When desire comes calling

lead us not

The word ‘temptation’ is heavily loaded.  The OED definition is “the desire to do something, especially something wrong or unwise”.   The word ‘tempt’ is equally loaded, defined as “entice or try to entice someone to do something that they find attractive but know to be wrong or unwise”

If you are an open-minded curious type, there are going to be lot’s of times when you will be enticed and tempted into actions and activities that you know to be wrong or unwise or both.  Tempters have a radar that seeks out people who give off a curiosity signal.   They open a door that we can slip through to see what lies in the forbidden zone.   In the forbidden zone we can either stretch the boundaries of our experience or suffer the consequences of a poor decision.

made in the Moorlands     design and images ©Tom Tomkinson

Fate and fortune

fate and fortune

You can never predict what may happen in your life.  It’s probably a good thing though, what can be worse than anticipating good things are coming only to have bad things turn up.  We should focus on the stuff that we can control: meeting friends, learning skills, having fun, taking care of ourselves.  We need to learn to handle the unexpected with a big pinch of pragmatism.

But sometimes we expect bad things are coming only to have good things turn up and what could be better than that?

made in the Moorlands     design and images ©Tom Tomkinson

Where is heaven?

Maybe not everyone can look out of their window and see a heaven on earth.  Maybe not everyone is free to travel a short way to see a heaven on earth.  Maybe those of us who can do these things should feel a little more empathy for those of who can’t.

made in the Moorlands     design and images ©Tom Tomkinson

Be bold

be bold

You can be brave, daring, fearless, heroic, enterprising and confident in life. Or you can be a bit brash, shameless, insolent and in-your-face.  It’s all about boldness but some boldness may be usefully positive and some uselessly negative.

When it comes to being bold in your creativity, think distinctive, vivid, conspicuous, colourful, bright and flamboyant.

I wish you boldness and good fortune.

made in the Moorlands     design and images ©Tom Tomkinson

Sweet neighbours

sweet neighbours

made in the Moorlands     design and images©Tom Tomkinson

Incomplete idiots

idiots

There are usually a few bits missing: knowledge about the dietary needs of our partners, any scrap of empathy for the ageing process, a memory capable of retaining information about birthdays, anniversaries or conversations.

I am sure you will have your own list of missing components…

made in the Moorlands     design and images ©Tom Tomkinson

Can’t stand sleeping

can’t stand sleeping

If you could master stand up sleeping with your eyes open that would be something.  I tried it once but fell into a pond.  There was a time when if you were spotted nodding off during a really boring lesson at school it was okay for the teacher to sneak up behind you and whack you on the back of your little nodding head with a volume of Moby Dick so the contents of your nose flew across the room.  A useful alternative would be to slap a huge steel ruler down on the desk creating a shock-wave strong enough to send you leaping high into the air. This was a time known as ‘the good old days’.

made in the Moorlands     design and images ©Tom Tomkinson

Young and beautiful

young and beautiful

Hang on to your youthful optimism, hope and enthusiasm for as long as you can and learn to recognise those who would deceive you.

made in the Moorlands    design and images ©Tom Tomkinson

State your aim

state your aim

Apparently you can take a Lions dinner from under its nose but only if the Lion knows that you are one hundred percent committed to taking it – it’s a and body language thing.    While I would never recommend anyone to try to rob the Lion of its dinner, it’s useful to be confident about the direction you are taking in life – it’s also a body language thing.

made in the Moorlands     design and images ©Tom Tomkinson

Golden cage

golden cage

For every singing bird that seeks a place in your heart, a dozen crows with bad attitudes are looking for a quick fix.  I guess that’s the dilemma.  So open your heart just wide enough for singing birds to squeeze in and keep a baseball bat for the crows you meet.

made in the Moorlands     design and images ©Tom Tomkinson