You Can Sometimes Try To Hard.

A Scottish Landscape

We Scots have a long history blighted by what we call our Presbyterian streak.  It is the wonderful ability of being able to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory and always putting ourselves down. We are never good enough. As a nation we feel unable to stand on our own two feet and for some reason feel sure that without the help of the rest of the UK we would flounder. This is  spite of our long and wonderful history of invention and making strides forward possible for humanity possible in so many ways.

On the level of personal human beings we have a tendency to act the same way. I can remember the many times when I was proud of some achievement for it to be pointed out to me that I could have done even better.  As a parent I once or twice found myself almost falling into the same trap with my children, fortunately not so often that it has effected them.

I am very aware of these traits in my own makeup. I never felt that I was  a great preacher, and was always aware of the few pews in the church that were empty rather than the 900 that were filled. I never felt I was as good a teacher as I might have been in spite of the exam results of my students saying otherwise. I have never painted a picture that I am happy with in spite of so many sales.

There is a wonderful tale Lao Tzu and some of his followers. One they travelling together along a road through what used to be a large forest. The woodcutters had cut down all the trees except for one large tree which they were all sitting under having lunch.

Lao Tzu asked his disciples to go and enquire if this last tree was also to be cut down, and if not why not. When they asked the cutters they were told that it would not be because it was totally useless. They were told it was no use for furniture because it branches were not straight enough. It was no use for firewood because it contained to many knots and twists and so would cause more smoke than heat.  That is why it has been left standing.

When the disciples returned and reported back to Lao Tzu he smiled and said, “Be like this tree. If you are useful you will be cut down and become somebody’s furniture. If you are beautiful you will be sold as a commodity.  But if like this tree your are useless you can be what you are and look at all those who are enjoying sitting under its shade.”

It is better to be as good as you can be rather than have to be continually telling yourself how useless you are.

This blog is linked to my other where I discuss the artwork used here. A Scottish Landscape

Posititve Thinking The Name of The Game

Poppies in France

I watched an interesting programme on the television about people who have serious arthritis, a debilitating illness.  Years of running up and down mountains has meant that I am one of those very unlucky people who suffer daily the pain that comes with. I cannot complain of course, I chose to run up mountains and incur broken bones and such. No matter how much advice I was given I continued and still do.

This programme was about an experiment that had been carried out. Two groups of people had be selected both very similar in structure and severity of illness. One group continued with medication alone, while the other group was given a gym membership and a schedule of exercise. The exercise was not strenuous but regular. After a six month period the initial testing was carried out again. It was no surprise for me to learn that those who had been on the exercise regime were now using less medication and suffering less pain than those who had just carried on with medication and pain relief.

I tell you this because yesterday in the course of the day I met three people who commented on my stupid practice of running every day, their words not mine. Each of them went on to tell me that because of the pain they had they could not do it.

I read a story of two oncologists, talking about a similar test. One complained bitterly, "You know, Bob, I just don't understand it. We used the same drugs, the same dosage, the same schedule and the same entry criteria. Yet I got a 22 percent response rate and you got a 74 percent. That's unheard of for metastatic cancer. How do you do it?"

His colleague replied, "We're both using Etoposide, Platinum, Oncovin and Hydroxyurea. You call yours EPOH.

 I tell my patients I'm giving them, Hydroxyurea, Oncovin Platinum and Hydroxyurea and I call it “HOPE.”

 As dismal as the statistics are, I emphasize that we have a chance."

I rejoice in the many friends I have met here in blogging who have such an attitude and persevere creating marvelous work, some under much pain.

It is all a matter of attitude and of course HOPE. I am off to take two painkillers and run my morning eight miles run. Have a great day.

This blog is linked to my other.Poppies in France