arrivare alla meta. Quando siamo di fronte a una sfida, soprattutto se le prospettive non sono buone, abbiamo bisogno di preparare la nostra strategia senza analizzare troppo il  "metti che" , e aggiungere il famoso  "ma..."  mentre iniziamo a raccogliere la nostra energia e usare la nostra resistenza sviluppata per arrivare al nostro obiettivo. Piuttosto che applicare tutta la nostra resistenza e forza fino a cadere, la chiave del successo è costruire le basi di una resistenza profonda sia mentalmente che fisicamente, che può sorprendentemente tradursi in una più veloce e soddisfacente prestazione complessiva. Recentemente ho iniziato ad ...

  “I am constantly amazed by man's inhumanity to man.” -  Primo Levi, If This Is a Man. The Truce Sitting outside drinking a coffee in front of the local hospital, people enjoying a drink with friends and workers taking time out, the thought that we are all free to do so suddenly comes into my head. Do we appreciate the hard-earned freedom of those who fought so hard, many losing their lives and dreams to allow us to have the right to realise our own? Simple actions like the increase in rage and overacting to comments made in everyday life may seem insignificant, but look how quickly situations can escalate out of control. Seemingly rational talks and reflection turn to decisive military action, loss of life and an uncertain future for entire populations in an instant. How can we regain peace when so much is at stake and compromising seems like backing down? In a society built on democracy with the right to free thought and expression, what does it feel like when ov...

  Walking along the country road nearby our place in Northern Italy on a Sunday afternoon, I am aware of the peace that suddenly encompasses me as I leave the hustle and bustle of the centre behind and the hills unfold before me. A sense of freedom and being at one with the environment around me leaves a smile on my face. It was the right choice to get out into nature and leave behind all the pressing things, at least for a few hours. Why does this tranquillity and the right to live seem so luxurious? Why the sudden pangs of guilt for taking time out? Who exactly do we think is running after us? Every day of our lives is a gift, a chance to do something new, to further develop our passions and talents, or to offer something of ourselves that only we can offer. When will we start to realise that our lives have a greater value to them, which we will only truly experience when we give ourselves permission to let go and embrace, love and accept everything that we represent? The carefre...

  We chat to the local owner of the cafe we have visited for at least five years and get the latest news. On our way to work by train we strike up a conversation with someone who we see regularly waiting on the platform and get to know some of their life story. At work we catch up with colleagues about any developments around the coffee machine. Later, we bump into some friends on a street corner and get talking about what they have been doing. But how much do we really know about these people and the lives they lead? Even more so since Covid, the number of those facing real hardship has increased. This does not just include financial poverty, but also emotional fatigue and mental separation. It is uncomfortable to ask the question, but are the people we care about and interact with really OK and, if not, what can we do? How many of us honestly consider reaching out but then pull back as we already have too many responsibilities and pressing things to do? The more you interact with...