Is The Advice To Walk 10,000 Steps A Day A Realistic Plan?

June 11, 2022  | Valerie Hayes  | Health & Wellness, My Story, Thoughts & Ideas, View All Articles & Photos

For many years I embraced this concept, and was part of the pedometer sales pitch when the whole thing started. I was doing wellness promotion and teaching, so it all seemed like a good idea.

For many people, it is a realistic goal, because 10,000 steps is about five miles. On average, people take 15-20 minutes to walk a mile. Of course younger people who do not have any hip, knee or weight problems will walk the 15 minute mile, and the older we get the slower we get. But fitness varies widely among all age groups, so these observations are generalizations.

If we average 20 minutes a mile, it means walking 100 minutes per day, or an hour and forty minutes. At 15 minutes per mile, you would be walking 75 minutes a day, or an hour and fifteen minutes.

It helps to walk as much as possible to run errands, so you get some purposeful walking time. I think 10,000 steps a day might be reasonable for some people, but I don’t think it is easy or necessary to try and fit it into every day of the week.

One thing to keep in mind about driving to the location you prefer to walk, means you will be adding the driving and parking time to the daily routine. When I was living on Haida Gwaii, I walked the loop around Spirit Lake Trail in Skidegate at least five times a week. Those are probably some of the walks I cherish most. But the drive too and from the trail took an extra twenty to thirty minutes a day.

Crescent Beach, White Rock Beach, Kits Beach, Jericho Beach, Vedder River and Rotary Trails – Oh yes, those are great walking locations too. When you find the off-beaten paths around and through community gardens, marinas, the piers, rivers, beaches, and laneways, you almost feel like you belong there. So far, I would rate my favourite walks as Spirit Lake Trail and Kits Beach.

As far as distance, It might work better to aim for the five miles four times a week, and then whatever you fit in on the other days is a bonus. It might lower your daily average, but also gives you a break.

If you walk five miles a day seven days a week, it adds up to 35 miles a week, which is 150 miles a month, and over 1800 miles a year.

I counted the steps from my fit-bit watch from June 1-10, and walked around 60,000 steps, averaging 6000 steps a day. I only wear the watch when I go out to walk, so I had to estimate the remaining steps each day. I have already recorded the average baseline amount that I walk around indoors.

Although the days of wearing a pedometer on the belt are long gone, I sometimes wonder about the accuracy of the fit-bit watches. One day, mine said I had climbed fourteen flights of stairs, when at the most I walked up one or two flights. It said my heart rate was 39, when it was more like 65. So, technology is not a hundred per cent ground truth-ed, so to speak. But it is probably more accurate than a pedometer.

Walking is one of the greatest lifelong exercises. I think pedestrian friendly, and car free cities is a great idea. It would be good to have safe places for pedestrians to walk, and lanes for cyclists, and probably electric scooters and E-bikes as well. The inner city transportation may change in the coming years, to accommodate small electric vehicles.

Walking leaves the smallest carbon footprint, and only takes the energy powered by our own legs and feet. Not only that, but the more you walk, the more energy you get. It is probably the only form of energy expenditure that does not require any manufacturing, does not have to be parked, does not need gas or a battery, and can be done on a variety of terrains. Nothing beats it.

It would be nice to see fewer cyclists on the sidewalks, especially those who ride fast with no regard for the pedestrians, other than to makes us get out of the way.

Every step we take – is a step in the right direction when it comes to staying active, and getting fresh air. This June is much cooler than last June. It’s a blessing for the walkers!

Stalkers – What Causes This Type Of Harassment?

May 25, 2022  | Valerie Hayes  | Health & Wellness, My Story, Thoughts & Ideas, View All Articles & Photos

There is little doubt that stalking is a crime that affects men as well as women. However, the majority of cases involve men stalking women. The ratio is about 80/20 according to randomized studies.

No one really knows the true scope of criminal harassment, since most often the stalker and his victim are known to each other. The highest percentage of cases relate to ex-partners, sometimes with a dating relationship as little as two weeks.

A significant other number of women are stalked due to incidental exposure to an obsessive and unhinged type personality. It can be a co-worker, a teacher, a coach, a neighbour, or a casual friend that becomes your worst nightmare.

There is also a victim profile that comes into play, yet is poorly understood. Part of the problem is the whole “pursue and conquer” mentality in male/female and dating relationships. The woman is supposed to be submissive, and play hard to get, and the man is expected to be dedicated, in his hot pursuit of the grand prize.

Certain books citing rules of dating, place an emphasis on cultivating the archaic “pursue and conquer” mentality. Some of the people who are stalked by an ex, in hindsight might realize that the person was way too aggressive, and fast-moving from the beginning. They were flattered initially, and then became overwhelmed with so much attention.

