STEP FORWARD

With a conscious effort, I have found that by not always jumping in first with an opinion, or a quip, but rather just by listening, I am learning to be a much more patient person. I know I need to work on this. It’s up to us to decide how we spend our time and focus, and the future we want. 

One of our readers, who recently spent 12 hours in hospital with their son, wrote on our Facebook page: “Thankfully I had thought to bring along my latest MiNDFOOD mag. I read articles about amazing people and worked on the puzzles until my head hurt … I can’t think of another magazine that could go the distance of a whole day in hospital”. Within the post, they included a great quote by writer Joseph Campbell (see Inbox page): “We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned, so as to accept the life that is waiting for us.”

This quote got me thinking. Rather than focusing on the negative, focus on the future; we all have so much potential. It’s easy to wallow in self-disbelief or to compare yourself with others and feel inferior or insecure. But try stepping into the future with a real sense of hope, keeping things simple, and questioning whether this really is what you want to be doing. Be smart and give yourself time to think things over and never be afraid to question and learn new things.

This edition of MiNDFOOD is packed with a range of stories that will stretch your thinking and, we hope, make you think about how you are living your life. From Sarah Wayland’s story on the faces of Christchurch to Lindy Davis’s poignant first-person account of March of the Living, there is much for us all to learn in these features.

In the recent film The Iron Lady, former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher (played by our last issue’s cover star, Meryl Streep) shares a wonderful quote: “Watch your thoughts, for they become words. Watch your words, for they become actions. Watch your actions, for they become habits. Watch your habits, for they become your character. And watch your character, for it becomes your destiny! What we think, we become.” I agree. Think smart, and step into your exciting future.  

Michael McHugh