Live a balanced life in 2025

 

𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐀 𝐁𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐈𝐧 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓

𝟏. 𝐆𝐨 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐐𝐮𝐢𝐞𝐭 (𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐈𝐬 𝐍𝐨𝐧-𝐍𝐞𝐠𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞)

Get outside. Often. Leave the screens behind and hike through the woods, camp by the sea, or just sit under a tree with a book. Nature doesn’t care about your LinkedIn achievements or Instagram followers. It humbles you. It’s honest, and when you’re surrounded by it, you remember how small — and alive — you are.

Go watch the sun rise. Listen to the wind. Hell, touch the dirt. Life feels a lot less chaotic when you’ve got the whole sky to yourself.

𝟐. 𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐇𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐄𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡

Ambition is beautiful until it eats you alive. The next raise, the next big gig, the next “thing” won’t always bring you peace. So, take a moment. Ask yourself, What does “enough” look like for me? When you answer that, you’ll stop running a race you don’t even want to win.

More isn’t always better. Sometimes, “just enough” is perfect.

𝟑. 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐈𝐬 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐋𝐚𝐳𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬

Stop glorifying exhaustion. If you’re always “on,” then when are you actually you? Get your sleep. Take your breaks. Nap on a Sunday afternoon without guilt. Life isn’t a sprint, and you’re no good to anyone — especially yourself — when you’re running on fumes.

Rest, because you deserve it. Rest, because the world will still turn without you for a while.

𝟒. 𝐊𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 Friends 𝐂𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞

The older you get, the more you realize it’s not about how many friends you have, but how real they are. Find those people who’d drop everything when you call at 2 AM. The ones who sit with you in silence, laugh until they cry, and remind you of who you are when you forget.

Hold onto them. Relationships take work, but they’re worth it. Text that old friend. Call your mom. Say “yes” to the dinner, even if it’s inconvenient.

𝟓. 𝐌𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐁𝐨𝐝𝐲, 𝐓𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐈𝐭 𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐥

You don’t have to become a fitness guru, but take care of the one body you’ve got. Move — not because you hate it, but because it feels good to stretch, sweat, and be alive. Hike, swim, dance like an idiot in your living room. Fuel yourself with good food. Drink your water.

The best version of you starts when you stop punishing yourself and start showing your body some kindness.

𝟔. 𝐒𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐃𝐨𝐰𝐧, 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐆𝐨𝐝’𝐬 𝐒𝐚𝐤𝐞

We live in a world where faster means better, but that’s a lie. Eat your meals slowly and taste every bite. Have conversations without checking your phone. Watch a film in silence — no distractions, no side comments. Life’s best moments happen when you’re paying attention.

You’ll miss it if you’re always rushing.

𝟕. 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐅𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐥

Work pays the bills, but your passions keep you alive. Write, paint, cook, play guitar, take up pottery, or plant a garden. You don’t have to be great at it — just do something for the joy of doing it.

A balanced life isn’t just about surviving; it’s about having little pieces of your day that remind you why you love being alive.

𝟖. 𝐋𝐞𝐭 𝐆𝐨 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐖𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐃𝐨𝐰𝐧

Carrying grudges, toxic relationships, or the weight of who you think you should be will only drag you under. Drop them. Let go. Not everything deserves space in your heart, and not everyone deserves a seat at your table.

Life feels a hell of a lot lighter when you stop carrying what isn’t yours to hold.

𝟗. 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭

Turn it off. Your phone, your laptop, your endless need to be reachable. Sometimes, the best way to find balance is to be unavailable. Let yourself get bored. Sit in the quiet. Talk to strangers. Do nothing for once, and see what happens.

The world will wait for you.

𝟏𝟎. 𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐈𝐬 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞 (𝐁𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐈𝐭 𝐈𝐬)

Here’s the hard truth: you don’t have forever. None of us do. So, say the words, take the trip, spend the time. Use the good china. Laugh loudly. Love people as fiercely as you can, because one day you won’t get to anymore.

A balanced life isn’t perfect. It’s real, messy, and full of choices that remind you to live instead of just exist.

So in 2025, make those choices. Life’s too short to get it all right, but it’s long enough to get the important parts right.

Start there.

 

 

"A Pastor's Musings + Stop the Genocide"

 

Christmas Eve 2024.  A Pastor’s Musings.

Tonight is a night like any other night this past week, month, year. Another night with rain, snow, blizzard, drought, war, famine, family violence, addictions.  On the surface, that’s true. That’s the world in which we live socially, politically, religiously, and climatically.         