Without a doubt, a high percentage of stalking cases go unreported, mostly because the stalker and victim are known to each other. The victim does not want to cause trouble, or harm a reputation. Or the victim fears she will enrage him even more if she reports him. Often he faces no consequences, while her risk goes up exponentially.

The entire psychological strategy on the part of the stalker – is to dominate, cause fear, and get attention. In my opinion, the source of their vile rage is because you reject them, avoid them, and don’t want to have anything to do with them…I believe that is the crux of it.

One early warning sign in my own experience, is when a person makes constant efforts to encounter you. For instance, if you live in condo and are running into the same person every time you come and go, check the mail, take the garbage out etc. – yet you don’t run into anyone else on such a regular basis, you have to wonder why this guy is trolling the building.

There are red flags surrounding inappropriate and invasive behaviours and attitudes. Pay heed to those red flags very early, and adjust your routines.

It becomes a power struggle with the victim trying to avoid the stalker, and the stalker getting increasingly determined to make sure she cannot avoid him. He is also reinforced by any reaction he does get, especially fear, anxiety, stress or anger. He then has an emotional connection, and knows he is getting through to you.

Stalkers are supremely self-centred and aggressive. They quickly become pathologically obsessive and determined to win. They will not take no for an answer. They want to intimidate you, because that puts them in a more powerful position.

From the annoying and persistent suitor, to the dangerous lunatics who stalk and kill their victims – there is a source of the problem that both men and women need to examine.

Single women living alone do not have a male protector. For some, it elicits a predatory attraction. Our society is still very focused on the safety and security of marriage, which is a good thing. But we should be equally focused on making sure single people can live life without being stalked or harassed.

Stalking is to be differentiated from writing letters, emails, or contacting an authority, or leaders of an organization, in order to resolve a problem, give warnings about a serious situation, or seek justice. In these situations, there is communication aimed at bringing attention to, and resolving serious and damaging issues.

Stalking on the other hand, is very personal, and is a type of psychological warfare. It is a method of constantly seeking contact with someone who is trying to avoid you. It is alarming after awhile. It is threatening and pervasive.

Stalking has a warped love-hate polarization, with more hate than anything. It is repeated unwanted communication, and the attempts to force an unwanted relationship. It is the persistent refusal to take no for an answer.

Stalking is the ultimate cat and mouse game. It is an abuse of power over the psyche, safety, and emotions of another human being. It shadows your life, and they know it. Even if you think they are gone, as long as they are alive – you know they have a persistent and stubborn determination to force themselves on you.

The psychology of stalking is complex. I do believe all people should respect the rights of others. Stalking is an overt, and covert way of showing a complete disregard for the rights of the victim. Stalkers see themselves as superior, and the victim as an object for their wrath, to be punished, exploited, possessed, and toyed with. They want to find a way to be in charge of the victim’s life.

I think it is best not to respond to such a person in any way, other than to document and report the incidents. The stalker is seeking a relationship, and if it is a relationship of conflict – in his mind, it is still a relationship. So disengage completely. It often involves changing routines, routes, patterns, and predictable behaviours – while simultaneously observing patterns in his behaviours.

Once you determine some of his patterns, you can develop better strategies to avoid him.

Stalking is a bigger problem than what is reported. You don’t have to be a celebrity to be stalked. It can happen to anyone, in any age group. It is a form of bullying. Who usually becomes the target of the bully?

I vividly recall the high school teacher who followed me around long before there were any stalking laws. One night he chased me through the bush, and when I tripped and fell, he grabbed me by the arm and half growled, half panted: “Don’t you EVER run again. You will NEVER get away, ’cause I will HUNT you down.” I think this guy might get into the Guinness Book of Records for the length and scope of his hunt.

I believe the crux of the problem is fundamentally about rejection. For some people, rejection causes rage. The reprobates who have been rejected a great deal in their lives, can develop a rage toward any form of rejection. Such a person is transferring an intrinsic rage relating to their own inability to relate normally to people. They project blame onto their victim based on their own insecurities and fear of rejection. They are also often steeped in fantasy, attributing or orchestrating a false attachment to the victim. They want to be in control, yet they are the most likely to lose control.

When thinking of what kind of people become the victims of bullying, he/she is often the smaller, weaker, unprotected, inferior, poor, objectified, and downtrodden pitiable sod, who is easy to mock. If it is easy to mock and degrade a person, it is easy to smack them around too.

Or paradoxically, the stalking victim is the celebrity. Or the smart, accomplished, confident, and outgoing person who lights up a room.

If you happen to be a bit of both, it might be like a bull’s eye on your forehead for the primitives!

All I can say, is that I cannot wait until it is judgment day for the stalkers!

