almost everyone carries a burden
some make it obvious, others hide it well
however heavy your own burden may be
try to take the burden from somebody who needs help
they will stand taller, walk stronger and see clearer
while you carry their burden
it will take your mind off yours
your own burden will wither away from neglect
when they no longer need their burden
you can discard it
eventually you will be burden free
with an infinite capacity to relieve others
Some people find it hard to say no, they are afraid of how it will be received
You can be blunt and brutally honest sometimes
No you cannot borrow my car, last time it came back all dirty with an empty tank
No I will not lend you money until you get paid, you need to spend less
No I do not want another drink, you probably had enough too
No I cannot deal with your request right now, I am too busy
Or you say no and still be nice about it
Sorry I promised myself never to lend my car to anybody but I am going into town shorty if you need a ride
I’m sorry I just can’t lend you any more money but I will gift you this great book on how to manage your personal finances
Its been a fun evening but I need to leave soon so its best if I just finish this last drink, thank you so much for the kind offer though and I hope you enjoy your last drink as much as I did mine
I understand exactly what you need and I will work on it as soon as I am available
Whichever way you choose , its appropriate to say no sometimes
Saying no is empowering
saying no is liberating
Saying no keeps you in control
Saying no prevents others from stealing your time
Saying no prevents takers from taking
Learn to say no
Have a strong sense of values
stand up for what is right and clearly identify when something is wrong
be authentic and lead by example
don’t get involved in unscrupulous activities
Help other people
if you feel safe, stop for those in need at the side of the road, don’t wait to be asked
be compassionate to those who ask for help
volunteer for a cause
be a good listener
be charitable
don’t expect something in return
Keep your promises
always deliver and do it well
Earn it
work hard for your paycheck
don’t expect to get something for free
be respectful to others at ALL times
Be honest
always tell the truth when asked
be tactful when the truth will hurt others
Be a mentor
show others the right path to take
be available to answer their questions
give encouragement when due
Nobody is perfect
try to improve on your own flaws
don’t always point the finger at everybody else’s flaws
Do not humiliate others
resist the temptation to mock those who are embarrassed
Be a good loser
shake hands with the person who beats you at sport, in a sale or a competition
be sincere in your congratulations
ask anybody who their idol is
its most likely its a pop star or a film actor
or a professional sports person
why do we place entertainers in such high esteem
they earn ridiculous amounts of money
just to sing a song or speak to a camera or hit a ball
they also get paid for endorsements
telling us all what to wear or eat
as if they were some kind of expert
they often gather at lavish galas
showering each other with self gratifying awards
making rambling speeches often while drunk
but audiences still lap it up
your idols are forgiven their bad behavior
intoxication and infidelity are accepted
as par for the course of stardom
your invisible unsung heroes are all around you
volunteer firefighters will fearlessly rush into your burning home
paramedics will save your life if you crash your car
ER doctors will be alert at 4am to to treat you when chronically sick
intensive care nurses will work long shifts to bring you back to good health
poorly paid cleaners will scrub the hospital floors you walk on
if you become homeless or starving you will encounter living angels
police officers will risk their lives protecting you from criminals
coastguard pilots will rescue you if you are lost in raging seas
military personnel will hunt down dangerous terrorists who could harm you
agricultural workers will tirelessly harvest crops for your food
your life is better now because forgotten activists tirelessly fought injustice
the list of your invisible unsung heroes is endless
but you will never see one drunk walking a red carpet
his friend was a real drama queen
she always had some desperate problem to solve
a pending crisis was invariably looming in her life
he spent most of his time rescuing her
helping her escape from bad relationships
lending her money when she was broke
sobering her up when she came around drunk
consoling her when she was crying and upset
giving her advice on her work problems
telling her how to deal with her crazy brother
there were no end to her issues
but he just kept dealing with her drama
one day she asked to meet up
said she would love to have dinner
he suggested he cooked for them both
she agreed to come over to his place at 7
he prepared a delicious meal
set the table and waited
he waited and waited and waited
she was not answering his calls or texts
she eventually showed up after 10pm
he had to pay the cab and help her walk to the door
she was drunk and could hardly stand
telling him she had a big row with her boyfriend
he had dumped her via text and she was upset
so she had spent three hours trying to call him
but she was hungry now
he served dinner as she rambled away
complaining about her life
her lack of facebook likes
jealous of her instagram friends lives
she was considering dating a random guy
just to make her boyfriend jealous
she asked him what he could do to help her
he took a deep breath
looked her straight in the eyes and said
not my circus not my monkeys
he called an Uber to take her home
she protested as he put her in the car
his phone never stopped ringing
sending her a final text
NOT MY CIRCUS NOT MY MONKEYS
then he blocked her number
Hugs have proven health benefits
Hugs can lower your blood pressure
Hugs can improve your immune sytem
Hugs can relieve stress and tension
If you give really long hug, your heart rate and breathing can go in sync with the recipient
We don’t need science to tell us hugs are good
Everybody knows hugs feel good, both as a giver and receiver
So what makes a really good hug
Firstly the hug can only be given with permission of the recipient
So always ask before you hug
This can be a verbal exchange or if you know each other well just by body language
Make eye contact before you hug and approach slowly with arms open
Take a deep breath before hugging to help synchronize your breathing
Lean in close and match the pressure of the other person
A good hug should last at least 20 seconds
Release gently from the hug and make eye contact
Smile
Enjoy the benefits of a good hug
Now go out and practice
If you are alone you can hug yourself
Its ok to announce to others that you need a hug
On this beautiful day
The sun came up
Orange rays of light painted the clouds
Birds lined up to watch
A light breeze gifted playful ripples on the bay
The low sun lit up the ripples with flashes of white light
The fairies were dancing on the water again
Relaxing music filled our home
We prepared our minds and bodies for a day of challenges
Tapping into the positive energy of the sunrise
Giving thanks for being healthy in both body and mind
Wondering why the same world can be so different for others
Thinking back to my time as a first responder
Remembering the day we rescued a 19 year old girl from a heroin overdose
Her heroin addict roommate had raised the alarm
She had stopped breathing when we arrived
We brought her back to life with drugs and oxygen
She had just been released from rehab
Her world was cheap hotels and selling her body for drugs
She probably overdosed again
One day the sun will rise after she had taken her last breath
Gentle music will be filling our home when the hotel housemaid discovers her dead
The fairies will dance on the bay during her autopsy
Birds will sing while her parents grieve at her funeral
We all share the same light from the sun
I choose to see the beauty it brings
Unfortunately some are unable to see what I see
Either through bad fortune or bad decisions
They see a world full of struggle and despair
The non-judgmental sun comes up every morning
He brings you your light
Carry it well
Cheeky Monkey Poetry 