  Spiritual
This week: Lift People Up, Don't Drag Them Down! Edited by: Kitti the Red-Nosed Feline  
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We all have the power to lift people up. At the very least, we can refrain from dragging them down. The choices we make, and the impact from our choices, can last a lifetime.
This week's Spiritual Newsletter, then, is all about using our power in a positive manner.
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It's the most wonderful time of the year – or so the song goes – but this wasn't evident just a few days ago, when Black Friday shoppers quite literally fought the other over consumer goods. Here in the UK, several shops had to be closed because of the unpleasant actions the sales inspired in some people. It was the talk of the nation, with many wondering how this happened. Black Friday is a new phenomenon in this country.
I can't say that I was too surprised. To put this in cartoon terms – each and every one of us has a little angel on one shoulder, and a little devil on the other. A lot of the time, the little angel wins out and we are nice people, doing good things. Sometimes, though, the little devil whispers the loudest, and that, apparently, is the case when there are cheap televisions at stake.
Other times when the little devil gets the best of some people is in their interactions on the Internet. The physical distance created by the Internet, especially in combination with anonymity, can drive people to say things and do things that they would be highly unlikely to say and do face to face. Writing.Com tends to be a safe haven in that regard, but elsewhere, on social media websites and in other online communities, people are hounded and bullied, their weak spots identified and used against them, and it is not uncommon for members to be driven away.
I've had it happen to me once on a gaming website. One of only a handful of women on the server, I was unwelcome, and the better I got at the game, and the higher my ranking, the worse I was abused. It reached a stage where I stopped enjoying myself, and I asked myself why I was still there. That is when I made the decision to leave. Before that, I hadn't wanted the unpleasant gamers to have the satisfaction of driving me away, but the whole point of playing a game is that it should be enjoyable – something fun to do at the end of a long day.
Black Friday reminded me that all of us have the power to make a difference. We can lift people up, or we can drag them down. A few days before the events mentioned in the first paragraph, another shop had a sale and the crowd of people surrounding the items were kind enough to pass them along from the front to the back, until they'd run out, so that as many shoppers as possible came away with a bargain. It will undoubtedly be the case that the shoppers passing on items will have looked after their own interests first, but the gesture of spreading out the goods and being nice to one another stands, and offers a contrast to the events on Friday.
On Twitter, I have seen members help out other members by answering their questions, or retweeting questions if they didn't know the answers. On a student forum I have seen members spending hours figuring out difficult problems and making sure the poster understood the solution. Here on Writing.Com, acts of kindness are woven into the fabric of the website, from members offering helpful reviews, to anonymous gifts, sometimes even involving memberships. There is a constant flow of support and encouragement that has led people to not only feel good about themselves, but also to improve their writing and in some cases achieve their goal of getting published.
Lifting people up is quite easy to do. A nice comment doesn't take up any more energy than an unpleasant one. A smile, a word of encouragement, the recognition of someone's efforts, a pat on the back, all of those are simple gestures that can make a world of difference to the recipient.
Plenty of people will remember a teacher who believed in them, even decades after leaving school. Their appreciation of a supportive friend or family member, or a helpful colleague, will never fade. They will recall the times when they read a book, story or poem that inspired them, made them laugh when they felt down, or offered a new perspective when they felt lost.
We remember those who touch us. The people who have an impact on our lives. You and I have the power to touch others and make a lasting, positive impact. All we need to do is brush off the little devil on our shoulder and listen to the little angel instead.
kittiara |
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The Spiritual Newsletter Team welcomes any and all questions, suggestions, thoughts and feedback, so please don't hesitate to write in! 
ANN Counselor, Lesbian & Happy  - Practical and wonderful newsletter; my life's regret is that I 'kept putting off creative writing' until I was 69 when I always knew I would 'one day' start writing on a regular basis instead of a quick poem or story every decade. If only.....
ANN
It is a shame that you couldn't get around to writing in the past, as I guess there's always the question of who knows what you would have written, but at least you are writing now, and throughout your life you will have built up so many stories and poems that can now be shared with the world .
~~~
monty31802 - A good N L I like the points made especially the ending.
Thank you very much, Monty!
~~~
Elfin Dragon-finally published  - "Me Time" - Such an important topic, I think we all often forget how important it is. Today I was doing my mom a favor by taking my dad to have surgery while she went to a quilting class. I know sounds like strange priorities, but I don't see my dad that often and she needed to know how to make this particular quilt; plus I had the time. Anyway, I brought some coloring books along, I know weird again, but wait for it. Of course there will always be some children in a waiting room so I shared, as is my wont, and talked with the mother. I told her a friend of mine knows I'm an artist but also knows my relaxation bit is "DoodleArt" (you know, those big posters you color). So he bought me three coloring books: Carousel Horses, Unicorns and Dragons, including pens. All so I could relax. I guess the kid in me never really grew up.
That's so lovely of you, taking your dad to have surgery, and sharing your colouring books . I don't think it's weird at all. I love making little drawings and often do so to relax when pondering the big stuff. I'll draw little elves, and cats, and flowers, and whatever comes to mind. Nobody will ever call them art, and they're never going to be on display in a gallery, but when I'm babysitting the kids tend to love them, and one of my friends liked my penguins so much that she asked me to draw a bride and groom penguin couple for her wedding invitations.
I hope that your dad is doing well!
~~~
Mia - craving colour - Me Time equals making a date with myself.
We keep dates with and commitments to others.Why not ourselves?
That is a very good point! Thank you .
~~~
creatress - Well, I hope that you were successful at completing your essay. I am totally with you in being a writer being bogged down with duty before being an author and it's tough! Your loved ones don't mean any harm. They just don't understand the importance of your commitment to the writing life. Some of my loved ones have even gone so far as to say that I am avoiding them (which is impossible :)). But I am back in the writing and illustrating groove. You just have to figure out the time to write that is best for you.
Thank you! Yes, I completed the essay and received a score of 83 for it, which wasn't too bad. Now I've got another one coming up on the 11th  .
You are right - our loved ones don't mean harm. They just don't really understand. We aren't avoiding them, we just have a need to be creative. I am glad that you are back in the groove now, and hope it stays that way!
~~~
Wishing you a week filled with inspiration,
The Spiritual Newsletter Team
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Spiritual: December 03, 2014 Issue [#6696]
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