Issue 391 - The Insignificant Fingernail

Hi,
I hope Monday finds you well.

In my book 'Transform Your Life in 21 Days!' I wrote about perspective.
I had some great prompts over the weekend, so I want to mention the subject again today.

In the paper over the weekend, there was a surprisingly uplifting double page spread.
Newspapers as a rule tend to focus on the bad things, but this was a double page of photos showing some gorgeous bronw orange and gold autumnul scenes around Britain, aiming to remind us that those of us living here live in a beautiful country.

That put a little smile on my face.

Later in the same paper there was a picture from the Cassini spacecraft which is currently clicking away at Saturn.
Through the famous rings, you could see a little white blob, and the little white blob is us lot.
Earth.

Pictures like that always remind me that we are of tiny significance in the universal scheme of things, (and that's assuming there's only the one universe, but don't get me started on that!)
Although when I break a finger nail it feels significant, and my yelling of 'Bugger me I've broken a fingernail! is loud enough. it really isn't significant, and life becomes a lot less stressful when you simply put small petty incidents in their rightful place.

Also over the weekend, a great natural history programme began a new series on TV.
The BBC has always been good at this sort of thing, and on eword springs to mind to describe the Planet Earth programme - spectacular.
It really is awe inspiring to see the environments and some of the creatures living in them.

A polar bear swimming 100km to find food, getting ever more desperate as his only hope of food is a walrus he cannot kill.
Penguins waddling 100 miles to breed, and the male penguins huddling together in a huge scrum to keep warm, while the females do the 200 mile round trip to bring food. It's stunning.

What I like is that at the end of each show they have a segment showing how the camera crews managed to get such amazing shots.
This week for instance, the ice worlds of the arctic and antarctic were featured, and we saw crews living in that icy world for a whole year!
Just to get us some nice shots to watch with a cup of tea (and a biscuit).

Of course these crews are following their passion without a doubt, which is a another key to a happy life, but this issue is about perspective, so I'll sign off by suggesting you soak in the visual treats of autumn.
Remember that was all carrying on before we came, and will be carrying on after we've gone, so get that broken nail into perspective!

Have a good week.'
'Til Next Time,

Health and Happiness,
Gordon
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