Is There Such A Thing As A Nervous Breakdown? Not Really

April 18, 2022  | Valerie Hayes  | Health & Wellness, My Story, Thoughts & Ideas, View All Articles & Photos

This is a term we hear often, and more so this past couple of years. I remember as a child when our aunt had a nervous breakdown. It was all shrouded in secrecy. She was admitted to the hospital, and I recall her being very sad and overwhelmed by circumstances. She was a very pretty lady. I was always impressed with her cool sunglasses, and fashionable appearance. I think it was the first time I realized that good looks do not always translate into happiness.

The term “nervous breakdown” is still cloaked in mystery. It is not really a medical diagnosis because our nerves do not break down. If they did, we would be in serious trouble such as when people get ALS, MS, and various other neurodegenerative disorders.

The term refers to situations where an individual is so overwhelmed by the stress of their circumstances to the extent they cannot function. They cannot work or carry out routine activities of daily living.

What happens to people if they have a nervous breakdown? Most will see a doctor and get referred to a psychiatrist or psychologist. A psychologist will delve into the cause. A psychiatrist will prescribe medications. In some cases, the person will be hospitalized and may even get electric shock treatments (yes they still do those). In fact ECT is commonly used to treat depression in seniors.

How do people prevent the so-called nervous breakdown? Although some people are more resilient than others – we can only take so much. Many people escape the emotional distress by using drugs or alcohol, which often exacerbates the mood swings.

Taking responsibility for our health, includes taking responsibility for our mental health as well. Even though we experience extreme emotional distress, it does not mean we have to cave in to it. The important thing is to try and stop any external assaults on our mind and emotions. Emotional distress is often a signal that something needs to change.

A very straight forward way to prevent a nervous breakdown, is to keep functioning even if you don’t feel like it. As long as you can get up in the morning and put one foot in front of the other, you can walk it through, and think it through.

The central elements in maintaining stable mental health are diet, exercise, and avoiding toxic people and toxic drugs.

There are all kinds of therapeutic measures to help our mental health. Hydrotherapy, aromatherapy, prayer and meditation, gardening, listening to birdsong, music, hobbies, and learning. Gratitude, adequate sleep, and concentrating on what dietary improvements can be made to increase serotonin and dopamine levels will do wonders to prevent a complete failure to cope.

I know many people are dependent on prescription drugs. The drugs can have a profound effect on the brain, and many psychotropic medications cause movement disorders. Each individual has to do their own research and monitor how they feel.

The only external evaluations of a person’s mental health are based on behaviours and thought processes as expressed in conversation (or writing). If the thought processes are extremely disorganized, or expressing inclinations to self-harm or violence – then intervention is required. If a person is behaving in such a way as to be disturbing the peace, the people around them need to be protected.

So regardless of what we experience, we can take measures to stop the external stressors. We can learn to evaluate what things cause us stress, and what things help us feel better. We can be assured that maintaining self-control will help keep us sane. If we have overwhelming issues, we need to create a plan of action, and go about things in a lawful, calm, coherent manner.

Most of all, we need to have confidence in our own ability to maintain a sound mind and use good judgement. When I look at some of the homeless camps, it is heartbreaking to see people who are unable to take care of themselves or their surroundings. What is the solution?

When I worked as an RN I noticed that many people who ended up in locked psychogeriatric units, had many prior episodes of nervous breakdowns requiring admission to the hospital. They also had a history of long term use of psychotropic medications.

We ought to be aware that there are people who will attack our minds, and try to destroy our mental health. This is often a sideline for those who are inclined to use control tactics and violence, such as in domestic or familial violence. They attack the mind and emotions because it is not a physical assault, and therefore they can get away with it.

Even though we are most inclined to fear for our physical safety, we also have to diligently guard our minds and our hearts. The most difficult battles we face in our lives – are spiritual, not physical.

I think the biggest fallacy to overcome, is that we lose the ability to cope. Coping requires that we keep going, set tangible goals, and have confidence in our mental health.

An often overlooked reality of our journey through life, is to acknowledge that we are also spiritual beings. One way or another, our minds, our will, our emotions, and our beliefs will eventually dominate our destiny. If we have faith in God, we know he will help us get past the struggles we face.

Every time I feel emotionally devastated, I remind myself that God has blessed believers with a sound mind. Therefore, thank God for a sound mind, and every time you fall or fail – just hope you can get back up and keep going.

We were never promised a life without struggles. But we have been shown the spiritual answer to enable us to overcome whatever happens to us.

Interestingly, many years later during a nostalgic discussion with our aunt – she smiled warmly and said, “All I can say is – by the grace of God go I”. My sister and I stole sidelong glances, and both of us agreed. I remember thinking – I’ll second that motion!

