Daily Prompt Archives - INSPIRING MAX

Where are you?

October 18, 2014 inspiringmax

What’s your earliest memory involving another person? Recreate the scene — from the other person’s perspective.

I spent most of my early life living in the bush. Our home was the mine managers cottage of a working coal mine. We were isolated from the mine itself, so we saw very few people. At home was mum, dad, me (5) and sister (3).

***

My sister was always wandering off. She was the brave one. Or, as some people say, the stupid one. Anyone would think I am the oldest. I have more sense. I know wild animals are dangerous and there are plenty around here:

Snakes
Dingoes
Foxes
Brumbies—free roaming feral horses
Possums
Birds—especially magpies
Feral Cats

“Where is you?” I asked.

“Over here, in the long grass with my friend Sam, ” replied Max.

“Who is Sam?”

“Sam snake. Isn’t he beautiful.”

“Max, leave him. Come and play with me.”

“But look how big he is.”

“I don’t like snakes.”

“They won’t hurt you. They just lye in the sun.”

“I don’t think so, they’re scary.”

“His skin is so shiny. I want to touch it.”

“Stop” I yelled. “Mum, she’s playing with the snakes again.”

“Okay, okay. What do you want to play?”

“I want to ride our scooters”

“Go get them and I’ll be over in a minute”

“You better come or I’m telling mum.”

***

There was one concrete path between our house and the outback toilet. This was the only place we could ride. It was wide enough for two small girls to play together and expend some energy. We spent many hours in the early years entertaining ourselves with this and other activities— always waiting and hoping for someone to visit and break the boredom.

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/reverse-shot/

What About Me?

October 17, 2014 inspiringmax

Did you know today is Blog Action Day? Join bloggers from around the world and write a post about what inequality means to you. Have you ever encountered it in your daily life?

Inequality is everywhere. If you want to focus on it and not take action, you can find many reason to. But, does it help you grow? Sometimes, realising that life is unfair makes you a stronger person.

My experience of inequality came when I moved to country New South Wales. I was excited. I had never lived in the country—it looked so peaceful and they even had a psychiatric unit. I could work if I wanted to. In the country, few towns have mental health services—something I had never considered before my move.

I loved living in the country when I didn’t work. No traffic. Spending time with the kids and being in my own mum world. Then, I decided to return to work after 12 month and everything changed. Working in mental health in the country was very different to the city. It was the most negative experience of my life. And, to top it off, the other staff had no real psychiatric experience. Some had worked on the unit for many years, but this unit was not a good example of what psychiatric nursing should be.

Its problem was leadership and direction. There was no NUM (nurse unit manager) and we shared 5 fly-in psychiatrists from Sydney—one for each day of the week—with the community mental health team. This meant they each spent 1/2 day at each site. To me, the patients ruled and this was not conducive to recovery. For the first time in my life—my job and opinion was not respected and in the end, I choose to leave the unit and work supporting the chronic psychiatric patients in the community. This made me whole again—from a work prospective until we moved back to the city.

In hindsight, my experience has opened my eyes to how difficult life is, in country Australia. It gives Shannon Noll’s hit “What about me” new meaning.

“What about me

It isn’t fair

I’ve had enough now

I want my share

Can’t you see

I want to live

You just take more than you give.”

This video was filmed in his home town of Condobolin in western NSW and includes many of the towns people. Like in the song, the answer to inequality is us deciding how we can change it for ourselves. Afterall, we have to be the one who answers our own question—what about me?

http://youtu.be/kqyIwZpr5y0

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/unequal-terms/

Perfect Job

October 16, 2014October 16, 2014 inspiringmax

From your musical tastes to your political views, were you ever way ahead of the rest of us, adopting the new and the emerging before everyone else?

My sixth form English teacher wrote on my reference to leave high school—I have a unique personality. I was so proud. He did understand me. And with that reference, I got my first job—as a trainee psychiatric nurse. It was perfect for me. I had two requirements for my job. I wanted to work with people and I didn’t want to be a general nurse. Both requirements ticked. It was 1981 and most of Australia, possibly the world were not thinking about mental health issues or work, even their own. I was then and I am today, still proud to be helping people find their way through difficult times.

Today, the stigma of having mental health problems or working in mental health is broken. People realise through advertising that mental health problems can and do happen to anyone and everyone.There is more information around on how, when and where to get help. Bosses are encouraged to talk to their staff about any concerns they have and encourage people to seek help.

http://youtu.be/D4kDlcXEOwg

Universities teach more mental health content and encourage people through mental health placements to take up this worthwhile career option. Today, working in mental health, you can specialise in many areas, developing many transferable skills. For most of the last two decades, I have chosen to specialise in eating disorders, however my acute psychiatry skills are never far away.

If I had my time again, would I change anything? No. My experiences and career choices have made me who I am today. If you or someone you know is considering a career in any area of mental health, I would encourage them to give it a try. It is very rewarding helping people find themselves again after difficult times.

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/avant-garde/

Mindful Exercise

October 14, 2014 inspiringmax

Good news — another hour has just been added to every 24-hour day (don’t ask us how. We have powers). How do you use those extra sixty minutes?