    Beneath this miserable insanity, there are cries and prayers for peace. Not peace at any price. Peace that lasts in mind and heart. Peace that brings  people together even if they disagree with each other. Peace that is understood and felt by its quality. There are those who live in peace like the silence in the center of a hurricane. They are consciously aware of the turmoil around them. They have learned to be at peace, to be at home in their own skin, mind and soul. Humanity lived in a peaceful environment until someone was not satisfied with his lot in life. That charismatic negativity bloomed, and, for a period of time, darkness came over the land.               But "a light shone in the darkness." There have always been those who opened their mind and heart, door and pocketbook, risked their lives for those others deemed to be “outsiders,” “immigrants” “the enemy.” In doing so they shone a light into the darkness and gave hope and inspiration to others to follow.                                        

   It’s not easy being the first to shine a light in the darkness. We do not know what we will find or see. Sometimes it is a mirror in which we find ourselves looking at that aspect of who we are and which we do not wish to see. But there it is with a light on it.                  

  Tonight, Death will escort those who have decided to cross over into Eternity and lead them home. God will be present to those who are hurt, injured, - mentally, emotionally, physically, spiritually. God did not do anything to them, as a child once told her teacher: “God doesn’t do it to us. God gets us through it.”                                                                                                          Tonight is different from all other nights. Tonight, we remember a child born in a room warmed by the presence of animals, and who slept in their warm straw. Tonight, we remember that that child matured and grew into a charismatic Teacher/Rabbi who taught us by word and example how to live spiritually in our human nature. The light he shone still burns around the world and is experienced in a cup of water, a hug, a sandwich, any and all good done in his name. Tonight we “Go tell it on the Mountain, Jesus Christ is born.”                                                                      Shalome/peace.               Séamus

“My name is Amos Goldberg. I am an Israeli Professor of Holocaust Studies. For nearly 30 years I have researched and taught the Holocaust, genocide and state violence.

And I want to tell whoever is willing to listen that what’s happening now in Gaza is a genocide.

A year ago when October 7th happened, like all Israelis I was in shock. It was a war crime and a crime against humanity. 1200 people - more than 800 of them civilians - were killed in one day. Children and the elderly were among those taken hostage. Communities were destroyed. It was outrageous, traumatizing, personal. Like most Israelis, I know people who were killed, who lost loved ones or whose loved ones were taken hostage.

But immediately afterwards came Israel’s response and within weeks thousands of civilians were killed in Gaza. It took me some time to digest what was unfolding before my eyes. It was agonizing to confront that reality. I was reluctant to call it a genocide.

But if you read Raphael Lemkin – the Jewish-Polish legal scholar who coined the term ‘genocide’ and was the major driving force behind the 1948 United Nations Genocide Convention – what is happening in Gaza now is exactly what he had in mind when he spoke about genocide.

It does not need to look like the Holocaust to be a genocide. Each genocide looks different and not all involve killing of millions or the entire group. The United Nations Genocide Convention explicitly asserts that genocide is the act of deliberately destroying a group in whole or in part. Those are the words.

But there does need to be a clear intent.

And indeed, there are clear indications of intent to destroy Gaza:

Israel’s leaders - including the prime minister and the minister of defence - and many high-ranking military officers, media personalities, rabbis, as well as ordinary soldiers were very open about what they wanted to achieve. There were countless documented incitements to turn the whole of Gaza into rubble and claims that there are no innocent people living there.

A radical atmosphere of dehumanization of the Palestinians prevails in Israeli society to an extent that I can’t remember in my 58 years of living here.

Now that vision has been enacted.

Tens of thousands of innocent children, women and men have been killed. Over a hundred thousand were wounded.

There is a near total destruction of infrastructure, intentional starvation and blocking of humanitarian aid.

There are mass graves and reliable testimony of summary executions. Children that were shot by snipers.

All the universities and almost all hospitals are gone. Almost all the population is displaced. There have been numerous bombings of civilians in so-called ‘safe zones’.

Gaza does not exist anymore. It is completely destroyed. Thus, the outcome fits perfectly with the stated intentions of Israel’s leadership.

Lemkin - that scholar who coined the term ‘genocide’ - described two phases of a genocide. The first is the destruction of the annihilated group and the second is what he called ‘imposition of the national pattern’ of the perpetrator. We are now witnessing the second phase as Israel prepares ethnically cleansed areas for Israeli settlements.

And therefore, I have come to the conclusion that this is exactly what a genocide looks like.

We don’t teach about genocides in order to realize it retrospectively. We teach about it in order to prevent it and to stop it. But like in every other case of genocide in history right now we have mass denial. Both here in Israel and around the world.

But reality cannot be denied.

So yes, it is a genocide.

And once you come to this conclusion you cannot remain silent.” -Amos Goldberg

Jiri Rezac

A 296 page report from Amnesty International details the evidence.