Happy Easter! Who Owns The World? God Does – He Is The One Who Made It

April 17, 2022  | Valerie Hayes  | Health & Wellness, My Story, Thoughts & Ideas, View All Articles & Photos

We have to endure so much strife, so much deception, and so much segregation over this topic. Who owns the world? We tend to think the richest, the political leaders, and those highfalutin exalted experts – are the ones who have the biggest piece of the pie. But do they?

The general idea is that a group of rich people are meeting each year, and planning to take charge completely, as in totalitarian rule. There is little doubt they are planning and scheming as usual. Many of their plans will seem to come to fruition. But it will not last, and likely will not turn out as expected. They are given a fair bit of time to come to their senses, only because God is patient.

The idea that we will own nothing and be happy, means the rich plan to get richer, as they gear up to take over all the assets. Who is they? Is it the WEF? Is it the list of billionaires, politicians, pharmaceutical executives, climate change gurus? Does anyone really believe they will not try to deceive each other? Therefore, they have no way of knowing what the outcomes will be. Who is going to be the king of that castle?

As they are gearing up for a great reset, they seem to know how to dismantle things – but do they know how to rebuild them? How does anyone rebuild what took hundreds, and sometimes thousands of years to build and become established? It is destructive, not constructive. The world has fewer resources than ever, so why tear down established systems? Energy comes in many different forms, and it takes energy to rebuild things, and lots of it. Energy is what changes entropy.

Entropy happens when there is a loss of energy to get work done. There is a lack of order and predictability as things gradually become disordered, and then chaotic. We are meant to keep things in order, or they will soon cease to function.

An example of entropy is evident in many (but not all) homeless camps. If there is a loss of energy that is normally directed toward self care, work, and the care of one’s surroundings – it leads to disorder. All organizations require energy to put things in order, and manage the upkeep.

At a time when we most need to direct energy toward maintaining and streamlining the order of our world, we have leaders who are creating disorder. The ultimate form of disorder is when people start rioting in the streets. The energy becomes volatile and destructive.

God consistently tells us to do good. In fact it is what we are supposed to do in order to overcome evil. We are best to put our energies into doing something constructive, and keep things in order.

This not only applies to infrastructure, but it applies to the longstanding laws, and values that have governed us since time began. In fact, our Constitution is based on a covenant agreement with God. Does anyone tamper with God’s covenant and get away with it? Personally, I don’t think so. One of the aspects of the great apostasy we are in right now – came from the shift in Christian beliefs from covenant theology to dispensational beliefs.

Dispensationalism is provably false doctrine. It came from a rewritten version of the Bible by John Darby in the 1800’s. All churchgoing people should dig a little deeper into the doctrine being taught at their place of worship. There are many warnings in the Bible (the authentic one) about following false doctrine and teachers. We should heed those warnings, and give due diligence to the truth, especially when it comes to those who change, add to, or take away from the Bible.

Whether we are rich or poor, if we have the love of God, we are assured of His care and guidance over our lives. Few things can beat peace of mind. For those who are into scheming up deceptions that bring harm to others – they really have little to look forward to, and much to fear.

For those who reject God, or get deceived by counterfeit motives, or the love of money – it’s a futile race. More money does translate into more power and influence. But does it bring peace of mind? How many places can one person live in? How large must it be? How many cars can one person drive? How many top grade steaks can one person eat? How many strawberries? How much fine wine can one person drink? Isn’t that what gluttony and debauchery is? Yet this type of attitude fills them with pride. Shouldn’t they at least ask themselves – is that wise?

What I find most astounding is that some of these ultra-rich men are getting old, and instead of getting wisdom, they just become more entrenched in their hubris. Someone should remind them – they are not taking any of it with them when they leave this world.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the rich-poor polarity, is how much wealth reinforces a sense of superiority. To an extent, people who work hard do deserve to own nice homes and have comfortable lifestyles.

But elitism to the detriment of others, is a different ball game. There is a disregard for the working class, yet it is very important for people to work, and provide for themselves and their families. These are among the most longstanding values of all. Work ethic applies to minimum wage workers and single mothers too. Anything that takes away a person’s livelihood without due process, is evil in my opinion. Stalin starved more people than he had executed.

Even if Christ does not return in our own lifetime, each day is one day closer to our own death and judgement day. In fact, when the sun comes up each day, only God knows what will happen on that particular day. This is on a global scale, as well as for individuals. If you are at or past the average age of death, which is around 80 years, each day is a gift, and could easily be the last day of your life.

Think of the surprise and shock we feel when someone we have known for a long time suddenly dies? In many cases, they did not know they were going to have a massive heart attack, stroke, or accident. It just happens. We don’t know the number of our days.

