The Grey

I recently saw the film ‘The Grey’ where a group of men find themselves lost in the wilderness after their plane crashed. The film effectively portrays the feeling of being isolated with just your own wits to survive, while also displaying the emotions that arise when faced with such an experience.

 It made me think how, being stripped of everything that represents security to us must be a frightening feeling, perhaps it’s a feeling that also resonates with people when they are first faced with a life threatening disease. However, if we can take something from these scenarios without having the misfortune of actually going through them ourselves, the key learning point is that the biggest single thing we have are the people in our lives. It is when these people are brought to the forefront of our minds in a situation described above that literally all else pales into insignificance, and it is in those people we have strongest feeling for where we find our deepest source of comfort.

 So my question to you is this…. If you were lost and alone in the wilderness, miles away from anyone, unsure when you might see anyone again, with nothing but a pen and paper; what would you write and who would you write it to?

 Whatever your message, I have no doubt that somewhere in there would be the 3 simple words ‘I Love You’. Whoever those people are, why not write them the note now?

A gift to say 'I Love You....with all my heart and soul'

 

What you say matters!

So often we let things pass us by without saying what we think. We may see something or hear something and it triggers a thought but how many times do we say what we're thinking?


While thinking of someone can generate warm feelings, it can make a huge difference if, just now and again, you let another person know that they came into your thoughts at that moment on that day, because, in so doing, you make them feel good too! Be it a text message, a card, an email, a phone call or a small gift, choose your method of communication but make the effort, because it takes something very little to mean something very big to the recipient.

...And while I'm on the subject of letting people know what you think, I ask that you spend a minute or two letting us know what you think of Bags of Goodness! While we happily keep going, it would be really useful if you gave us your honest feeedback about you like or what's missing at Bags of Goodness.

We know that what you say is important, not just to those you know and love but what you say to us matters too, so please, take a moment and look again at our website and tell us what we could do to make it even better! Consider our products, our prices and the website itself, including the concept of what Bags of Goodness is all about.

P.S. Please don't just tell us what you think we want to hear, compliments are always welcome but feedback of any kind works for us! Just be honest! Thanks!

Do it ...just because!

Perfect, whole and complete.

"In the infinity of Life where I am,

all is perfect, whole and complete.

I no longer choose to believe in old limitations and lacks.

I now choose to begin to see myself

as the Universe sees me - perfect, whole and complete.

The truth of my being is that I was created

perfect, whole and complete.

I will always be perfect, whole and complete.

I now choose to live my life from this understanding.

I am in the right place at the right time, doing the right thing.

All is well in my world."

Extract from 'You Can Heal Your Life' by Louise Hay. To read my review on her book, please click here.

Place a photo of a happy memory that makes you smile and keeps your spirits up, wherever you are, with this portable photo frame.  'You Are Loved' is written on the outside of it - lest you forget!

Bill Withers

"Lean on me, when you're not strong, and I'll be your friend, I'll help you carry on, for it won't be long, 'til I'm going to need, somebody to lean on."

Sing along to these words from a Bill Withers song and remember someone who needs you.




These words can be found in the 'You've Got A Friend' book full of thoughts for the special people in your life.

Do What You Love, Be With Who You Love!

The quote this week is more of a sit down and listen to the commencement address made by Steve Jobs at Stanford University back in 2005. It is a reminder that we should never give up on pursuing what we love!

Click this link to hear what he has to say.

A simple soap dish with a simple message accompanies this post. 'Believe in yourself and all that you are' is the message on this gift.

Longer than usual, but worth a read!

Sometimes it’s hard to be grateful for what you have in your life when you look at others around you and their life seems so …perfect!

Someone else has everything that you want, in the location you want, with the partner you want and the perfect, high achieving kids you want. And even though you know that what they’ve got isn’t perfect (because there is no such thing as perfect) somehow it doesn’t make you feel better about where you are.

So you try to figure out what the difference is … could it be that they have more money than you? …but then if you had a lot of money what would you swap?

·         Would you swap your children? No!

·         Would you swap your partner? Well maybe, maybe not!

·         Would you swap your job? Perhaps

·         Would you swap your friends? No

·         Would you change some of the habits you currently have? Maybe but only if they’re bad habits

·         Would you swap the house you live in? Possibly

·         Would you change your body? Well you could pay for surgery but not without potential risks!

Looking at the list above, what would you really, honestly change?

Whatever you would change because you think it would make you happier, you will probably find has nothing much to do with money! The things that really make you happy are the things that money might just give you the courage to do, nothing else. Let’s go through each item listed above;

·         Your children – if you are fortunate enough to have them then they are a treasure you would not want to swap for any amount of anything!

·         Your partner – if having money would mean you’d leave your partner then all that money is giving you is the confidence to leave them. If your partner isn’t right for you without money then he isn’t right for you with money either. Don’t think he or she will be different if you were wealthy, the core of a person’s beliefs and principles don’t change when you have money, whoever the person is naturally, deep down, will just become animated.

·         If you love your job then you will continue to fulfil that purpose in some way, so money does not determine the job that you do and if it does then you’re in the wrong the job!

·         Your friends have been found based on basic values that match your own. Your true friends will know you and you will know them based on their actions not on their words. You always know who your true friends are!

·         If you have any habits that don’t serve you in a positive, healthy way then they are not generally good for you. You always know what’s right and what’s wrong and having money will never change that choice.

·         Living in a bigger house might give you space but it will also feel less cosy! The place you call home is the place you feel relaxed, the place you feel warmth and comfort in and actually, the larger the room, the easier it is to feel lost in the space rather than warm and snug.

