The Fire Under Fyodor Dostoyevsky, By Tracey Vale

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Dostoevsky_1872.jpg

The opening chapter of a book, the name of which I can’t recall, reminds us that we have, on average, a certain number of days left and that we should think of our lives in this way and not waste the time we have left. ‘Carpe Diem’, or ‘Seize the day’ is a quote made particularly famous in the movie Dead Poets’ Society and one that suits this message.

The renowned Russian writer, Fyodor Dostoyevsky (1821-1881) was reminded of this in a way that most of us will never experience, a completely jolting, terrifying experience causing him to value his time and talent and compelling him with an incredible drive.

It was December 1849, Dostoyevsky was blindfolded as part of his punishment for the ‘Patrashevsky conspiracy’, believed since to be a primarily harmless group, following his arrest for sedition. The firing squad, under orders from the Russian Czar, had lifted their rifles and prepared to shoot when a messenger ran toward them, yelling “Stop!”, signifying a last-minute reprieve. Instead, he was sentenced to four years imprisonment in Siberia.

“Czar Nicholas had decided to sentence the Petrashevsky radicals to hard labor soon after their arrest. But he wanted to teach them a harsher lesson as well, so he dreamed up the cruel theater of the death sentence, with its careful details—the priest, the hoods, the coffins, the last-second pardon. This, he thought, would really humble and humiliate them. In fact some of the prisoners were driven insane by the events of that day. But the effect on Dostoyevsky was different: he had been afflicted for years with a sense of wandering, of feeling lost, of not knowing what to do with his time. An extremely sensitive man, that day he literally felt his own death deep in his bones. And he experienced his "pardon" as a rebirth.”1

He returned to St. Petersburg with a new motto: to do as much as he could in the shortest possible time, to achieve to the best of his ability. As this attitude was directly the result of his overturned execution, he became angry at those who expressed pity for his time of imprisonment. There was no residual bitterness—only an open view of his future. He pledged to utilise every moment, forcing himself back to that day whenever he felt himself straying from this goal.

“…he would have to write, and not the way other novelists wrote—as if it were a pleasant little artistic career, with all its attendant delights of salons, lectures, and other frills. Dostoyevsky wrote as if his life were at stake, with an intense feeling of urgency and seriousness.” 1

It was a lasting pledge, right up until his death in 1881. He wrote 11 novels, including Poor Folk, Crime and Punishment, The Idiot, The Devils and The Brothers Karamazov, 17 short novels, three novellas and three essays. Acknowledged as an important and relevant psychologist in world literature, his work has influenced such writers as Ernest Hemingway and Sigmund Freud as well as influencing thinkers behind both the French and Russian revolutions.

References

• 1. The 33 Strategies of War by Robert Greene: Cited 4/5/12 at http://www.artblog.net/post/2012/01/dostoyevsky/
• http://www.yamazumiyourlife.com/pivot-points/ Cited 4/5/12
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fyodor_Dostoyevsky Cited 4/5/12
• http://www.utoronto.ca/tsq/DS/01/003.shtml Cited 4/5/12

Work-Life Balance- an inspiring poem

The following was from a terminally ill girl in a New York hospital and was sent in an email to Timothy Ferriss, author of The 4-Hour Work Week, a New York Times Bestseller.

Slow Dance

Have you ever watched kids

On a merry-go-round?

Or listened to the rain

Slapping on the ground?

Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight?

Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?

You better slow down.

Don't dance so fast.

Time is short.

The music won't last.

Do you run through each day

On the fly?

When you ask: How are you?

Do you hear the reply?

When the day is done

do you lie in your bed

With the next hundred chores

Running through your head?

You'd better slow down.

Don't dance so fast.

Time is short.

The music won't last.

Ever told your child,

We'll do it tomorrow?

And in your haste,

Not see his sorrow?

Ever lost touch,

Let a good friendship die

'Cause you never had time

To call and say, "Hi"?

You'd better slow down.

Don't dance so fast.

Time is short.

The music won't last.

When you run so fast to get somewhere

You miss half the fun of getting there.

When you worry and hurry through your day,

It is like an unopened gift thrown away.

Life is not a race.

Do take it slower.

Hear the music

Before the song is over.

Source: The 4-Hour Work Week, Timothy Ferriss, Vermilion, London, 2008, p. 284-5.

A reflection from Steve Jobs

"For the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: 'If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?' And whenever the answer has been 'No' for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something...almost everything--all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure--these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose."

Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Computer (despite having been a college dropout), Stanford University Commencement, 2005

Source: http://news-service.stanford.edu/news/2005/june15/jobs-061505.html , as cited in The 4-Hour Work Week, T. Ferriss, Vermilion, U.K., 2008

Note: Steve Jobs was first diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2003. He was born 24/2/1955 and died 5/10/2011.

A writer's quote from Norman Mailer

"The writer can grow as a person or he can shrink....His curiosity, his reaction to life must not diminish. The fatal thing is to shrink, to be interested in less, sympathetic to less, desiccating to the point where life itself loses its flavour and one's passion for human understanding changes to weariness and distaste."

