Feb. 4, 2021  ALONG OUR TRAIN RIDE OF LIFE

One can only imagine what the other is feeling ,and/or is coping with.

When I enter my blog, I enter my feelings and reach out to share with you.

Am I hurting? Yes

Do I feel alone, and great loneliness amidst the Corona lockdown and within my health worries? Yes.

Am I filled with despair sometimes/often as you may be feeling? Yes.

Do I give up? Perhaps momentarily I think of it, but then I somehow still hope, hope.

Do I have utter fatigue? Yes, but then I remind myself to perhaps walk a bit, even within my walls if I can't venture.

Do I feel the endless hours per day? Wouldn't I have been so happy when I was out and working, to have such days to be free at home?

THE BALANCE SHEET OF LIFE

In the next few blogs, I will guide us how to make some balance of good actions and thoughts.

GRATITUDE: let's try to focus on even small things in our life to be grateful for.

EXERCISE: Let's walk outside (if possible) or even in our home to move our bodies, somewhat. When unable to move, let's 'walk' in our thoughts, move whatever limbs we can, rove in our imagination.

MIND WANDERING: what moves our minds: jokes sent by friends, music, reading, praying, watching television, etc.

To balance our sheet of life, can we handle our effort to stop worrying which is a MOST DESTRUCTIVE HABIT.

Perhaps one of the greatest problems to overcome is FEAR. Remember the motto: FEEL THE FEAR BUT DO IT ANYWAYS!

We need to fill our mind with I CAN! These are the two most power-filled words.

for all of us to remember: LIFE ends when you stop DREAMING. HOPE ends, when you stop BELIEVING. LOVE ends, when you stop caring.

I challenge all of us to use this BALANCE SHEET OF LIFE (Part 1).

I wish all of us the strength of courage, of mind, to take some control of our existence and work on balancing the difficulties with the determination to think and ACT positively as best we can. G. willing, we will continue on the BALANCE SHEET OF LIFE next month.

Yours, Chw

Chayaofjerusalem.blog.spot.co.il

ALONG OUR TRAIN RIDE OF LIFE, JAN. 1, 2021

 Shalom dear readers: 

Here we are in the New Year, 2021. We have made it until now! Are we afraid of what is next? Probably, yes. We need to remember always, the motto for me and possibly for you:

 FEEL THE FEAR, BUT DO IT ANYWAYS!

In general, one often feels SAD-ness in the winter. We can't control the natural weather patterns or the existence of the pandemic we face. Can we remember to appreciate the small things and moments in life? Just as we need kindness given to us, can we give kindness to another? Let us remember that-

WE ARE SPIRITUAL PEOPLE IN A PHYSICAL BEING. What we crave and need, others need from us as well.

I challenge us to practice HUMAN RESILIENCE: to do whatever helps us achieve some serenity: rest assured it will enhance our lives. Do we dare to create for ourselves an ABUNDANCE of hope, despite our most difficult challenge? To practice our human resilience!

We certainly have some burn-out from the CORONA FATIGUE: again, can we try to create for ourselves an ABUNDANCE of light and hope, despite our most difficult challenge: human resilience?

I remind us to go back to GRATITUDE: let us appreciate more life's small moments, show compassion to others tending us or whom we see needing out input? Let's fill in such a list of things to be grateful for. Hopefully this will leas us to optimism, which leads us to live longer, G. willing!

We have yet some challenging months ahead, BUT now is the time to bond together and be kind to one another, with the thought: THINGS ARE GOING TO GET BETTER.

LET'S DAYDREAM; MIND WANDERING: What helps you? Music, walking, even within your own home, watching television, reading, studying, daydreaming, etc.?

WALKING-is sublime in its simplicity or mind wandering if walking impossible. Even a short walk can help us.

WOW! so many aspects of life to consider!

A suggestion: If the above seems a bit too many topics, perhaps pick one suggested to work on this month, and change topics to explore as you feel ready to work on/bless us all until me meet again next month, G. willing.

G. bless all of us until we meet again next month, G. willing.

chayaofjerusalem.blogspot.co.il

ALONG THE TRAIN OF LIFE ,December, 2020

 Shalom dear readers. 

My  last blog was written on Sept. 29, which replaced the Oct. issue.

Here we are now in December. I have been talking to myself and to all of you all month, hoping and wishing us all strength that we need to somehow get through the Covid19 period, strength we need to cope with whatever ailment we have and are struggling with.