·         Your body is there to do a function. Any alteration you make does no more than allow you to join the competition to become a more potentially admired person ....temporarily! Anything you do surgically to alter your appearance will carry a risk but the results will always be no more than skin deep.

When we envy the life of others it usually is because they have something we feel we don’t have. Yet if we were to analyse what it is that they have that we don’t, it generally is something superficial. Their house is bigger or neater than ours; their partner is better than ours; their job is better than ours; dare I say their children are better behaved or achieve at a higher level than ours and even more these days, their body is in better shape than ours or they look younger than we do.

Well stop!

If you saw the picture recently of Mr Apple himself – Steve Jobs - then you would see that, despite his millions, many of us are far, far richer than he is right now. Why? Because those of us who are fortunate to have our health are rich beyond our wildest dreams. What’s sad is that we do not know it.

It is with great sadness that we dare to mistake the good fortune of being alive, being capable to love and be loved by another human being, as a less functional quality than looking good, than being famous, than living in a big house or driving an expensive car. And as we look with envy at the good fortune of others, do not forget that the biggest fortune of all lies in the blood that runs through your veins and the health that you are in. The richest person in the world will always be the one in the best of health.

For those who have the misfortune of not having perfect health, understand that there are get well wishes being sent to you by those you love and there will always be a never ending hope that your life will blessed with the joy and love of having the most important people around you.

May good health make you rich and if you have good health, then you already are!

'Wishing you good health' is our message on this small heart dish gift today. It's the richest wish you can make!

A Return to Love by Marianne Williamson

Each time I pick up this book I never fail to be comforted by its words. A Return To Love offers deep and meaningful guidance on how to live a life fuelled by love. As an interpretation from the Principles of A Course in Miracles, it teaches you how to generate all your thoughts, actions and behaviour from a source of love.

For me it is a bible of how to achieve ultimate peace and happiness and I now surprise myself at how much calmer I am when faced with relative adversity. It gives guidance on how to heal past failings in ourselves and in our world along with the importance of thinking of others. 

No matter what sort of journey you've had in your life so far, you can make it different now. There no barriers to this, no excuses, you're not too old, it's never too late and things and people can always change. If you're ready for it, this book can be an education on how to live differently. How to feel differently about situations, how to react differently, how to make different decisions and how to let go of whatever it is or of whatever excuses are holding you back from being all you can be.

I don't want to sound too Utopian here but I do share Marianne Williamson's belief that we all have 'unlimited capacity to express brilliantly' (page 276) ...'We are an adult generation. We have adult bodies, adult responsibilities, and adult careers. What many of us lack is an adult context for our lives, one in which we give ourselves permission to shine, to blossom fully, to show up powerfully in the present without fearing that we're not good enough. Waiting for a powerful future is a way of making sure it never gets here....An adult takes joy in today.' (page 278).

If you want your life to return to love, pick up this Marianne Williamson book today!


I've picked out this little porcelain dish with a heart shaped bath melt in it, wrapped up with the words 'believe in yourself and all that you are' as a gift to remind you to do just that!

Giving

After chatting with friends recently about birthday gifts and what to buy people, it got me thinking about what's really important to give.

Out of all the presents that are given on a birthday, very few are actually needed. The gift of a birthday should be a celebration of another year of life, it could be used as a time to reflect on what you did right over the last year and unite with all the very special people in your life that you spent it with. By focussing more on what you can give over the coming year ahead until your next birthday you could get more out of the anniversary of your 'birth-day' than most gifts could give you.

Don't misunderstand me here, gifts and the act of giving is in no way being underestimated. The joy of an unexpected gift being delivered for no apparent reason can lift the darkest moods as it carries far more meaning. A surprise gift is sent out of genuine thought for the recipient rather than out of duty just because it's their birthday. We should never be afraid of being impulsive and letting someone know we're thinking of them.

My point is that birthdays should be about celebrating you, praising your achievements and looking forward to how you want to live over the coming 12 months. By spending the day focussing your efforts more on yourself and what you can give, you will be more inclined to do good, feel good and expect less. Then giving won't be just because it's someone's birthday, it will be because you care.

As we say at Bags of Goodness, 'give a little ...it means a lot'.


To reflect what has been said in this post I recommend the Pocket Charms gift bag of Rules. It contains 5 rules on how to live a better life. Take a look, I hope you'll like it.

Time For Love

‘Getting things accomplished isn’t nearly as important as taking time for love.’

-Janette Oke



Our love quote this week can be found in one of our 'Love' Message Cards, a box of 30 cards, with each card opening up to reveal a message of Love inside.

 

You Can Heal Your Life

My first review is the first book I started my own personal journey with some 20 years ago. ‘You Can Heal Your Life’ by Louise Hay is a book of positive thinking patterns that help you feel better about yourself and help you cope with whatever’s causing you emotional and physical pain.

Chapter by chapter, it guides you through advice and exercises that help set you up on your journey to change your life. First the book takes you through a session with Louise as if you were one of her clients,  then she shows you how to put what you’ve discovered to good effect in your work, your relationships, for your own success and prosperity and in your body. With the reassuring words ‘All is well in my world’ that are found repeatedly throughout the book, You Can Heal Your Life is a dependable resource that includes loving affirmations that can start your transformation from being self-critical to feeling self-loved.

Louise Hay has a way of writing that takes you by the hand and leads you to a comforting place, she has a unique way of understanding what you’re going through and helps you feel better about yourself. This is a timeless book that I have come back to over and over again!

Being such a great teacher and a shining example of what she teaches, I will return to Louise’s other work in due course. Meantime, if you would like to learn more about her now, click here.

To support this book I have chosen this porcelain heart gift to hang in your home as a permanent reminder to Laugh Often, Love Much, Live Well. I hope you like it!