This 6 minute video summarizes their findings:

https://www.filmsforaction.org/.../israels-genocide.../

 

Pope Francis in his Christmas message said the following :

".This Christmas, at the beginning of the Jubilee Year, I invite every individual, and all peoples and nations, to find the courage needed to walk through that Door, to become pilgrims of hope, to silence the sound of arms and overcome divisions!

May the sound of arms be silenced in war-torn Ukraine! May there be the boldness needed to open the door to negotiation and to gestures of dialogue and encounter, in order to achieve a just and lasting peace.

May the sound of arms be silenced in the Middle East! In contemplating the Crib of Bethlehem, I think of the Christian communities in Palestine and in Israel, particularly the dear community in Gaza, where the humanitarian situation is extremely grave. May there be a ceasefire, may the hostages be released and aid be given to the people worn out by hunger and by war. I express my closeness to the Christian community in Lebanon, especially in the south, and to that of Syria, at this most delicate time. May the doors of dialogue and peace be flung open throughout the region, devastated by conflict. Here I also think of the Libyan people and encourage them to seek solutions that enable national reconciliation.

May the birth of the Saviour bring a new season of hope to the families of thousands of children who are dying from an outbreak of measles in the Democratic Republic of Congo, for the people of the East of that country, and of Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and Mozambique. The humanitarian crisis that affects them is caused mainly by armed conflicts and the scourge of terrorism, aggravated by the devastating effects of climate change, resulting in the loss of life and the displacement of millions of people. My thoughts also turn to the peoples of the nations of the Horn of Africa, for whom I implore the gifts of peace, concord and fraternity. May the Son of the Most High sustain the efforts of the international community to facilitate access to humanitarian aid for the civilian population of Sudan and to initiate new negotiations for a ceasefire.

May the proclamation of Christmas bring comfort to the people of Myanmar, who, due to the ongoing clash of arms, suffer greatly and are forced to flee their homes.

May the Infant Jesus inspire the political authorities and all people of good will on the American continent to find as soon as possible effective solutions, in justice and truth, to promote social harmony, particularly in Haiti, Venezuela, Colombia and Nicaragua. May they work, particularly during this Jubilee Year, to advance the common good and respect the dignity of each person, surmounting political divisions."

Give time to listen to the attached Christmas message. ( you might need to download and to view there !!

"Because of Love " + " An Exiles Christmas"

 

Because of Love!!

A brother and sister had made their usual hurried, obligatory pre Christmas visit to the little farm where dwelt their elderly parents with their small herd of horses. The farm was where they had grown up and it had been named Lone Pine Farm because of the huge pine, which topped the hill behind the farmhouse. Through the years the tree had become a talisman to the old man and his wife, and a landmark in the countryside. The young siblings had fond memories of their childhood here, but the city hustle and bustle added more excitement to their lives, and called them away to a different life.

The old folks no longer showed the horses, for the years had taken their toll, and getting out to the barn on those frosty mornings was getting harder, but it gave them a reason to get up in the mornings and a reason to live. They sold a few foals each year, and the horses were their reason for joy in the morning and contentment at day's end.

Angry, as they prepared to leave, the young couple confronted their parents  "Why do you not at least dispose of The Old One." She is no longer of use to you. It's been years since you've had foals from her. You should cut corners and save so you can have more for yourselves. How can this old worn out horse bring you anything but expense and work? Why do you keep her anyway?"

The old man looked down at his worn boots, holes in the toes, scuffed at the barn floor and replied, " Yes, I could use a pair of new boots."

His arm slid defensively about the Old One's neck as he drew her near. With gentle caressing he rubbed her softly behind her ears. He replied quietly, "We keep her because of love. Nothing else, just love."

Baffled and impatient, the young folks wished the old man and his wife a Merry Christmas and headed back toward the city as darkness stole through the valley.

The old couple shook their heads in sorrow that it had not been a happy visit. A tear fell upon their cheeks. How is it that these young folks do not understand the peace of the love that filled their hearts?

So it was, that because of the unhappy leave-taking, no one noticed the smell of the insulation smoldering on the frayed wires in the old barn. None saw the first spark fall. None but the "Old One".

In a matter of minutes, the whole barn was ablaze and the hungry flames were licking at the loft full of hay. With a cry of horror and despair, the old man shouted to his wife to call for help as he raced to the barn to save their beloved horses. But the flames were roaring now, and the blazing heat drove him back. He sank sobbing to the ground, helpless before the fire's fury. His wife back from calling for help cradled him in her arms, clinging to each other, they wept at their loss.