I fit most things I want to do into my 24 hour day. Being given the gift of an extra hour would allow me to have no more excuses for the two activities I run out of time to do—exercise and meditation.

While I walk daily as part of my commute to work, any other exercise program is very hit and miss. I would love to flex my muscles weekly in other ways. Options I would like to investigate include:

Aqua aerobics
Cycling in the open air
Resistance training
Swimming
Yoga
Zumba class

The other area I believe I would benefit greatly from is developing a daily meditation practice. I like walking meditation. My preference is to walk bare foot on grass or sand—connecting with nature. My reasons for this are:

Grounding me with the earth and its energy
Stimulate the reflexology points in my feet
Massage my feet improving circulation
Connecting with nature reduces my stress and quickly clears my mind
I love the feeling of sand or grass on under my feet—its a different healing sensation

016 - further along the beach still getting wet feet

Walking on the beach as a birthday treat

I believe a nice mixture of both of these activities will be a great way to spend my extra hour. They would be so beneficial to my health that I may need to reprioritise my current activities to include at least some of them each week. Both will give me more energy and creative awareness, which will be a blessing and worth the effort.

What do you need to reprioritise time for in your life? After all—this is the secret, I believe of getting an extra hour in our day. To make better use of the ones we currently have.

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/twenty-five-seven/

Mental Health Week

October 10, 2014October 11, 2014 inspiringmax

This week in Australia is Mental Health week. A time when everyone is reminded how common mental health problems are. Statics state 1 in 5 Australia will have problems with their mental health this year. These numbers are reflected similarly in other parts of the world.

The Private Hospitals Association have decided to tackle awareness with the theme of addressing the elephant in the room. The phrase the elephant in the room means something large that is also in the room with you that nobody wants to talk about. But until it is addressed and dealt with nothing can change. Our hospitals all have large elephants with trunks pointing upwards throughout them to encourage everyone to talk about their mental health.

2014-10-09 11.48.36

By making our mental health a priority in our lives, the lives of our loved ones and work colleagues we can help to control this illness and reduce the stigma attached to it. The more we talk about it, the more we can recognise its power and help reduce its impact in our lives.

Some areas of mental health that commonly affect people include but are not limited to:

Anxiety
Bi Polar Disorder
Depression
Drug and Alcohol issues
Eating Disorders
Psychosis
Schizophrenia

Don’t assume everything will be okay. Talk to someone—a family member, friend or professional about your concerns. Your symptoms may be as simple as not sleeping well, having no energy and low mood. Don’t assume it will fix itself—address your elephant or help someone else address theirs. if we all work together we can help to normalise this debilitating illness and improve everyone’s mental health at the same time by getting treatment earlier and no hoping it will go away.

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/ready-set-done-4/

Moving People

October 7, 2014October 7, 2014 inspiringmax

Planes, trains and buses are essential to get us from place to another. Every trip has feelings attached to it, created by the person making the trip and your attitude to the trip and can have a big impact on the outcome of your trip.

I commute approximately 1 1/2 hours each way to get to work, sometimes more depending on my train connections. It’s my choice. I could drive but it would take me a similar amount of time depending on the time of day. The reasons I choose the train are:

I walk to the station—includes my daily exercise
It’s reliable—most of the time.
Half the price of driving
Less stressful. I don’t have to watch the traffic and predict other drivers behaviour.
I can be productive—write, read or blog—I wrote half my book on the train in 45 minute sections.
I can sleep. Every afternoon I find the train rocking automatically puts me to sleep and I wake refreshed, even if I only slept for 10 minutes.
No parking hassles.
No damage or wear and tear on my car that I left safely parked on my driveway. In some cases also lower car insurance premiums.
There is always something welcoming about looking out the carriage window each morning while travelling across the Sydney Harbour bridge and saying “good morning” to the Sydney Opera House. It puts me in a good mood.

Last year, we were in Ghangzhou and were excited to be able to explore the city like locals by train. The previous year in Nanjing, we couldn’t get into the train station, let alone work out how to buy a ticket or know where we wanted to go—so we left stressed and defeated, happy to breath fresh air. We just made alternate plans. Ghangzhou’s train system was different. We could choose where we wanted to go, work out the closest train station and go. Easy. We even took ourselves to and from the airport with luggage. It was a sense of freedom for us. While in Ghangzhou my favourite was catching the People Mover—an automated train. This train had no driver and moves people—lots of them—between the main stations in Central Ghangzhou. It was a weird experience but it worked.

Next time you are at the airport, train station or bus stop and need to wait, experiment with focusing on being grateful that you can use public transport to get you to where you want to go and that you are going somewhere. Find alternate ways to occupy your mind and time will appear to travel faster and you will arrive more refreshed.

Remember the old saying “A watched pot never boils.” In my experience this can be true for the planes, trains and buses we are willing to come.

