Recycling! There’s so much we can do. These days, we can responsibly dispose of our unwanted packaging materials and green waste in household recycling bins. Also, at events such as garage sales, flea-markets and car-boot sales, opportunities abound for other useful items such as pre-loved clothing and kids’ toys to find their way to good homes. But that’s not all.
According to Paul Harrison from Benefits-Of-Recycling.com, there are many ideas for “extending the life and usefulness of something that has already served its initial purpose”. This is something I learned to do not so long ago.
Recently, it was necessary for me to carry out some serious downsizing in my home and office. In thinking about what to do with all the accumulated paraphernalia, I had a bright idea. As I didn’t want to sell anything, the neighbourhood school was offered my stationery and office equipment. Also, over the course of several months, no-longer-needed items of furniture were simply placed on the front lawn with a sign “help yourself”.
Each piece of furniture was quickly snapped up by someone who really needed and wanted it. A single mother took an item, a newlywed another. Then a retired gentleman, a young family man, the secretary of the local girl guides, a neighbouring factory worker, a primary school teacher, an office manager, and even a nearby religious seminary joined the list of glad recipients.
My successful efforts at practical recycling got me thinking about another type of reprocessing. It’s one that is more personal in nature, yet it can lead to improved health-outcomes. It’s what I call “thought recycling”. Yes, I know this may sound a little unusual. But stay with me. See what you think about this idea.
So often our thinking is taken up with negative, unhappy, even dismal-type thoughts. Our mind becomes cluttered with worry, stress, and health fears. The only thing to be done with this kind of mental-litter, is to bin it ready for discarding. Depressing, unhealthy thoughts and fears, shouldn’t be recycled. Apart from the fact that no one else really wants them, negative thoughts aren’t useful or health-producing. On the other hand, positive, constructive, happy, and health-promoting thoughts are ready-made for inclusion in a mental recycling program.
Here’s how it might work. Let’s say you’ve been comforted, gained mental strength or found healing from spiritual ideas that generous people have shared in sacred poetry, songs, books, or texts. If so, it would seem only natural for you to then “recycle” them. You’d want to pass on those inspirational ideas that have enhanced your life or improved your health, with others seeking freedom from worry, ill-health or despair. In this way, an inspired idea that has “served its initial purpose” – to benefit you, now has its life extended.
So what do you think? Are you ready to sign on for my “thought recycling” program? If so, here are a couple of tips to get you heading in the right direction.
● Be selective. Check out the type of thought you want to circulate to others before doing so. Is it a truly health-promoting and beneficial idea? After all, each thought we share contributes to our individual and the collective mental environment.
● Relate reassuring, healing stories from personal experience. Nothing in our life is ever wasted. What we learn from both the good and hard times in our life, can sustain and bolster someone else who may be going through a similar experience.
● Share kind thoughts. In a poem titled “Love is kind”, the author Henry Burton, writes, “Have you had a kindness shown? Pass it on! …Let it travel down the years, Let it wipe another’s tears, …Pass it on!” Burton based his poem on an inspired text by another writer whose worthwhile idea was to “Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters”.
● Recycle gratitude. It’s heartening to not only receive expressions of appreciation, but to pass them on at home, school or work. Gratitude brightens a moment, encourages an individual, and later continues to remind them that they’ve done something worthwhile – they’ve done well.
As human beings, we’re benefitted by kind words, wellness promoting suggestions, and expressions of gratitude and appreciation. Our lives are buoyed and enriched with the good ideas that others have found helpful and have taken the time to share with us. These thoughts are not only worth circulating – in large quantities, but it’s a way to extend their life and usefulness. This is plain, simple, common-sense, recycling at its best.
This article also appeared on The Wellness Wire – an Internet daily inspired to help forward lifestyles of health, happiness, and longevity, and a peaceful, just, sustainable world, and the September 2013 issue of Around Point Cook community
newspaper.
I’m a professional Christian Science Practitioner and Teacher. Through my prayer-based practice, I help people find happiness, health and healing.
Ann Drysdale says
I love this idea. So often we hoard our inspirations, gratitude etc., and recycling is so much the better option
Beverly Goldsmith says
Thank you Ann for your comment. Handing on our wellness promoting ideas, expressions of gratitude, and what has benefitted us, can certainly be a blessing to someone else in need of a boost along. Good ideas are always worth recycling.
Carol says
Thank you so much Beverly – the thoughts you share are extremely helpful to me. I’m trusting that putting the recycling thought process into action will also translate into ideas for some very much needed recycling of personal effects. With love.
Beverly Goldsmith says
Thanks Carol for your comment. I am sure that you will come up with excellent ideas not only for recycling your good thoughts, but for passing on your useful personal items. There is always someone who needs exactly what we can share.
David says
I’ve always been an enthusiastic supporter of recycling, but I’m even more so now. Your blog has given me a quite different, new way to think about it and take action. Every time I go to a recycle bin in future your insightful ideas about “think recycling” will be re-sounding in my ears! I like the idea of sharing around love and kindness. Just the other day I had a small, first-hand example of that kind of recycling. At the local coffee shop where I’m a regular customer my ongoing aim is to make sure that I express warmth and consideration towards the staff. It was a pleasant, unexpected surprise when I thanked one of them for kindly adding some milk to what had been a stronger-than-usual cup of decaf coffee. She replied brightly that she was happy to do it and that “it was done with loving care”. Her response was much more of a “pick-up” for me than any coffee ever could be! As the saying goes: “From small things, big things grow”. The smallest “pebble” of affection or gratitude, when placed in a calm pond can result in ever bigger concentric ripples spreading far away from the initial source.
Beverly Goldsmith says
Well done David. Thank you for your comment. It is a perfect example of engaging in recycling for the mind. You passed on your appreciation and it was accepted, and then unexpectedly recycled back to you. Expressions of kindness and gratitude are certainly worth sharing with others whom we interact with in our daily life. Keep up the good work.
Pauline Rita Noorts says
Wonderful this just meets the need at this time and experience, thank you very much for a worthwhile idea on recycling everything.
Beverly Goldsmith says
Thank you Pauline for leaving a comment. It’s good to know that the topic of putting no longer needed items to good use, is proving helpful to you. I always find that there is just the right home for things I have no more use for. The right ideas for recycling, are there just awaiting discovery.
Jeanette says
Thank you Beverly, what a great idea. I hadn’t thought of recycling in this way. I am now looking forward to recognising how much more thought recycling I can do.
Beverly Goldsmith says
Well done Jeanette on leaving a comment. I am glad that you are going to be finding new ways to share the good ideas you have. This kind of recycling is such a benefit to your family and friends – in fact to everyone you meet. Keep up the good work.
annie says
Great tips!
Beverly Goldsmith says
Thanks Annie for you comment. So glad you found the tips helpful. Good ideas are not only worth circulating – in large quantities, but it’s a way to extend their life and usefulness. This is plain, simple, common-sense, recycling at its best.