Norman Mailer (31/1/1923-10/11/2007) American novelist, journalist, essayist, poet, playwright and screenwriter.

Favourite Quotes from Nelson Mandela

I have great admiration for those who conquer adversity and fight for what they believe in, no matter the cost. The following are my favourite quotes from one of the world's most inspirational people, Nelson Mandela.

By Michael Steer, Copyright 2012

“I am fundamentally an optimist. Whether that comes from nature or nurture, I cannot say. Part of being optimistic is keeping one’s head pointed toward the sun, one’s feet moving forward. There were many dark moments when my faith in humanity was sorely tested, but I would not and could not give myself up to despair. That way lays defeat and death.” (Long Walk to Freedom)

“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” (Autobiography)

“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.” (Autobiography)

“No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.” (Autobiography)

“For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.”

"There is no easy walk to freedom anywhere, and many of us will have to pass through the valley of the shadow of death again and again before we reach the mountaintop of our desires."

"We must use time wisely and forever realize that the time is always ripe to do right."

"Let there be justice for all. Let there be peace for all. Let there be work, bread, water and salt for all. Let each know that for each the body, the mind and the soul have been freed to fulfill themselves." (Speech, May 10, 1994)

“A good head and good heart are always a formidable combination. But when you add to that a literate tongue or pen, then you have something very special."

Sunrise Over Pt. Noarlunga, by Peter Kemp, Copyright 2012

“I have walked that long road to freedom. I have tried not to falter; I have made missteps along the way. But I have discovered the secret that after climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb. I have taken a moment here to rest, to steal a view of the glorious vista that surrounds me, to look back on the distance I have come. But I can only rest for a moment, for with freedom come responsibilities, and I dare not linger, for my long walk is not ended.”     

“Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies.”  

"There is no passion to be found playing small - in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.”   

“It always seems impossible until it’s done.”

Regular payments prevent debt bloom, By Tracey Vale

Recent research from credit reporting and debt collection agency, Dun & Bradstreet, has shown that consumer debt has risen to an all-time high, with Australians facing financial strain despite efforts to improve the economic front. Diana Mathew, of The Money Tree, says a few simple changes can combat the problem.

Dun & Bradstreet says referral debt amounts are at the highest level in almost five years, rising on average to above $1000.

Their research also shows that those with accounts in default, particularly utilities and telecommunications, will face further credit struggles as they default on other types of credit.

The findings show that debt values from utilities and telecommunications accounts referred for debt collection, have increased markedly over the past two years. Utilities debts have risen by 50 percent, while telecommunications debts have risen by 41 percent.

Diana Mathew uses a no-nonsense approach with her system in The Money Tree and espouses that these types of debts will not get out of hand with the adoption of her system.

She says there is a simple solution. “Householders need to put aside amounts for expected expenses and make regular payments. The bigger a debt becomes, the harder it is to pay off.” Mathew recommends paying $100 a month off utility bills, rather than waiting for a quarterly account.

“The philosophy behind regular payments is: should you lag in a particular payment it is better to be $100 behind rather than $300 shy.” She also says that there is a safety benefit to this in that the money is allocated.

“Unallocated cash causes wasted expenditure, which comes back to the old adage—don’t spend what you don’t have.”

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For more information on The Money Tree System, follow this link: http://www.mymoneytree.com.au/

Eco and health-friendly cleaning, By Tracey Vale

Cleaning products often house a menagerie of chemicals hazardous to both human health and to the environment. There are currently no government regulations to force manufacturers to list the ingredients of cleaning products and even ‘eco-friendly’ products can use misleading terminology.

“Across the continent, there are more than 75000 chemicals in use in industry. Yet barely 10 per cent of those ingredients have been fully tested for their health and environmental effects. That means there’s still a lot we don’t know. But where we do know that a toxic chemical ingredient can cause serious health effects, it’s important to take action and make changes.” 1

Among the hazards of many cleaning products, the ingredients have been shown to contain carcinogens and have therefore been linked as a contributing factor to the rise in cancer cases since World War Two. Other ingredients have been found to have a cumulative effect on health, even if the initial and subsequent exposures are minimal, leading to allergies and disease, particularly asthma, liver disease and kidney damage.

Ingredients of these cleaning products have also proven harmful to reproduction, affecting both the female and the male reproductive systems and can affect the unborn foetus, especially during susceptible stages of development.

Such products are contaminants to the environment, contributing to water pollution and ingestion by aquatic life, in turn leading to detrimental effects for the animals feeding off that sea life in an ever-damaging cycle.

Eliminating these products means better health for you and your family as well as improving the environment through the encouragement of cleaner water, cleaner air and a reduction in energy costs through decreased demand for the production of hazardous products.

DIY Cleaning Products

Health and environmentally-conscious cleaning products are easy to make with readily available ingredients and are often just as effective to use. Here are a few options:

Kitchen Bacteria

Pour white vinegar into a spray bottle and use on bench-tops, cupboards, refrigerator, stove and microwave. The acid in the vinegar kills most bacteria, removes and keeps mould at bay and removes odour and stains.

