I have been slowly creating this site which has been a massive but enjoyable learning curve, so thought I would now step sideways and dive into the world of Blog!
The first side step:There is so much information out there as to what to do and what not to do , but the general advice seems to be to just go for it!
What to blog about? "Don`t stray too far from your niche but at the same time don`t be too narrow", seems to be what the experts say.
I have never been short on ideas or things to say, so hoping to keep within the guidelines!
My core site interest centres around how various life events can affect women. Specifically I chose to look at how unemployment impacts on females.
Did it affect them differently to males, and how did they feel emotionally when they lost their employment for whatever reason?
Women have spent the best part of a century trying to establish themselves as serious contenders in the work place, so it is frustrating when often hard won employment is removed.
I am interested in how women cope and how losing work may affect their mental health.
Females are universally resourceful and willing to talk about their feelings and emotions more than men. They also tend to be more open and try to find solutions to employment issues.
Of course this all leads into the modern state of mental "stress" which people in the western world seem to suffer and has become known as the "health epidemic of the 21st century".
We have created a fast moving world and perhaps our brains are having difficulty adjusting to it.
We have the privilege of living on a wonderful planet which provides us with the basic building blocks of life, air, water, fire and earth, which in turn provides so many beautiful things.
From these elements, our planet has seen the creation of humans, animals, birds, insects, fish, plants, trees and vegetation in many living forms.
These elements are extremely powerful but at the same time are set at a delicate balance.
As humans, we are designed to live, reproduce and die. During our living years, we should be living in harmony with our surroundings and work alongside the natural world and enjoying the benefits whilst looking after it.
I believe in times of stress, the natural world can help. Even if a trip to a rain forest can`t be arranged, technology via YouTube can transport us to just about anywhere, although never as good as the real thing!
The site is therefore geared at ways to relax, calm things down, reduce stress and anxiety and start to think `out the box` and reconnect with the natural world.
I have also constructed a course which looks at female unemployment and turns it around into a more positive situation by making the search for work into an actual job. It`s an unusual approach but can have very surprising and positive results.
One lady decided she enjoyed the format so much that she has now become self employed!
I feel that a wide range of little shoots can branch off the main tree of the core content, as females and employment can dip into many interesting topics such as travel, lifestyles, hobbies and relationships along the way, to give variety and inspiration, so let`s get started!
The Outside Influencer:
With that little bit of background to the site, I am going to blog about how life can be altered dramatically by events which seem to appear from nowhere.
The subject matter is not going to be light hearted, because it is looking at the more serious issues which I feel relate to us all right now.
We have all been there. Life is rolling along quite nicely when out the blue, something comes along to knock everything off course. The results can be positive or negative depending on the repercussions of the event and how we choose to deal with it.
For the blog, I am thinking on a larger scale, world wide in fact.
Let me explain.
Until recent years, the world population lived in a variety of countries with variable climates.
Some were extreme, like parts of the African continent with desert, excessive heat and drought which affected the health and wealth of the countries. Difficulties with cultivating the poor soil and rearing animals resulted in poor nutrition and health affecting the population and economy.
At the opposite end of the climatic scale, countries within the Arctic Circle had to deal with frozen wastelands and try and eke out a living by relying on fish and animals native to that part of the world.
Other areas of the world seemed to have perfect climates with plenty of sunshine, adequate rainfall and fertile soil with which to work.
These countries flourished, people and animals thrived, crops grew well giving such an abundance of food that profitable economies were established by selling to others.
Whatever category they fell into, the populations of countries adapted to their surroundings, knew what to expect from their seasonal climate and worked with what they had.
Expressions such as "global warming" and "climate change" were unheard off.
In search of an easy life:
Humans have always been inventive, and by the turn of the 20th century, invention was speeding up.
Alternatives were appearing to replace manpower and horsepower.
This invention phase gathered speed, particularly after the second world war. Suddenly these advances were making life easier. In 2022 Inventions continue, probably faster than ever.
However, the western world in particular, has reached a stage where it is at a cross roads. So much has advanced with such speed, particularly on the technological front, that the world has now had to look back and realize the trail of devastation it has left behind in the natural world of our planet.
In order for inventions to move forward, other factors have been needed to activate them. For example, factories were built in which to make things, and in order to make things energy was required. That energy came from fossil fuels such as coal which generated vast amounts of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere.
Plastic was invented and hailed as a wonder product with infinite uses. We have all used it and benefited from it`s impressive number of applications. The down side is that plastic is not bio degradable, so it has piled up in massive quantities in our oceans and on land, becoming a health risk to marine, wild life and humans.
The use of toxic chemicals in factories and other processing centres, entered rivers and water systems, evaporated into the air and soaked into the ground.
Trees and plants were destroyed in order to make way for expansion of roads and buildings and never replaced.
Although regulation has stopped or minimized many of these aggressive processes, they still continue, in some parts of the world more than others.
The world has been so caught up in the production of items and ways which make life easier that no one gave a thought to the damage that was mounting up.
