h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Ha! Divine retribution

Oops, that was vindictive wasn't it?

'consolation' is a fine word ZSF And yes, you're right. But at the time I did think I was going mad and that I'd never be 'normal' ever again


Fb

I thought so too. Vindictive? No! Anyway it's a long time ago now. I did harbour vindictive feelings for a very long time, but by and large they've gone now.

I can understand you feeling that you'd never become 'normal' again, Fb. It's taken me ages to get over my ex, and although I'm nowhere near as financially well off (we were dual income, no kids and I'm now a single parent), I'm emotionally much better off.

Money isn't the most important thing. So long as you have enough to sustain yourself and little - and enough to make you content.

I spent a year doing a really awful job, but earning more money than I'd ever dreamed of. I walked out in the end. Learnt my lesson I look after my soul now, and care less about my income.


Fb

No, money isn't the most important thing, Fb. I think doing something that you enjoy and that is worthwhile os a great thing. I think that where you are - your surroundings - can also be very important. It's not always the case though - people who do work they *really* enjoy will put up with an awful lot of discomfort in order to be able to do it.

At work and to some extent at home, I'm surrounded by clutter. Just recently, I've done a lot to bring the clutter in both locations under control. Interesting that I'm doing this at a time when I'm cleaning up my internal act with the new diet. Could they possible be related?

Hi everyone.


Sorry to hear about your friend .

That must have been very frightening - thank the gods that nothing worse happened.


Clutter eh? Bane of my life!
Mind you, I've recently sold off some of my old tat on ebay, and now I'm £142 richer!
Only trouble with that is that instead of chucking stuff out and making room, it sits around here for ages waiting to get photographed and then sold...

Hi LSF! My friend is grateful for all the thoughts - it may help her car to be found, which is what she wants. She realises it could have been much worse. She is really kicking herself - she usually locks the car. She was still in physical contact with it when the incident happened. I suggested she journal her feelings and she said that she would - she needs to unload the thoughts.

I would never have considered e-bay. I tend just to take things down to the charity shop. I have an overabundance of books, mostly of the personal development and spiritual kind. I've taken a good hundred of those to the charity shop. I'm stuck at the moment - not wanting to say goodbye to any more - no doubt that will change. Maybe Amazon would be a good place to sell them. I certainly could use more money at the moment. My New York/Queen Mary 2 trip is taking all my savings.

Amazon sounds like it would be a good place to pass on your unwanted books - and you'll increase your prosperity.

I know where you're coming from with finding it hard to let possessions go - I seem to have clutter clearing sessions on a regular basis, but rarely does my level of clutter go down.
I'm going through the process of nicotine withdrawal at the moment (I started smoking again shortly before my wedding last year. Danm nicotine ! ) and I'm finding that it's easier to let go of some of my clutter - I guess because my lungs are clearing out: in Chinese medicine, the Lung and Large Intestine energies are to do with taking in qi/life and letting go of physical and emotional waste/clutter.

Maybe having a shiatsu might help you to reassess your clutter situation?

Hi LSF!

Some things seem to be moving for me at the moment, thankfully. The clutter thing, I know, isn't helped because of the amount of it, however it is beginning to go. So is the clutter at work. Plus, on the new diet, I'm losing weight and inches, which must be a good thing.

I did know someone who is very good at shiatsu, however, cirumstances dictate that it is not appropriate for me to approach him now.

On the nicotine front, I did hear some helpful advice from Deepak Chopra on giving up the weed. He strongly suggests that you don't try to give up by throwing away the cigarettes - that would lead to a push/pull situation. He suggests that people keep hold of their cigarettes, but when they feel the need, they should divorce the smoking of the cigarette from anything else they might usually do at the same time. He also suggests that you talk to your body before you light up to see if your body wants the cigarette. If you still want one, go ahead, concentrating just on smoking.

Interesting what the Chinese say about lungs and the inference on clutter. I had mild TB as a child. I do know that breath is taking in life. My dad has asthma, so he has a big issue with it.

I agree about Amazon. When I'm in the space to go through my books yet again, I'll consider this.

ZSF! I'm delighted you're losing weight. Well done. You must be in the right mind set to do it. Having lost some, it's a great incentive to keep going isn't it? Keep us posted on progress...

I smoked for years and tried to give up several times, until one night I got home from work with the start of yet another cold and cough and looked at my cigarettes and decided I didn't actually want my usual 5 o'clock smoke. I didn't conciously give up for about 3 weeks. It was more like what ZSF is talking about: I looked at the packet, thought about whether I actively wanted a cigarette at that moment and each time - for whatever reason - I decided not to. Before I realised it, my clothes no longer smelt of smoke - and that was when I became concious of what I'd done. If only it was as straightforward as that sounds for everybody. I've never smoked tobacco since and wouldn't dare to, in case I was trapped by it again.

Good luck LSF


Fb

Thanks for the encouragement and frenchbean!

I've stopped smoking umpteen times before - the last time with the help of homeopathy. After wading my way through Allen Carr's book, this *will* be the last time!

I had to hold my tongue whilst reading his book - I work in a drug and homeless project and have *some* insight into the nature of addiction, and found that my views and his views differed somewhat on more than one occasion.
I decided to just ignore those differences and see if his method works. It's nothing new really - just a mixture of NLP techniques, good sense and logic to change the smoker's view on nicotine addiction.
He also tells you to pay attention to the act of smoking and try to really feel what your body is feeling when you inhale.

Interestingly enough, the first day that I didn't smoke was mostly because I didn't have time!
I had my tobacco with me, and when I finally had the time to smoke, I thought I'd just see how long I could go without one. I'd just started reading Carr's book and he tells you to continue smoking until you've finished it.
Out of sheer bloody mindedness and reaction to being NLP'd, I decided to quit first!

I think that having my tobacco with me prevented me from panicking. Time to throw it out now I think.