Steve Parish - Photographer

This is what Steve wrote for his Google+profile and it rang so true with what I am about I had to share it.
“Educating others was my primary objective in starting the company. It wasn’t just about taking spectacular images, although that is extremely rewarding, too. It was about promoting an understanding for the importance of nature. The first step has to be to light a fire in someone — inspire them to learn more, inspire them to genuinely become one with nature, urge them to connect with it and to celebrate its beauty and diversity. Then let’s talk about saving it.”

Take Nothing for Granted

This poem goes really well with our 365 day thankful project. 

Take nothing for granted, for whatever we do,

the joy of “enjoying” could be lessened for you -

We rob our own life more often than we know

when we fail to respond, or in any way show,

our thanks for the givings that are daily ours----

Warmth of the sun, fragrance from the flowers,

beauty of the twilight, the crispness of dawn,

and the crisp smell the fresh mown lawn.

Kind little deeds so thoughtfully done

Favors from friends, and the love from someone

given unselfishly to us, in so many ways,

Payment is not expected, nor words of praise -

So great is our loss, when we no longer can find

a thankful response to things of this kind.

For the joy of enjoying and the fullness of living

can be found in the “heart” that thanks for the giving

(unknown)

This is a tiny zebra orchid which most people never get to see, because to see them you have to really look for them as they are tiny and found in woodlands. How often do we miss the beauty of life because we fail to stop and look at what is around us?

Take a moment to have a look at http://juliakharwod.redbubble.com/ and add some beauty to your life. If you are looking for a gift why not give a gift of healing and beauty.

What happens to your facebok page when you die?

Did you realize that if you die, your facebook page lives on!!!!
Your family can request it to be memorialized so it becomes a tribute page and a place friends and family can connect and share their grief.

If the person who has died wasn't on facebook you can create a memorial page here  http://tribute.perfectmemorials.com/

For those who have lost someone to suicide then this is a great site http://www.childsuicide.org/memorialsites.html

Or even better, you can create a time capsule for when you do go at http://neverforgotten-px.rtrk.com.au

There are many other sites if you want to goggle them.

Suicide the Other Side (Part two)

For those who know someone who has committed suicide, the other side....

Often when someone commits suicide we ask WHY???

Why didn't they talk to us, why didn't they reach out? Why didn't I see their pain?

Most people who commit suicide don't want to be a burden to anyone, they think they are making life easier for those around them by ending their lives.

Let me give you an insight into what it is like to be in this place, yes I speak from experience, but thankfully I am still here. Some of this may feel a bit overwhelming or confronting, but that is how someone in this position actually feels.

People with cancer are often given a idea of how much time they have left, an opportunity to say and do all that needs doing.

People with heart problems sometimes get a second chance, but everyone knows there's always a possibility it will happen again.

Someone with a severe injury is given support, counselling, retraining and understanding.

But what if something happens to you that is just as life changing but society and those around you don't see it or realise it's severity?

Often we feel as if we have no hope, no longer able to do the job we love, no longer able to be with the person who is our soul mate, no longer able to do the things we used to enjoy. Everything that is important to us has been taken away but no-one seems to really understand.

Constant pain, no chance of rehabilitation, no retraining, no support networks. Knowing we will have to live with this forever, living a bleak life with little chance of fulfilment. Some of you may say there's always hope and help if you reach out, but sometimes there really is nothing anyone can do and sometimes we really can't reach out.

Before someone takes this final step this is some of what is happening for them.

“The pain hits, constant and ever increasing, firing a bombardment of electric shocks to the brain. My brain freezes, stop, stop, stop. The only thought the brain gives is ways to stop the pain. I am no longer in control, my brain has taken over my body. The computer that is me has malfunctioned and is set on autopilot. All it knows is that there is nothing left, only blackness. I have to end this pain forever. My body carries out the brains final command and both my body and my mind are free – I have found peace at last!”

What the brain has failed to perceive is that when the pain ceased for me, it only moved from me to those who I love the most. Oh cruel, cruel mind, how could you have blinded me so?

My legacy is for my family and friends to forever be left with the agony of grief, an enduring sorrow. If only my brain had been able to perceive this it wouldn't have told me to do what I did. But that is exactly why no one could stop this person or help at this point, because the brain, the thinking, rational part of us has malfunctioned and the person does whatever they have to do to make it all end. To make the pain stop.

This does not mean there is no hope. If help and support are given before people reach this point then there is a much greater chance of survival, but just as people still die from heart attacks, a malfunctioning heart, so people still die from a brain malfunctioning. Unfortunately we are human beings that are made up of many vital organs and if any of these fail it usually results in death. The brain really is just another organ and it too gives out when it is put under too much strain.

This is an image of what it is like when our mind breaks.

Why have I shared this with you? To let you know that if you loved and cared for the person who has gone and you were there for them, then you did all you could. They have died because a part of their body has failed, not because of something you did or didn't do. People who 'suicide' in reality die from a disease just as anyone else, it's just the disease is of the organ that we know as the brain, instead of the heart or kidney or liver.

I hope this brings you some comfort at this sad and agonising time.

Suicide, The other side (Part One)

For those who have ever contemplated suicide, lets look at the other side....

Most people who commit suicide think that the world and their family and friends would be better off without them. They often feel they are a burden to those around them. If this is you then let me show you the real burden.

Most of what I am writing comes from reading the memoirs of a friend who has lost someone to suicide and talking to many others who have lost those close to them.