View from the Automated Train

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/in-transit/

Welcome To Sydney

October 6, 2014October 6, 2014 inspiringmax

Sydney, Australia is a beautiful part of the world. It is set around nature. Sydney Harbour—arguably one of the best in the world is on one side, with national parks on all other sides. It is a multi-cultural city, with people from all parts of the world, often living in pockets of like-minded people—mixing original customs with their new life, which adds to the vitality of the area. As a result, in Sydney, we can source all ingredients for international cooking by going to the specialist communities.

The strangest thing for first time visitors to Sydney may depend on where they are coming from. Living near Sydney Olympic Park—Sydney’s major sporting and entertainment venue—on the train I regularly overhear conversations of newcomers to the area discussing their first impression of Sydney.

Fellow Australians coming from the country Australia discuss:

Trains – how they work and how easy they are to use
The number of people
The traffic
The multiculturalism of the city
The fast pace of life
How long it takes to get anywhere

International visitors discuss:

Our sporting obsession
How fast we talk
Our strange slang and colloquialisms—they thought we spoke English
How slow our trains system is
How long the flight was
The temperature—especially with the high temperature and humidity in Summer

Wherever you come from, always remember you are welcome. We love visitors and it appears visitors love us. According to the following websites, Sydney is rated one of the top cities in the world to visit.

http://www.travelandleisure.com/worlds-best-cities-2014-winners-list#top-cities-overall

http://news.distractify.com/culture/trip-advisor-top-cities/?v=1

Luna Park North Sydney View

Sydney Harbour Bridge

View Over Sydney City

So, come on Down Under. Our beaches, plants and animals are unique. Join the millions of others who have experienced our relaxed, fun-loving way of life. There will always be someone to say—G’Day Mate.

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/welcome-stranger/

Big Day Ahead

October 5, 2014October 5, 2014 inspiringmax

In Australia, today is the 2014 NRL Telstra Premiership Grand Final. One of the largest sporting events annually in Australia, the Grand Final is broadcast nationally and internationally across many countries. This year the two teams left standing of the original 16—South Sydney Rabbitohs and Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs. The last time these two teams faced each other in a grand final was in 1967, as the Rabbitohs last won a premiership in 1971. Both teams have very loyal fans—honour and pride is at stake.

For many, the big day out begins with the commute to Sydney to attend the game and carnival atmosphere at Sydney Olympic Park. If you are one of the lucky 83 000 plus who will be attending the game, your day is planned out for you. Anyone like myself who lives in the area can minimise the stress by getting into the spirit at home, staying off all roads leading into Olympic Park and if attending the festivities, walk. Helicopters fly over head regularly, providing security checks as the afternoon progresses and become part of the build up to game time.

The general population, relieve their anxieties and pre-game nerves by organising and attending Grand Final parties at home or where possible by watching the game at their local Leagues Club. These family B-B-Q’s and parties have developed their own traditions, usually include several drinks and if your regular team is not in the Grand Final, every one attending will choose a preferred team to win and follow them. Sometimes this team may be the one they dislike the least.

images

images (1)

So wherever you are around the globe, join us if you can for our big day ahead and learn a little about Australian culture as you go. Its been along time coming and following in the family tradition of being Bunnies supporters, I will dress in red and green and hope my sisters’ team gets up tonight.

Go The Rabbitohs

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/big-day-ahead/

Howling At The Moon

October 4, 2014October 4, 2014 inspiringmax

“Follow your inner moonlight; don’t hide the madness.” — Allen Ginsberg

Do you follow Ginsberg’s advice — in your writing and/or in your everyday life?

I love a bright, full moon. It appears to call me, drawing my attention to it from wherever I am. It reminds me of the marvels of the universe and how anything is possible if we believe—man landing on the moon.

The moon controls the tides and my experience is that it also affects human behaviour. Working in acute psychiatry, traditionally the night of the full moon would be the busiest for the month, with more people presenting to emergency centres requiring help with their mental health for various reasons. There doesn’t seem to be any agreed reason for this situation, but many people can attest to it being true.

My favourite full moon I saw in China during the mid Autumn Moon Festival in 2013. It was bright full and red—although very difficult to photograph. The Chinese people celebrate the power of the moon in this family celebration that dates back more than 3,000 years.

Moving forward, I think the time of the full moon each month would be a great time for reflection and goal setting for the next month. Speaking our goals out loud makes them real and gives them power. What better way to do that than to howl them to the moon. If required you can plan for this event by checking the date of the next full moon on any calendar. Let’s join with others who for centuries have used the power of the moon to help them achieve their goals.

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/howl-at-the-moon/

World Smile Day

October 3, 2014 inspiringmax

Today, 3rd October is World Smile Day. The happy smiley face was created in 1963 by Harvey Ball. Ball states that “World Smile Day is open to every person on the planet. No matter what colour they are, or who they might pray to, no matter what country they live in.”

In celebrating World Smile Day, Harvey simply asks “each person to live the day with a generous heart, do one kind act and help one person smile.”

Google Images World Smile Day 2014

How can you make someone’s day, today? It is the little gestures that make a difference. Use today to launch your new—one act of kindness daily plan. Pay kindness forward and see how quickly your world changes.

Although the following film clip has no bearing on World Smile Day, I couldn’t resist putting it into the post as I think it is a clever part of the movie—Forest Gump.

What do you think?