 I marked down for myself several tips on how I can cope with the stress of life and illness right now. I include them for you to consider for yourself. They are simply some of my decisions for me to cope with life, with illness (of whatever kind), with the locked down predicament of the Corona virus, etc.

Consider if any of these tips may be of value for you to try as we all need to cope with  STRESS.

-soak my feet each evening as I wind down (or at any time of the day)

-rest with my feet up as opposed to just straight up

-watch and relax with television, movies, whatever venue that you wish to follow

-EXERCISE daily! this strategy can easily avoided, but even small motions of our limbs are important; this one is a MUST for all of us!

-eat occasionally some chocolate or 'nash' that feeds our spirit, our neshama

-get a massage if possible

-reading Psalms, Tehillim, a prayer book

-talking to G. yourself

-however difficult and impossible it is for us at this time, let's think positively of what  WE DO HAVE,  and push aside our worries.

-do something for someone else: a phone call, a note. I t can make us feel so useful to be of help to others!

-let us concentrate on GRATITUDE-for what  WE DO HAVE NOW, rather than what we don't have or able to have at this moment in time

-we each have an opportunity to encourage others, by strokes, by hugs, by calls, by offering our support and love

I wish all of us a warm November, warm in our hearts-WE ARE STILL HERE, and can contribute to another soul! I wish us better health, both mentally as well as physically. I hope to write to you again next month. Feel free to write back to me via my blog, without signing your name.

chayaofjerusalem.blogspot.co.il

Along our train ride of life , sept. 30,oct. 2020

 Along the train ride of life, sept. 30

We  can pray,  beseech from the one above, but the corona virus is still alive. As my dear friend says, it is what it is. No  crying will help  change anything.  For those of us who are battling with other illness, somehow at some point, we also may need to say, it is what it is, and learn to accept what good we do have,  loving family,  caring friends, interests of ours to choose from, television programs, books to read, a place of our own to  be comfortable as best as  can be for  now. Let us love and live each moment, and let us bless what is, for this  moment in time. Lets work on our selves within our neshama, our souls to think positively, To cherish each sunrise, each sunset, to cherish ourselves. G. Bless us for good.

 ALONG THE TRAIN OF LIFE, SEPT. 2020

Here we are in September 2020, trying to deal with our personal issues of health, as well as the unbelievable threatening virus of Corona appearing in all parts of the world, and especially in our own personal domain. It all seems threatening, and totally unbelievable, and unreal!

One can get and does get very depressed and 'down', trying to deal with this whammy we are confronted with.

How do we help ourselves to muddle through and accept what we must; for ourselves, our loved ones, and to keep going, feeling so more secluded than ever?

There are no magic answers. I know in my head that we must try to be resilient,  and develop some sense of serenity. The natural reaction is to be negative, and being so consumed with our own personal health issues, and by the world issues of corona, that we tend to be blurred with how to deal with all of this objectively. How can we create an abundance of light and hope?-these are most difficult challenges.

As I have expressed in my previous blog, we each need to find some soothing aspects of life to delve into: reading material that keeps us motivated, by calling friends form far and near, reaching out to others who need encouragement as much as we do. For some, art work, even when being immobile, music - a source so soothing and encouraging. Let's try pampering ourselves as best we can while homebound and struggling. Each of us is encouraged to look within, and see what helps us forget for a moment, the heavy load of what we carry, let's explore zoom courses on the computer, bringing in personnel to teach us , to encourage us, to try deep breathing , meditation. The list goes on.....

'IF I AM NOT FOR MYSELF, WHO WILL BE? A famous saying that tells us-yes, we need to be kind to ourselves, not to just wait for others to make it all better.

Another inspirational statement that has help me was written by Rav Nachman of Breslov:

"KNOW THAT MAN OFTEN MUST CROSS A VERY NARROW BRIDGE, BUT THE ESSENTIAL THING  TO REMEMBER IS TO TO CONQUER OUR FEAR, AND DO IT ANYWAYS".

Susan Jeffers authored a memorable book : 'FEEL THE FEAR BUT DO IT ANYWAYS'.

