| 2nd October 2003 |
We can make a difference.
I was once a principal of a High School and claimed that I could tell how many days were left in the term by noting the stress in the teachers’ voices and the number of disruptive students being sent to the Office.
Now having completed my ‘10000 Steps Course’ at CQU, I can understand what was happening. The problem was not with the students but with stressed teachers. There is a definite correlation between how we feel and how we act.
But this can happen away from school. Stress has the habit of feeding on itself and taking control. How to break the circle? The answer is – ‘feel good about ourselves’ but putting it into practise is where the trouble lies.
This is where the 10000 Steps program comes into its own. Starting off from basics such as walking, it works its way through simple steps, until we get our bodies in reasonable shape and start to ‘feel good’; once we ‘feel good’ stress loses control.
One strategy is positive ‘Self-Talk’. I wasn’t keen on this as my reputation is in enough trouble without going around talking to myself so instead I compromised and talked to my computer. I christened him Albert after the famous Mathematician, Albert Einstein.
But I was in trouble immediately. Some secretaries, eavesdropping, heard me talking to Albert and said it was fitting that I used a ‘male’ name because computers cannot think for themselves, they need help to get started, they ‘crash’ at the most inopportune times, they don’t listen, and they can only do one thing at a time.
I shall report them.
Soon after, Albert appeared on screen, smiling. He explained, “I have just read about Einstein and found that he was an exceptionally wise person. I’m honoured that you gave me his name. He was quite prophetic and warned us about war.”
“He once said, ‘I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought with, but World War IV will be fought with bows and arrows.’”
We seem to be close to the limit of weapons we can devise without annihilating human life altogether. Einstein could be right because the end result of violence is more violence, not peace. Violence feeds upon itself.
The policy of first world nations of attempting to control ‘rogue’ nations by having more powerful weapons and a stranglehold on the world’s resources, cannot work. History gives many examples of empires which had unlimited power and appeared to be indestructible, yet became depraved and weak, usually decaying from within.
If nations keep on chasing wealth and power when it is based on inequality and injustice, the scourge of terrorism and war will only grow worse.
The problem is not new. British Historian, Lord Acton in 1887 wrote the famous maxim: “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
Powerful first world nations, using spin doctor logic, con themselves into believing that they can bring peace by becoming more powerful, monopolising the world’s resources and then doling out leftovers to weaker countries. Peace cannot be built on injustice.
This is just stating what Spiritual Leaders have said – Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Jesus Christ, Mohammed, Mother Teresa, Buddha. These leaders preached much the same message of peace, love, justice and equality. However sometimes their followers twist the message for their own ends and we witness holy wars, jihads, crusades; the opposite of what the founders preached.
If I want peace in the world I must start with myself. One way is to use the 10000 Steps Program to feel good about myself, develop an inner peace and security, which is self-perpetuating and watch in admiration as it spreads to my friends, my acquaintances, to Australians, to the world.
Cynics might say that peace, using the 10000 Steps way, will take 10000 years but at least it is a start and will succeed long before our present strategies will.
Jesus put it forcibly, “Put your sword back into its place for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.” (Mat 26:52)
I had better sign off now; I still have 3700 steps to go for today and I had better sneak along and check that the secretaries are working.
John F. Smith
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| 14th August 2003 |
Discover a Double Bonus.
Mick was pleased with himself as he strode along a country lane during his 10000 Steps Walk. He came across Tex fixing his fence while his dog Bozo was sitting nearby, howling mournfully. “What’s wrong with poor old Bozo?” he asked, “he seems to be in great pain.”
“He is,” answered Tex, “he is sitting on a thistle.”
“Well, why doesn’t he move?” asked the astounded Mick.
“He can’t be bothered,” replied Tex.
That has to be the silliest story I’ve ever heard, you might claim; it would be except for one detail; there is a fair bit of Bozo in us all, including myself. Don’t we all have problems which lessen our quality of life and which we can fix up but ‘we can’t be bothered’?
In the 1930’s when I was in Primary School, my father had a golden rule, “We Smiths don’t watch sport, we play sport.” I thought it was just his excuse for not taking us to the football but I was wrong as he spent a lot of time teaching us various games. I became competent at playing and enjoying at least 10 sports at a social level.
As I grew older I thought that if I was active enough and played plenty of sport, I would not have to worry about watching what I ate, or dieting.
It worked, but only for a while. Middle-aged spread, some arthritis and a mild heart attack let me know that my belief that I was ‘fairly active’ was only wishful thinking. I knew I had to do more but I kept putting it off. Work, busyness and a couch-potato habit kept filling up the day.
Then I read of the 10000 Steps per Day Project and decided that it was just what I needed so I joined up and now in my 5th week I am pleased that I started.
A nasty little voice inside my head whispers, “How long do you think you’ll last this time? You’ve tried all sorts of fads before.” I pour scorn on this objection because the lectures have already covered this. It is called negative self-talk and is a no, no in the program.
I completed my walk yesterday; I am well on schedule for today, I have already earmarked time for tomorrow and my Pedometer tells me I’m on track for attaining my goal, so there! It is called positive self-talk.
The blurb on the enrolment form says ‘Welcome to health and fitness’ and I am pleased that I have at least started.
But read on, there is more. In the 8th February edition of the Rockhampton Bulletin this year it tells about the “Secrets of Your Health” and talks about meditation. This term is a bit scary to some people but to me it simply means quiet time, awareness living, reflecting or private prayer.
The Bulletin goes on to say that meditation can relieve:
- Anxiety and stress,
- Fatigue and insomnia,
- Headaches and migraines,
- High blood pressure,
- Long term pain and addiction
- Boosts the immune system,
- Improves self-esteem and self confidence.
It finishes up by stating that researchers say that regular meditation also helps to give some protection against heart disease and cancer.
We can be wise and pick up two bonuses, first, the benefits of the 10000 Steps Program and second, use part of the Walking Project as an ‘awareness walk’ and tap into the benefits of meditation.
Another alternative is make use of the Deed Poll and change your name to ‘Bozo’.
John F. Smith.
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