What Are Your Strategies for Coping With Negativity?
Beata works as a qualified primary school teacher, a councillor for drug and alcohol addiction and a farm caretaker for organic olive grow.
Spiritual blossoming
Blossoming in life in all dimensions, being happy, at ease with yourself and with everybody around you.
Wherever you are, whatever you do, be in love. Because all alone we are just stones but through love of others we become gemstones.
Find beauty in every season. Autumn becomes a second spring when every leaf is a flower.
Love is everywhere in the universe, if we can see it. It doesn't have to be placed only on one person or one thing that we think without it we can have no love.
Change is the only constant. And love is the ultimate possibility, each moment of our lives love is the fire that transforms, It can bring joy and it can bring pain.
Even in the pain we can stay aware that love is limitless in the universe and we can connect with it again...
... Love as an external focus, exterior to yourself, always bring a sense of vulnerability and always needing constant validation by someone or something.
Love as an internal focus projected outward is a constant flow of self-assurance and of self-acceptance.
Love always strives to incorporate and project more of this blissful feeling of unity and harmony with all creation.
Love just means to live in peace and acceptance with your surrounding...
Love just means to be in one with your humanity inside you and the nature around you...Love is you...
Plant your own garden, he said...
Raining all day
black clouds
full of water
spilling on
and disappearing
quickly
in the thirsty
red dirt,
washing away
dust from leaves,
I keep going
in spite
of the strong wind
that stepped in
on my path
shivering
dreaming
about
the warmth
of your arms
again,
but where are you?
Thousands of kilometres away,
will be months,
maybe years.
before I see you again.
Surrounded
by darkness
lonely,
cold and wet
lost among raindrops,
laughing
through the tears
calling your name,
waiting
for you
from the other side
of the world,
to answer me back....
I step inside the Adelaide
Botanical garden,
a lonely figure
of an old man
lost among the straight lines
of perfectly bright
decorative flowers
waves at me
and I hurry up
to shake his wet
but warm hand.
He looks at my gloomy face
and smiles,
no response yet?
"What if he finds someone else?"
I fight back my tears
while watching him to pick up weeds
"Plant your own garden,
and decorate your own soul
instead of waiting
for someone else
to bring you flowers,"
he said quietly.
"What do you mean?"
He brushes his wet white hair
away from his face
there is a big smudge
on his cheek
I take a tissue and try to clean it up.
"You have to plant your own seeds,
look just like me,
and watch them to grow,
patiently,
give them time and space..."
He looks around,
lovingly
at the thousands of flowers
surrounding him right now,
" I can only bring them to life
but I can not force the buds
to open,
can I?
It reminds us not to force anything
for things happen in the right time."
The garden is empty in this awful weather
but suddenly an old lady
appears in front of us
hiding behind her brolly shyly.
My gardener takes a bunch of small flowers
he weeded among those
strong ones
and her wrinkled face
lights up in delight
when he places them
on her palm.
"You have made my day,
Mr Flower man,
you have made my day:"
He looks after her lovingly
when she shuffles
slowly
away.
"If you plant the seed of love,
it is you that blossoms,"
he says with a twinkle in his eye.
"Your boss will be not happy,"
I warn him,
"You are not allowed
to give
flowers
away."
"I don't have time to worry about
who doesn't love me,
I am too busy loving the people
who love me,"
he laughs suddenly and extend his dirty hand,
"Let me to clean myself and we go for a coffee,
it looks like you need one."
Sitting in a cozy cafe
sheltered from the wind
and rain
I open up
like one of his flowers,
telling him all
that is bothering me,
he is sipping his herbal tea
nodding his head patiently.
"One half of me
is a hopeless romantic,
that urges me to follow
my heart,
the other half
is so damn realistic,
the one that considering
the best friends' advice,
you know
that long distance relationships
never last,
my family expects me
to be more reasonable..."
He smiles with his sad eyes:
"We have all been placed
on this earth to discover
our own path.
And we will never be happy
if we live
someone else's idea of life."
Out of the blue,
I start to cry.
He lets me carry on
handing me his hankie:
"Cry as much as you want to,
but just make sure
when you are finished
you never cry
for the same reason again."
While I am drying my eyes
he looks at the quote
with a profile of an Q'ero Indian
hanging in an old fashioned frame
above our heads:
'Looking behind
I am filled with gratitude.
Looking forward
I am filled with vision.
Looking upwards
I am filled with strength.
Looking within I discover peace.'
"Lucky man, indeed,"
he smiles at me catching my last tear.
"Every day is the same colour of grey for me,"
I blow my nose and sigh.
"When every day seems the same
it is
because
we have stopped
noticing
the good things,"
he touches gently the china cup
admiring its intricate design.
"I don't know what to do?"
I suddenly cry out.
"If it feels wrong,
don't do it,"
he squeezes my hand,
trust your instincts,
never give up on your dreams,
don't be afraid to say yes,
but don't be afraid to say no,
be kind to yourself,
and let go of what you can't control."
"Look at these carefully,"
he picks up from his pocket few dried out seeds
and place them in front of me:
"If a seed is broken by an outside force,
life ends,"
he carefully wipes bits and pieces
and throws them in a bin.
If a seed is broken by
an inside force,
then life begins,
he gently caresses a burst out seed
on his palm.
He puts his hand on his heart
proclaiming solemnly,
"great things happen from the inside."
"One day I run away from all of this",
by one sweep of a hand
I am making a statement,
I am not going to surrender.
He laughs,
"One day you decide
to design a life
you love."