We seem to have an ever-increasing battle looming. On one side, is the battle for freedom. On the other side, is the battle for total control. If that’s not polarization, I don’t know what is.

Who is in control? Men who are rich and deceiving the public, each other, and the nations? They are deceiving themselves the most.

God abhors pride, lies, and greed. As much as anyone on earth takes over God’s domain, and does things that go against the Universal laws established by God when he created the Universe, it is only temporary.

No matter how much people rail against God, or deny the existence of God – one day, we will all know the truth. We cannot love God, if we refuse to seek and embrace the truth. It is a stressful time for people in leadership roles. There is controversy over everything, and over nothing at all. Divisive strategies keep us occupied, and do wonders when it comes to blame shifting and re-victimizing the marginalized.

Truth and freedom go hand in hand. Truth, love, wisdom, and freedom will eventually be restored to this earth, as God has promised. Christ was sent as a Saviour. He is risen, and will return. For those who have been mistreated by all the deception and scheming, justice will eventually prevail on this earth. In fact, justice is predetermined, and is already in motion. There are people on this earth who will serve God, and they will help facilitate justice.

What does the future hold for this earth in God’s plan? The sword will be turned into ploughshares, therefore we will be planting, and harvesting. All people will be taken care of. There will be no more sickness, violence, or death. We will have new bodies, and plenty of energy. We will live under Christ’s rule, and be humble. There will be plenty of music, gardening, cooking, learning, praising, serving one another with love, joyful socialization, truth, freedom to travel, and equality of intrinsic values among all people. Complete freedom will eventually come to this earth.

We are participants in the sea of humanity. It is kindness and mercy that gives us our humanity. Benevolence, altruism, and goodwill will carry us to the promised land.

We could wait another thousand years, or it could change in an instant “in the twinkling of an eye”. The Bible states the intensity of the battle will increase as it does like the contractions do when a woman is in labour.

Are we seeing the intensity increase? That’s a sign. Can we prove anything? No we cannot, or it would be pointless to have faith. Faith is not pointless – it is surety of belief and trusting in God.

There is not one person, or group of people on this earth who can change God’s plan over his own creation. Really – it is the best news mankind will ever know. Wait and see! Happy Easter.

Antimicrobial & Wellness Properties Of Certain Essential Oils & Tips On Use

March 28, 2022  | Valerie Hayes  | Health & Wellness, My Story, Thoughts & Ideas, View All Articles & Photos

Gradually I have learned more about the amazing properties contained in pure essential oils. In fact, it is a fascinating topic overall. For years I shirked the idea of aromatherapy because I associated the various aromas with an attempt to cover up what is in the air. My glib notion was to think – Hey, open the window, I prefer fresh air – not air laden with “artificial” cover ups.

Little did I realize there is a huge difference between those free breeze type air fresheners, or worse yet, those small green trees that used to dangle from the rear view mirrors in the cars of smokers. Apparently those little green trees were loaded with toxins. The same can be said for many different types of bug sprays and bug repellants.

The world of true essential oils is one to be appreciated in a way that is the polar opposite of those little green toxic dangling trees. They are invigorating, therapeutic and quite exotic. In fact some of them cost a small fortune. True rose, jasmine, and sandalwood are among the pricier essential oils. They can cost hundreds of dollars for a small 10 ml. bottle.

However, the jasmine and rose can be purchased diluted in oil for much less, so you can still enjoy the beautiful aromas.

As a matter of personal preference, I don’t tend to diffuse the aromas into the air. I use them in the bath, for foot rubs, neck rubs, and on my hands. Throughout the day, I will frequently shake a few drops on my hands and then inhale the essential oil full strength by cupping my hands close to my face. This gives a strong and direct aroma of whatever essential oil you choose. It also means you are populating the nasopharyngeal passages with the antimicrobial properties contained within the essential oils. It serves to sanitize the hands without damaging or drying the epidermis or outer layer of the skin.

The problem with most commercial hand sanitizers is that they contain alcohol. Some of them also contained toxic ingredients that were later recalled. Since our skin is an organ, and first line of defence against certain pathogens, it is important to keep our skin intact. If our hands become chapped and cracked, we are more vulnerable to infection.

Although I have used a small amount of hand sanitizer during the covid era as required upon entry to many places of business, I still carry some essential oil. I prefer to carry a small 10 ml. bottle of an essential oil with strong antimicrobial properties in my pocket when I go out. In fact I would use it after using hand sanitizer, because in my opinion, the tops or pumps on those hand sanitizer bottles must be contaminated a thousand times over.

The best essential pocket oils include oregano, marjoram, rosemary, cypress, juniper, tea tree oil, and many others. If you take it out before entering a place of business or transit, and put a few drops in your hands, then cup it and inhale it, you have added a layer of protection, or at the very least, a slight change to the immediate environment, which may help to deter pathogens.