General Kitchen Cleaning

Use a microfibre cloth or mit, with a little water to wipe down bench-tops, cupboards, tiles, glass and whitegoods. Also use to polish taps, sinks and draining boards.

Note: a microfibre cloth or mit can be purchased from a supermarket or related dealer. Alternatively, make your own from relatively dense polar fleece fabric, available from any fabric store, or recycle from an old polar fleece top.

A microfibre mop, used with a spray of water, is effective for kitchen floors and any tiled or hardwood floors.

Grease Cutter

Vinegar cuts grease and is effective when added to dish washing water. Add a quarter of a cup to your sink load.

Oven Door Cleaner

Clean grease from the inside of an oven door by spraying with white vinegar. Leave to soak for 15 minutes. Wipe clean.

Oven Cleaner

Make a thick paste with baking soda, water and a teaspoon of dishwashing liquid or liquid soap. Rub into the oven and clean with a nylon scouring pad. Rinse off with water and sponge.

Microwave Cleaner

Place a bowl containing 2 cups of water and ½ cup of white vinegar into the microwave and heat on High for 4 minutes, or until boiling. Leave the door closed for five minutes to allow the steam to loosen the grime. Open and wipe clean.

Cream Cleanser / Scourer

Combine ¼ cup of baking soda to a tablespoon of dishwashing liquid. Add white vinegar and mix until thick and creamy. Use on bath-tub rings, soap scum, tiles, bench-top stains and more.

Air Freshener

Pour white vinegar into a spray bottle and spray into the air. Both the odours and the vinegar smell will evaporate. Add a few drops of essential oil to the vinegar, if preferred.

Bathroom Mould

Vinegar has been shown to kill over 80 percent of mould. Pour white vinegar into a spray bottle. Scrub mould areas with water and a scrubbing brush. Spray vinegar onto any remaining mould areas. Rub in with a brush, where necessary, and leave to dry. Repeat the process until all the mould is gone.

The vinegar smell will dissipate within a few hours, depending on how much was used. If you can’t tolerate this smell, add a few drops of an essential oil to the spray bottle.

A paste or solution made from salt and white vinegar removes stubborn mould. Scrub offending areas first, then with a clean cloth, dip it in the mixture and rub into the remaining stain.

General Bathroom Cleaning

Use a microfibre cleaning cloth or mit with a little water to remove soap scum from tiles, basin and shower. (See ‘Note’ under ‘General Kitchen Cleaning’ to purchase or make your own.)

This is also effective for mirrors and glass. Follow through with a cotton cloth to avoid streaking.

The bathroom can also be cleaned with a sponge or brush and a little liquid soap diluted in water.

Dusting

Use a dry microfibre cleaning cloth or mit to dust furniture, glass and electronic screens. (See ‘Note’ under ‘General Kitchen Cleaning’ to purchase or make your own.)

Mould and Mildew on Curtains and Fabrics

Place fabric into the washing machine and add two cups of white vinegar, along with your normal detergent. Wash in a full cycle and hang in the sun to dry as heat also kills mould.

Fabric Stain Remover

To make a pre-wash, fabric stain remover, mix 160ml of water in a spray bottle with 20 ml glycerin and 20 ml liquid dishwashing liquid. Spray stains and place in washing machine to wash as normal.

Glass and Mirrors

Use a microfibre cloth, as described under ‘General Bathroom Cleaning’ or use

vinegar. Pour vinegar into a spray bottle, spray windows and wipe over with a cloth.

Wood Heater Glass Door

Remove black stains from glass doors of wood-burning heaters by spraying with a solution of 50/50 vinegar and water. Wipe clean.

Soften Paintbrushes

Soak brushes in hot vinegar. Rinse.

Paint Splatters on Windows

Spray with vinegar to loosen the paint. Wipe down.

Crayon Marks

To remove crayon marks from painted walls, rub with a little toothpaste and a damp cloth.

Scuff Marks

To remove scuff marks on floors and doors, rub with a little toothpaste and a damp cloth.

Carpet Deodoriser

Sprinkle carpet with baking soda. Leave for at least 15 minutes before vacuuming.

Baking soda can also be used to remove odours in fridges, closets and other areas. Place baking soda in a small bowl and leave to absorb the smells.

Resources

http://scorecard.goodguide.com/

An interactive site, listing chemicals and effects. Enter chemical name to search.

http://leas.ca/UsersFiles/File/pdf/Cleaners_Toxins_Guide_2009.pdf

Labour Environmental Alliance Society, Toxic Free Canada Archives

Sources

• Cleaners and Toxins Guide, Toxic Free Canada, Vancouver BC, M. Burrows, S. Griffin, L. Stoffman, cited 10/2/12 at: http://leas.ca/UsersFiles/File/pdf/Cleaners_Toxins_Guide_2009.pdf
• www.videojug.com/film//how-to-clean-your-home-with-vinegar Cited 10/2/12
• www.squidoo.com/whitevinegar Cited 13/2/12
• www.ecologycenter.org/factsheets/cleaning.html#mildew Cited 13/2/12