"But how, I have no idea how?"
"Listen deeply inside you,
within each of us,
there is a silence,"
the old man says,
A silence
as vast
as the universe.
And when we experience
that silence,
we remember
who we are."
After I finish my coffee
and we walk back
into sunshine
that came after rain,
he is holding to my hand
and I support his arm.
One ordinary moment
with one ordinary man
in an ordinary place,
and yet there are moments
which mark your life.
Moments when you realise
nothing will ever be the same
again...
Comments
Beata Stasak (author) from Western Australia on April 10, 2014:
Thank you so much Caroline for your kind comment, somehow I have been very fortunate in my life, every time I fell on my knees I met a kind person who has helped me back on my feet again:) We all need those kind of people around and I just hope to be that kind of person to people I meet in my life...be it my close companions or strangers I just pass by....
CarolineVABC from Castaic on April 10, 2014:
Lovely poem along with great photos, Beata! You were very fortunate to meet such a wise man! I guess, we need to look at things differently when we are confronted with negativity: look at the positive side that it brings because there is always that "silver lining" somewhere:-). Beautifully written with such exquisite photos that go along with it! Keep writing. God bless!
Beata Stasak (author) from Western Australia on February 10, 2014:
Thank you Vladimir, very nice of you to find me here:) All the best from Beata
Vladimir Uhri on February 10, 2014:
Awesome thought in your poem, Beata. Yes, turning negative to positive, this is the way of life.
Beata Stasak (author) from Western Australia on February 01, 2014:
Inner peace is the key, with it the external problems do not disturb my peace and tranquility, then you my fellow follower, you are very kind:)
Devika Primić from Dubrovnik, Croatia on February 01, 2014:
What are your strategies for coping with negativity? is an encouraging hub with beautiful photos and you said it perfectly.
Beata Stasak (author) from Western Australia on November 29, 2013:
Thank you Graham, you are so sweet:)....B
Graham Lee from Lancashire. England. on November 29, 2013:
Hi Beata. A tear to my eye here Beata. Absolutely lovely. You photos are a delight.
Voted up and all.
Graham.
Beata Stasak (author) from Western Australia on November 14, 2013:
Thank you my fellow hubber it is kind for you to say so:) All the best with hubbing, loving and living....B
Dianna Mendez on November 14, 2013:
How beautiful! The photos alone are enough to drive any negativity from the soul.
Beata Stasak (author) from Western Australia on November 07, 2013:
Keep singing and walking on the path, the destiny prepared for you and thank you...love and falling in love, we all been there, some of us still are and we all remember....
Marie Flint from Jacksonville, FL USA on November 07, 2013:
Use the Violet Flame. Singing, walking, journaling--all great ways to cope with negativity brought on by doubt and despair.
MacDonald Chaava from Lawton. Oklahoma on November 07, 2013:
lovely poem; expresses very well the human experience of love, falling in love and of disappointment too. the pictures are great too
Rebecca Mealey from Northeastern Georgia, USA on November 06, 2013:
Beautiful free verse full of deep meaning and wonderfully illustrated.Voted awesome, beautiful.
Judy Specht from California on November 06, 2013:
The pictures match up nicely, Bravo for a lovely poem.
Janet Giessl from Georgia country on November 06, 2013:
So beautifully written and the images absolutely match with the story!
Irfan from Adelaide, Australia on November 06, 2013:
beautifully presented hub as always beata... I was chatting with a friend when i started reading this hub and got so involved in the story that i forgot my friend until i finished the read. some really great wisdom in the words of the old man in your story.
Beata Stasak (author) from Western Australia on November 06, 2013:
Thank you so much my fellow hubbers again for your kind words and encouraging comments....all the best and keep hubbing, living, loving and take the example from our Mother Nature:)
Victor W. Kwok from Hawaii on November 05, 2013:
Epic poetry!
skperdon from Canada on November 05, 2013:
Wow! wow! I love your hub, Beata! It has just the right balance of beautiful poetry and beautiful pics.
Love your allusions to Mother Nature and Human Nature, I can't seem to get enough of it.
I'm going to read it a few more times, just to experience the beauty of it.
Elizabeth Parker from Las Vegas, NV on November 05, 2013:
Beautifully written and I love the images!
Shauna L Bowling from Central Florida on November 05, 2013:
Beata, I love your story. The photos tell another story that parallels the advice of Mr. Flower Man. This is lovely, offering words we should all keep close to our hearts.
Dora Weithers from The Caribbean on November 05, 2013:
So many useful lessons in this poetic piece. Age, the symbol of wisdom gives great advice, and the pictures are excellent. Thank you.
Faith Reaper from southern USA on November 04, 2013:
My goodness, this is a superb and thought-provoking piece here! Beautiful writing indeed and amazing imagery you have chosen.
Profound!
Up and more and sharing
God bless, Faith Reaper
Beata Stasak (author) from Western Australia on November 04, 2013:
Thank you for your kind comments my fellow hubbers and yes I agree being judgmental doesn't help with negativity at all:)
joer4x4 from Philadelphia, PA on November 04, 2013:
Interesting & Nice!
The best way I know how to deal with the negative is to not judge it. I remind myself it just another path to wisdom. It is a great stress reliever.
Chitrangada Sharan from New Delhi, India on November 04, 2013:
Wonderful poem and beautifully expressed with lovely pictures!
Nice and enjoyable hub!
Eric Dierker from Spring Valley, CA. U.S.A. on November 04, 2013:
Very nice article. Keep spreading the love!