Recently I learned cedarwood essential oil is a natural sedative. Both cedarwood and lavender aid in calming and relaxation. These too, are key contributors to stress relief and sleep, and thus will help the immune system do its job. Now I keep a small bottle of cedarwood essential oil on the nightstand for when I wake up in the middle of the night.

The polarized opposite example of this whole smelling concept, would be the old-fashioned smelling salts. Only those were used to revive a person, not put them to sleep! The smelling salts contained ammonia or some other acrid smell that would actually wake a person up. This does confirm in a rudimentary way, that the sense of smell can have a rapid communication with the conscious part of the brain.

It was something known and understood as far back as the Roman Empire with a resurgence in the Victorian era, probably because it was common for women to faint due to the use of tight corsets and constrictive clothing. A word of warning – do not confuse any kind of smelling salts with the use of essential oils.

Essential oils can be added to coconut oil to do oil pulling, which is a method of cleaning toxins from the mouth and teeth by swishing oil in your mouth for fifteen or twenty minutes a day. It also helps prevent or reduce the build up of plaque on the teeth. Peppermint, clove and cinnamon essential oils are good ones to add for oil pulling.

Various essential oils can be added to coconut oil to make a hand cream. The ones with strong anti fungal properties can be used for foot soaks and foot creams, and for those who tend to get athlete’s foot. Most of them can also be rubbed directly onto your feet full strength after foot soaks. Peppermint and eucalyptus oil are refreshing as a liniment or balm for sore feet or joints.

Essential oils are made from plants, and have very concentrated aromas. The juniper, cedar and cypress oils trigger memories of being in the forest on a fresh spring morning after a light rain. It is similar with the roses, transporting you to the fullness of the blooms in the middle of a garden. The echos and recollections embodied in fragrance, is another incredible and holistic factor, especially in how they relate to stored memories and associations in the brain. To this day, I still associate the smell of chamomile with pulling the wild plants out of the grass as a child. I would sit on the ground, examine the yellow centres, and inhale the aromatic smell of chamomile.

The olfactory nerve is the shortest of the cranial nerves, and is part of the peripheral nervous system. It makes me wonder if the consistent use of a variety of essential oils, by inhaling them directly into the nasal passages, can change neurochemistry.

Once the aroma is processed through the nasal passages, it is forwarded to the frontal lobe of the brain first. The amygdala of the brain, which is the fear/reaction section of the brain is more mid-brain. Clearly, what we smell and breathe in, is processed in the brain.

The Internet has many reputable sites with in-depth information about essential oils. Some claims have been definitively proven, and some things are anecdotal. One thing for certain, is they are helpful in many ways, from a preventative perspective.

The cautions relating to the everyday use of essential oils, revolve around doing your own careful research. Many of them cannot be ingested at all. None of them are safe to get in, or too close to  your eyes. Some can cause allergies or skin reactions for certain people. They should be kept away from small children.

However, the benefits of these intriguing gifts of nature, bring us an endless array of possibilities and enjoyment. In my opinion, they are a lifestyle enhancer with many therapeutic advantages.

The Burden Of Autoimmune Diseases – Is There A Cure?

July 18, 2021  | Valerie Hayes  | Health & Wellness, My Story, Thoughts & Ideas, View All Articles & Photos

Although the topic is vast and complex, millions of people are sick or afflicted due to autoimmune disorders. Physiologically the body mistakenly creates proteins that attack its own cells. This creates a whole list of disorders to include lupus, MS, psoriasis, arthritis, iritis, Type 1 diabetes, and many others.

There might be breakthrough technologies that help with autoimmune diseases, but I will just share my own experiences. In the early nineties I developed a severe case of iritis. It is an autoimmune disorder of the iris leading to inflammation in the anterior chamber of the eye, along with a significant rise in intraocular pressure.

To begin with I went to an eye specialist at the VGH eye care centre. The medical treatment is basically steroids, pain killers, and eye drops to dilate the pupil, to prevent scarring of the lens. During acute flare ups, I was told to put steroid eye drops in my eye every thirty minutes. My eye was so inflamed, the doctor asked if he could use the images for publication, and to teach medical students at UBC.

The steroids offered some relief, but in my opinion, not enough to warrant pouring such large amounts of steroids into my system. So I backed away from the conventional treatment, and started reading forums and testimonials from others who have it, and how they have managed it.

In hindsight, I am very glad I quit the opiates and steroids long ago, as the conventional medical treatment. People who use the steroid drops eventually develop white cataracts, and require surgery for that. Plus the steroids poured into the eye, do go systemic, and you get all the risks and side effects associated with steroids.