Let's not be too hard on ourselves. Let's breathe deeply, accept what we must, but act in our best way to deal with our fear, as our life seems now so distorted and isolating, and to accept help from whatever feels right for us.THIS TOO SHALL PASS! But we need patience and acceptance that not all is our hands to change. We CAN fight the good fight in life, and I hope that we meet again next month to share together, to rise above our negativity and say to ourselves: I HAVE TODAY! TOMORROW WILL BE HANDLED TOMORROW! 

G. bless each of us in this most trying time.

Until next month, my prayers are with each and every one of us.

CHW

'

ALONG OUR JOURNEY ON THE TRAIN OF LIFE, AUG. 5, 2020

ALONG OUR JOURNEY ON THE TRAIN OF LIFE; AUG. 3, 2020

How simple it is to give others advice, ideas, opinions, of how to cope with a major illness like cancer, and yet how difficult it is to keep our heads, our hearts, our minds, optimistic , and to just simply take everyone's suggestions and tips of  how to cope.

The Corona virus has shown us that at the moment, we can't beat it or rush it away, to just wear our masks and be home free, or to isolate ourselves, and yet somehow we may find ourselves testing positive. Our particular illness is our burden to carry, and to deal with our heart, our emotions, our minds, our souls. Each of us has to find, if possible, ways to not only cope with what IS, but how to lighten our load. Some love to read, some enjoy speaking via the telephone with special friends and family; some are TV watchers, some use prayer and religious studies to ease their soul; some use art, puzzles, games as bridge , rummikub, etc.

I mention the corona virus, because it has taught us and is teaching us that as much as we would like to think that we are in control of our lives, we have been grounded in many ways; physically, mentally,emotionally, socially. We are simply part of this universe and while still on the train of life, we will and are meeting up with challenging and difficult long term conditions.

I send you my sincere best wishes that you and I will continue to search, to find positive activities: meditation, prayers, music,- whatever soothes us, and enable us to 'hang in there', and to deal as best we can with the now, the today, the tenuous future for ourselves and for mankind. And....sometimes /often, we are 'down', sad and weepy. That too has its place. BUT ......WE RISE TO THE CHALLENGE AND TRY ONCE AGAIN TO COPE WITH WHAT IS!

G. bless all of us. Feel free to write back to me, no name needed. I appreciate all comments.

BLOG: chayaofjerusalem.blogspot.co.il

 

OUR JOURNEY ON THE TRAIN OF OUR LIFE; JULY 15, 2020

Shalom dear Readers:

We on earth are all struggling; with cancer, with another serious illness, with the effects of the corona virus as it continues to confine us to our homes and shelters.
How are we coping? Is it easy for any one of us? Perhaps, temporarily, we are  accepting of just being in our confinement. But as time goes on, the challenge grows with the time.

Some choose to be miserable, and for all of us, it is a miserable ordeal that we are dealing with. Having said that, I am suggesting to each of us to find some activity to help us through this most difficult period, which doesn't appear to be disappearing for some time, whether it is our personal physical or mental situation, or just being part of humanity that is being very challenged and limited in our power.

We can just lie or sit there and commiserate from now until tomorrow and on again. No pleasure there. Here are some minute suggestions of coping:

1. Accepting what is. For now, this is the situation, whether we like it or not.
2. Let's reach out to friends by telephone, e mail, what's app, perhaps your connecting to them will help them in their lives, if not feel good for you.
3. Let's use this time on earth to read, which we often in the past, had little time to just be at home to enjoy books, to study , to do sudoko puzzles, crossword puzzles, play music , a great boone to the spirit and surroundings, to organize your library, your home, as best you can in your circumstance right now.
4. When the time goes to 'get off the train of our life', what regrets would we have for not having taken care of? The future is unknown to us as to the when, but we all know that exiting the train at some point is inevitable for ALL OF US.
My prayer for all of us is that we find some source of consolation, by doing what feels right for us right now,  and perhaps taking on a challenge of some activity within our confinement to give us pleasure, to distract us, to do for others, as I hope that others are doing for us.

LITTLE THINGS MEAN A LOT. Nat king Cole was so famous in his days with that hit song. Let's help ourselves to pleasurable activities, that we can, and not wait for others to give us generously.  By doing activities however simple that give us satisfaction, we are on a better path than waiting to be pleased by others. G. helps those who help themselves! but we need G.'s help as well.

My best wishes for all of us in our boat, or another different boat in this life, is to try to stay upbeat despite the difficult moments that we all have and feel.
Until next writing,
CHW