Scientists tells us that our planet and natural world is now in crisis. They give us time frames to work within in order to right the wrong. The air, earth, water and fire have all been contaminated and damaged. There are signs all around us of the death and destruction of our environment.
The other living things which also share our planet have also been ignored and they are suffering and dying too.
Nature tries to make itself heard by unleashing great hurricanes, floods, fires and earthquakes, but still humans remain complacent.
The Pandemic:
It could be argued that nature had a hand in the ongoing Covid pandemic.
This killer disease was undoubtedly spread around the world by the frequent travelling of individuals who are constantly on the move.
Due to ease of travel, the world has become a smaller place. Travel has become part of a lifestyle whether it is for work or pleasure.
The world was brought to a halt by this virus. Previously it was said it couldn`t be done as the world economy would slump if people ceased to travel.
There were few countries which weren`t affected. Thousands died and people are still catching the virus with many suffering after effects. We seem unable to stop it. There is every possibility that further variants will make themselves known in the not too distant future.
Whilst the shut down undoubtedly did affect the world economy, other positive encouraging signs were happening.
Nature was given a rare second chance which it took, and started showing signs of recovery in many ways.
This proves that it requires a massive effort from the whole world, but the planet can recover, so we must all help it to do so.
Cost of living crisis:
Following on from the pandemic and other market forces from around the world, a perfect storm has built up.
Suddenly, the cost of living which includes essentials like food, utilities and fuel have taken a huge jump up. This affects our way of life and shows how everything can change dramatically and quickly, altering our expectations and plans.
Finances which pay for our lifestyles are not keeping up. This is new for many post war people , especially younger ones, and proving extremely traumatic, adding more stress to the mix. Some have built up an easy lifestyle but with underlying costs such as mobile phones, internet and socializing. These are often hidden costs which will have to be reconsidered if finances are tight, and many will have a real issue with them.
Ukraine disaster:
At the heart of a country we find politics, and where we find politics we find "would be" leaders, scrambling for power, money, attention and status.
There are many forms of political leadership, from the authoritarian dictator to the more diplomatic democrat.
Sadly corruption and malpractice often creep into seats of power.
Differences of political, geographical, historical, cultural or religious backgrounds were traditionally the reasons for conflict and were settled by war, including the two major world wars.
We would like to think that a more diplomatic option is the preferred model to follow in modern times.
However, we don`t need to look further than Russia to see this option being totally turned upside down in full view of the world.
What astonishing people the Ukrainians are. The human spirit is a remarkable thing and how well they demonstrate having it and using it.
I noticed a similar reaction with the Afghan people when they were also recently displaced. Often in just the clothes they stood up in, having lost possessions, their homes and often family members, they move on showing a grit and determination to survive. I wonder if we in the western world were faced with such circumstances, would we show such stoicism, dignity and strength?
The human spirit is also something that I feel we have neglected. It is the life force within us all and is very much connected with the natural world. Instead of being in touch with our inner spirituality, we have shut it out and bombarded our minds and bodies with all the wrong things, which have only contributed to the stress epidemic.
We have relied on material `things` in order to fill our time, whereas connecting with nature helps to balance mind, body and spirit and sets us up to cope with anything.
A window of opportunity:
I recently spent some time at a family member`s farm. It was lambing time and I had the privilege of seeing these lovable little lambs appear. They are so cute with their curly coats like sprayed on foam!
It`s amazing that they survive in often cold harsh conditions, but they benefit from the lovely warm fleeces of their mums. They love cuddling up to one and other and are so playful and happy, full of joy and love of life.
It struck me that I was looking at examples of the very spirit of life. Despite having to often face adversity, these little creatures have what they need, food, warmth, determination to survive, and a bit of company thrown in.
We tend to think of sheep being bred for the food chain.
Perhaps they could have a better use by contributing to help the environment?
Sheep fleeces have been used for thousands of years all around the world. A fleece has some great properties. It can be spun into wool to provide warm clothing, it contains lanolin which is a great skin conditioner, it can be used very successfully to insulate buildings, makes a great garden mulch and has a variety of other uses.
Sadly in the west, there is no demand for fleeces, they can hardly be given away. It seems ironic that whilst we are having to limit energy in our homes and find ways to keep warm, there is a readily available, natural product which is available every year at time of sheep clipping that could make a positive , useful contribution to the environment.
Perhaps the future lies with sheep!
Don`t just assume!
The four events mentioned in this blog, were events which as a world population we hadn`t thought much about. We just assumed that they would continue the way they were. How wrong we were. Out of nowhere came influences which changed the whole dynamic with negative consequences.
The adverse effects to our planet which is seriously affecting our futures, the pandemic which altered so many lives and is still affecting us, the rise in the cost of living which has been a result of the pandemic and other market forces which will alter our lifestyle choices, and the atrocities in Ukraine which have devastated a country and displaced millions.
In one way they are all linked as have been caused by a disregard for our planet. It is certainly time for some common sense to prevail and get back to some basics before the future of our children is completely destroyed.We can make the influence on the planet a good one with a great outcome.