By the time the fire department arrived, only smoking, glowing ruins were left, and the old man and his wife, exhausted from their grief, huddled together in front of the barn. They were speechless and stunned as they rose from the cold snow covered ground. They nodded thanks to the firemen as there was nothing anyone could do now. The old man turned to his wife, resting her white head upon his shoulder as his shaking old hands clumsily dried her tears with a frayed red bandana. Brokenly he whispered, "We have lost much, but God has spared our home on this eve of Christmas. Let us gather strength and climb the hill to the old pine where we have sought comfort in times of despair. We will look down upon our home and give thanks to God that it has been spared and pray for our beloved most precious gifts that have been taken from us.

And so, he took her by the hand and slowly helped her up the snowy hill as he brushed aside his own tears with the back of his old, withered hand.

The journey up the hill was hard for their old bodies in the steep snow. As they stepped over the little knoll at the crest of the hill, they paused to rest, looking up to the top of the hill, the old couple gasped and fell to their knees in amazement at the incredible beauty before them.

Seemingly, every glorious, brilliant star in the heavens was caught up in the glittering, snow-frosted branches of their beloved pine, and it was aglow with heavenly candles. And poised on its top- most bough, a crystal crescent moon glistened like spun glass Never had a mere mortal created a Christmas tree such as this. They were breathless as the old man held his wife tighter in his arms.

Suddenly, the old man gave a cry of wonder and incredible joy. Amazed and mystified, he took his wife by the hand and pulled her forward. There, beneath the tree, in resplendent glory, a mist hovering over and glowing in the darkness was their Christmas gift. Shadows glistening in the night light.

Bedded down around the "Old One" close to the trunk of the tree, was the entire herd, safe.

At the first hint of smoke, she had pushed the door ajar with her muzzle and had led the horses through it. Slowly and with great dignity, never looking back, she had led them up the hill, stepping cautiously through the snow. The foals were frightened and dashed about. The skittish yearlings looked back at the crackling, hungry flames, and tucked their tails under them as they licked their lips and hopped like rabbits. The mares that were in foal with a new years crop of babies, pressed uneasily against the "Old One" as she moved calmly up the hill to safety beneath the pine. And now she lay among them and gazed at the faces of the old man and his wife.

Those she loved she had not disappointed. Her body was brittle with years, tired from the climb, but the golden eyes were filled with devotion as she offered her gift ---LOVE. Because of love. Only Because of love.

Tears flowed as the old couple shouted their praise and joy... And again the peace of love filled their hearts.

This is a true story.

Willy Eagle.

 

Now pause and remember someone you know is Irish and living overseas, or who cannot make it home to be with family and friends. 

AN EXILES CHRISTMAS

It was Christmas eve in London,

And an Irishman, called Joe.

Stood by an upstairs window

That looked on the street below.

He could see the shoppers passing by,

Their voices filled with cheer.

As they shouted happy Christmas,

And a prosperous new year.

As he looked around the little room,

That for years had been his home.

He was fifty years in London,

Since he crossed the ocean foam.

His youthful days behind him now,

And his working days Long gone.

In retirement, his days were spent

On his own, to carry on.

He could hear a church bell ringing,

On the street across the way.

Where mass was celebrated, on

The eve of Christmas day.

Then a choir started singing, and

The strains of silent night,

Came drifting through the window.

Into Joe's old flat that night.

As he listened to the singing,

He began to shed a tear.

For he always felt emotional,

On Christmas eve each year.

When old memories came flooding back,

And his thoughts began to stray.

To his childhood days in Ireland,

Long ago and far away

He could see again the old thatched house,

At the corner of the lane.

Oh what he'd give to be a lad, and be

back there once again.

The candle in the window,

To light a Welcome way.

For the virgin and the Christ child,

On the eve of Christmas day.

The Holly and the ivy, and the cards

Around the fire.

And his mothers Christmas cooking,

That would fill you with desire.

The boxes left for Santa Claus,

In the hopes that he would call.

With the toys to play on Christmas day,

The happiest times of all.

As his memories began to fade, reality

Set in.

He was back once more in London,

In his little flat again.

And he drew his coat around him, as he

Sat back in his chair.

And for all those in his memories, he

began to say a prayer.

And he asked the Lord, to grant them rest,

In the land beyond the sky.

All the folks he once shared Christmas with,

In the happy years gone by.

Tomorrow at the centre, he will meet his

Old friend jack, an Irishman just like himself.

That never made it back.

They will have their Christmas Dinner,

and a glass or two of beer,

As they join their old acquaintances,

And the friends they love so dear.

Everybody has their party piece,

To raise a bit of cheer.

At their Christmas get together.

In the centre every year.

So to all our Irish exiles, in lands

far off and near.

The blessing of this Christmas time we

wish you all this year.

And although we are divided, by land

and sky, and foam,

A very merry Christmas, from the Irish

Folks at home.

Martin O'Hara © 29/11/2021