Posted on 28 Apr, 2010 -
Heaven, hell, diabetes and office politics
The best career advice ever… the truth about office politics… and why courgette seeds should be planted on their side
Advice for Type II Diabetes and why you should plan your life as if you were a politician looking for a missions statement
And… why do 48% of the British public believe in heaven when only 28% believe in hell?
Here’s a thought-provoking question for you: if you were a political party (or not), what would your mission statement be for your own life?
Tapping into the same vein as last week’s email about getting the most out of the rest of your life, this idea came from a reader who recommended the mission statement part of Stephen R. Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Successful People.
The idea is that you have a good hard think about what your personal principles and goals are and write a mission statement for how you want to live your life and what you want to achieve in it.
Companies and political parties use mission statements to aim high and work towards the results they want so why shouldn’t we? It is a good idea to break the mission down into the key areas of your life such as personal relationships, your career, your involvement, and physical health.
Chopping wood and carrying water
We should not, however, of course put so much focus on the achieving that we forget about the small things and the simple act of just living and doing.
I was reminded of this this week when I spent two whole days stripping down and painting some metal garden furniture.
As the Zen proverb goes: “Before enlightenment; chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment; chop wood, carry water.”
Or as I put it to a friend: “There is something both horrendously painstaking and time-consuming but yet soulful and rewarding in a job like this.”
There is amazing pleasure to be had in just breathing - let along strolling in the sun, sitting on a wall or settling down at a desk to write a letter.
By really focusing on one single thing that we’re doing, all those worries and woes and hurts that normally grieve us can vanish into the air. It is here, perhaps, that we find peace in the eternal.
Taking pleasure in children (when they’re asleep!)
Also on the subject of just breathing, I wanted to share with you this line from a book that I’m reading at the moment called By the Sea by Veronique Olmi:
“The children different move, I could hear them breathing, it was the first time I’d slept next to them and, hearing them breathing like that, I knew I was the one who’d given them that breath. Me. What a job life is… what a funny old job...”
And on a slightly more upbeat note, the remainder of what I have for you this week are a playful handful of rather different and separate tips I’ve found during the week. As I am unable or unwilling to weave them into a single theme, you’ll have to take them as the jumble that they are:
A jumble of other unconnected tips, ideas and ponderings:
“The best career advice I ever received”, says author and Jesuit Priest, James Martin came as a question: What would you do if you could do anything? It was the chance to stop “shoulding” he say, and pursuing what he loved.
What exactly IS a ‘nervous breakdown’? I was interested to note this week that ‘nervous breakdown’ is not actually a term that a medical professional would use. Particularly in the past (?) when admitting to emotional difficulties was taboo, the term was more of a euphemism for any serious mental illness attack such as depression or anxiety or a suicide attempt. But does it not, I though, still make a pretty good expression for what is, let’s face it, losing the ability to cope or function ‘normally’? In fact, I would have to admit that in some way the mere potential of being able to have a nervous breakdown one day is part of what has kept me going over the years - so long live the term!
When planting courgette and other squash seeds, make sure you plant them on their side. If they are planted flat there is a danger that water will collect on them and they will rot. Courgettes are a wonderfully easy plant to grow that you can pop in any vacant corner of the garden. I start mine off inside around now then plant them out late May. I always plant out several plants at a time so that at least one hopefully won’t get eaten by the slugs. Once the fruit starts emerging get ready to pick or they will turn to marrows while you’re back is turned. I love them fried or oven-roasted.
Alternative treatments for Diabetes Type II. This is another questions that’s come up quite a bit so I’ve dug around for some ideas here:
If you’ve been advised to hold back on the sugar then two options for adding sweetness are cinnamon and stevia. Cinnamon is said to increase the efficiency of insulin. Stevia is a natural sweetener that does not have the bad effects of sugar and is also believed to have a positive effect on glucose tolerance. Another natural sweetener you can try is Xylitol, sold at Holland and Barret, for example, under the brand name Perfect Sweet.
A recent study found that 200 mg of ginseng extract per day improved blood sugar control as well as energy levels in Type 2 diabetes (NIDDM).
Nutritional supplements worth trying are zinc, magnesium and chromium. There is some evidence to show that people suffering diabetes 2 may be deficient in each and that supplements can help reduce symptoms.
Fenugreek seeds are used in herbal medicine for their antidiabetic properties. Another herb recommended by herbalists in bitter melon.
Anybody with diabetes should also try to eat plenty of onions and garlic in their diet.
How to deal with office politics: This is a subject that has come up several times in your emails so I was glad to find this useful piece of advice from personal development writer, Chuck Galozzi:
“Coworkers, like family members, may experience rivalry, frustration, a struggle for recognition, and a desire to become leader of the pack. In the struggle to assert oneself, harsh words and devious deeds may take place. Yes, the struggle may be painful, but in your heart, how can you blame family members or coworkers for lashing out at you? After all, their criticism says less about you than it does about them. They act spitefully not because they are vicious at heart, but because they are scared, insecure, and feel under attack. When we awaken to this fact, it becomes easier to accept others and realize that we’ve got to learn how to get along if we wish to succeed in life.”
I’m no expert on this subject myself but am happy to add a small subjective opinion on the question of ‘Should you join in the game of office politics?’ My opinion? You’ve got to be in it to win and yes, you sometimes need to take deliberate steps to promote yourself or be seen in a positive light by those who count. But you’ll only keep hold of your integrity, your self respect and your (metaphorical) place in heaven if you play fair.
Even when the losers seem to be winning the game by cheating, they’re only cheating themselves. Leave the dirty work to those who want dirt on their hands.
On the subject of heaven… another interesting fact I read the other day is that - according to the British Social Attitudes survey - 48% of the British adult population believe in the existence of heaven but only 28% believe in the existence of hell. Well, perhaps they have closed the underworld down and God has really taken this Christian forgiveness thing to heart? Or is it just that we realise today that you suffer the consequences of your actions during this life rather than the next?
Either way, it strikes me that heaven has become more like an NHS benefit we feel we are owed than something we need to earn!