One of the most interesting cases I followed, was of an ophthalmologist in Europe who treated those with iritis, and had developed iritis himself. He created a blog and shared his journey for a hopeful cure. He had a great deal of confidence in his profession. He also knew the locations with the best known experts, eye surgeons, and most sophisticated equipment. The blog was filled with detailed diagrams, and was updated on a regular basis. It was very educational, as far as the anatomy and physiology of the eye is concerned. He showed how the inflammatory process develops, and creates a cloudy high pressure fluid in the anterior chamber of the eye.

In the doctor’s case, unfortunately it got to the point where the intraocular pressure could not be relieved or controlled. He went to a highly specialized clinic in Switzerland and had a tiny stent put into his eye. The idea was that the stent would serve to drain away some of the fluid build up, and reduce the pressure, which would also reduce the pain. Once again, he was filled with optimism and confidence in the treatment program. He published detailed drawings to show the placement of the stent, and explained how it would work.

The following blog posts after the procedure started to take on a more depressing, less optimistic tone. The fluid in his eye could not be regulated properly with a stent, and his eye collapsed inward. He had to wear a protective cap over his eye at all times. Even once the stent was removed, there was a myriad of problems. He soon stopped writing and sharing his misfortune.

There are cases where people have had their eyes removed. I can see why. An acute flare up feels like your eye is going to explode, while simultaneously it feels like there is a dagger right through the centre of your eye. I liken it to being stung in the eye by a scorpion.

On the other end of the healing spectrum, I read of cases where people shared holistic methods of dealing with it. Some people tailored their diets, stopped gluten, stopped sugar, stopped alcohol, and found those remedies helped reduce flare ups. In hindsight, I am glad I followed a more holistic route and for several years managed to keep the worst of the worst flare ups at bay. But recently had a bout with it that was one of the worst ever. Stress is the culprit, I am almost positive.

This latest severe flare up was one where I had no Pred-forte, or other steroids, or pain killers like I had used in the past. The pain was so severe, it was like breathing through labour pains. If I didn’t already know the only treatment was steroids and opiates, I might have been tempted to go to ER, or see a doctor. But, I lived through it and am slowly recovering.

During the acute phase, my eyes watered non-stop. I went through six boxes of kleenex in three days. My whole face was chapped. The previous really acute episodes were back in 2009, when the familial punishment over my rejection of the high school teacher really started to intensify. There is definitely a dichotomy that develops within, and in a way it is not surprising such an affliction is turned inward.

From my own perspective, the cessation of alcohol, food additives, and finding ways to reduce or manage stress are the key factors that have helped manage it. There is a systemic element because you can feel the drain, fatigue, allergy symptoms, and other generalized symptoms. It does seem to be tied to, or triggered by allergies of some sort. It may also be linked to past trauma, as many things are, one way or another.

Even though I have had some wicked flare ups, I have not lost my vision, and have not required surgery for white cataracts. It takes weeks to gradually regain the vision in the affected eye after a flare up. During the most recent flare up, I used small doses of ASA or NSAID (non steroid anti-inflammatory) and then added grated raw ginger, ginger tea, all whole foods, rest, and meditation. The ASA was used sparingly, two regular strength tabs at night and sometimes two during the day.

Looking back, the most comforting and therapeutic measures came from warm baths, warm compresses, and essential oils. The essential oils were inhaled, just by rubbing them on the palms and then cupping your hands together and inhaling, with care not to get it too close to the eyes. Marjoram, Thyme, Eucalyptus, Lavender, Oregano are some examples of essential oils with anti inflammatory properties. They can also be put into a small amount of carrier oil and massaged into the scalp, and areas where there are lymph nodes.

Lymph nodes are located throughout the body. Apparently we have five to six hundred of them to help our immune systems cope with contaminants and infections. The areas with the most lymph nodes are underarms, neck, chest, and abdomen. To place a few drops of essential oil in some virgin coconut oil, and then massage it into the skin near the lymph nodes, might be dismissed by some, but it certainly doesn’t hurt.

Of course if a person has an intolerance, or develops a rash due to any substance, they should not use it. Nor should anything be used excessively. One of the primary reasons I do not take any oral supplements, is because I believe a good diet gives us all the nutrients we need. If we add supplements, in particular things like fat soluble vitamins – it can create havoc within our systems.

Supplements have been known to cause everything from bleeding disorders, to kidney failure, to liver disease. Just because something is natural, does not mean it is perfectly safe, especially in large doses. Before anything is taken internally it is wise to research it carefully. I have not done much research on which essential oils can be taken internally, other than oregano oil. I know some of them are not to be ingested and can cause harm. It does stand to reason that anything you can use in food, should be able to ingest in small quantities. Essential oils are the concentrated derivatives of the plant.