Often we are driven to suicide by pain be it physical, emotional or spiritual. We just want it to end. Our brain can't take it any more....but by releasing ourselves from pain we inflict it on the people who know us and care for us, for the rest of their lives. We often feel people don't care or understand, yet think, if you were dead, who would show up at your funeral. Even if it is only one person, do you want to inflict unending pain on them.

This will give you an insight into that pain...

These are the words of someone who has lost someone they care for, to suicide, “Please help me so that one day I will heal and that the agony will slowly depart. The feeling of emptiness that I feel is truly indescribable as is the intensity of my pain. I am left behind feeling totally rejected.

You may be at peace now, but the turmoil you have left behind is overwhelming. Your death has caused so much pain. I feel I have lost part of myself . Guilt and Fear live with me now. I have lost my self esteem. I doubt myself at every turn. I am no longer confident in many ways.

Sleep is impossible, but I try, I lay there and think over and over WHY???? When I do sleep it's always restless and I hope to wake up and find it was a dream. Of course that doesn't happen and the reality is pain that never stops and tears that seem to go on forever. I aimlessly get about the daily routine achieving nothing and getting nowhere. When you took your life you took ours as well.”

Is this the legacy you want to leave behind for those who care for you.

For most of us the answer to this would be, “No, we want to make life easier for them.”

So this is not the answer. Go and speak to a friend, ring your Doctor and tell him you are feeling suicidal. Don't be afraid to admit it. It is better to get help and to learn to live again than to cause all those around you a lifetime of suffering.

I have been where you are if you are thinking like committing suicide, and I know that no matter how much pain I am suffering or how despondent I may be, that tomorrow is another day and with that comes the hope of something good. I would rather endure my suffering than transfer it to someone I love.

I have also found that even in the midst of pain and suffering we can find happiness and love and hope. I speak from experience as I live with constant pain and yet when I take myself

Looking at this sunset helps relax and soothe me, hope you can enjoy it too.

out in nature and spend time just sitting watching the ocean or a beautiful sunset and I know that life is still worth living.

I still need to ask for help when things become overwhelming, but I know that the inconvenience that this may be to someone is much better than the pain and suffering they would endure if I was gone.

If you would like to connect with me I am on Google+ at https://plus.google.com/105894760755439344491 facebook at http://www.fb.com/Photography.by.Julia.K.Harwood/ and on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/JKHarwood/

I would love to talk to you or you can follow this blog.

How does Nature heal?

Many of you know that my motto is "Bringing the Healing Power of Nature to you", so how can I do that and how does nature heal?

Firstly I speak from personal experience, Nature helps to take us to a place where healing can naturally occur.

How many of you have watched a sunrise or sunset and been moved by it? Did it make you feel better about yourself and better about the day that had just been?

Tropical Sunset

For most of us the answer would be yes. When we see nature at her best, it makes us realise how big the universe is and how small our problems are in comparrison to it. It also takes our focus off ourselves and our issues onto something else and something that is uplifting and rejuvinating.

Studies have proved that spending time in nature improves our sence of wellbeing, our stress levels decrease and our mind, body and spirit and nutured. They have also discovered that even sitting looking at an image of nature will have a similar effect.

For me when I go out in nature I am instantly transported into the now. What that means for me is I don't have to think, "how will I make it through the rest of the day with this pain, life is so hard, can I keep putting one foot in front of another?" to "oh the feel of the sun on my back is so beautiful, the feel of the ocean lapping my feet so refreshing, the smell of the sea air so peaceful".
I can just sit and observe nature and know that all is okay in the world. I look at the flowers with all their beautiful colours and the birds that find the food they need each day and it makes me realize that if God is looking after these things that live for such a short time, how much more does he have my life under control.

No I can't stop the pain or change my circumstances, but for a moment I can think of other things and somehow afterwards I seem to have the extra strength I need, not just to endure life but to know I can even enjoy it.

I want everyone to be able to experience this, even if they live in a dirty city or somewhere where they never have time to find that moment with nature, so I take pictures of nature at her best and you can put them on you wall, on your computer, even on your clothing so you are able to let nature work her magic in your life too.

http://juliakharwood.redbubble.com/

Fibromyalgia and Stress

Research has shown that people with fibromyalgia have much higher ongoing stress levels than normal people.

Experts believe that people with FMS actually suffer from a malfunction in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) which is the body's primary way to deal with stress.

This then causes the body to secrete hormones that actually further impair the bodies ability to deal with stress.

Virtually any kind of pain is worse when it's accompanied by stress and stress causes a flare up in fibromyalgia, so you can see how people with this disease are part of an never ending circle of pain and stress.

It is imperative that we take action to break this cycle, even if it is only for a short time each day.

The ways we can do this are many and varied and usually require a combination of things.

I will give you a few ideas here. These are of course in addition to your Doctors treatment.

Gentle stretching exercises, walking, meditation, especially before going to bed, gentle swimming, cognitive behavioural Therapy (CBT) and taking time out enjoying nature.

Take time to gaze at Geiki Gorge, a beautiful spot in Australia

 

If you have other things that have worked for you, please add them in the comments section.

JAMERRI ARTISTRY

Ths is a friend of mine and I thought you may like to see her work. This is an intro to her:-

Through my company JAMERRI ARTISTRY, I offer my original artwork, prints, note cards, jewelry, and other items inspired by my artistry. It's my goal to present my unique perspective of a mix of American and other cultures. In addition to my artwork, I offer interactive workshops designed to inspire others to use color in enhancing their everyday lives.

My JAMERI ARTISTRY FB page is www.facebook.com/jameriartistry.
My website is www.JameriArtistry.com