Therefore cinnamon, cloves, oregano oil, marjoram, and thyme would seem to be the ones to consider, but only in small doses. Peppermint should be okay too. Again, to avoid any damage to mucous membranes, it is probably best to out them in a carrier oil. Over time, I plan to do more research on the various essential oils, because they do seem to have much to offer. I have not had any allergies to any of the essential oils. In fact, they seem to help allergies a fair bit.

Nothing is going to make us live forever, and nothing is going to stop the process of aging. It is understandable for people to seek methods they believe will alleviate their own conditions or symptoms. I don’t pass judgement on those who do use supplements. Nor do I discount the value of conventional medical treatments for some conditions. If they lead to healing, recovery, or feeling better, who can complain? It’s just a word of caution – and I am only giving some small anecdotal examples, so take all things with a grain of salt.

I do take oregano oil internally for allergies and infections, but try not to use it too often. I have not tried taking Thyme or Marjoram internally, but may try a drop or two, for inflammation, once I find some that is 100% pure without additives, dyes, perfumes etc. You cannot buy the cheap oils used in aromatherapy packages for use on the skin, and especially not to be taken internally. The pure forms have to be sought out through a reputable herbal dispensary. For the most part I order from Gaia Gardens on West Broadway in Vancouver.

In addition to leaning toward the essential oils as a therapeutic measure, I think we have overlooked the value of water for healing. Hydrotherapy is an another ancient practice that is readily available and non-toxic. When we are unwell, if we drink more water, it makes it easier for the immune system to do its job. Immersing ourselves in water is comforting, and therefore therapeutic. Almost all medical treatment is geared toward treating and minimizing symptoms. So give credit where credit is due, when it comes to essential oils and hydrotherapy for relieving symptoms and stressors on the body. I suppose that’s why people buy hot tubs and go to spas.

Is there a cure for autoimmune disorder? As far as I know, there is not. It is a chronic condition that has to be managed. I have managed it though many stressful periods during the past ten or twelve years. Unfortunately, we cannot always control external contributing factors. Perhaps one of the keys to understanding the curse of autoimmune disorders, is to find ways to protect ourselves from external attacks, lest they become internalized and give us a double whammy.

However, when you consider the myriad of other illnesses or hardships, such as cancer, stroke, ALS, MS, and so on, any condition that allows us to get back on our feet, and overcome it without severe disability, surgery, or being incapacitated for long periods – is not really something to complain about. Just being pain free and able to function is something to have gratitude for.

In French Pansies Are Pensees, Or Thoughts ~ About The Tricolor Pansy

May 9, 2021  | Valerie Hayes  | Health & Wellness, My Story, Thoughts & Ideas, View All Articles & Photos

The viola tricolor pansy has been called “love-in-idleness” in reference to romantic love. It plays a role in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The juice of the love-in-idleness is used by Oberon, the king of the fairies, to trick Queen Titania into falling in love with a donkey. Also a quote for this type of pansy was, “Before milk white, now purple with love’s wound.”

The viola tricolor pansy is smaller than other pansies, just an inch or so in diameter. It has rounded petals with butterfly blooms. They have been referred to as the Herb of Trinity, and Johnny Jump Ups.

Pansies are wonderfully fragrant. Like our thoughts – they bloom prolifically. As we hold that thought, once again, we can appreciate the blooms, the fragrance, the colors, and many varieties of pansies. Like mums – these have over four hundred varieties to brighten up our days.

With thoughts, and the symbolic love-in-idleness – new life blooms. So pansies must be perfect for Mother’s Day! Happy Mother’s Day to All!

Why So Much Anger? What Is The Antidote?

January 13, 2021  | Valerie Hayes  | Health & Wellness, My Story, Thoughts & Ideas, View All Articles & Photos

There is a certain shock value in realizing how much anger is brewing in the world today. It seems to be increasing, as the polarizations become more fringe-like on both sides. After awhile the fringe is flapping in the wind. The credibility is frayed, regardless of what side of the pendulum a person or political party is on. Things cannot get so polarized – if there is only one pole.

Intense anger is usually the result of fear. When a person gets fearful, there is an adrenalin rush, which triggers a survival instinct. The extra adrenalin prepares us for flight or fight. It’s pretty basic. Some people flee, some fight.

On all levels, we do the flight or fight or a regular basis. Taking a brisk walk after an argument, or withdrawing into your own space – are the milder forms of flight or fight.

Without a doubt, peace is the antidote. Most of all, peace of mind. Where does the angst come from? Our minds. Eventually it gets vaulted into words and actions. So the healthiest way to handle anger, is to talk about it early, or take a break if it is too volatile to talk about. It is probably best to talk about a grievance when calm, although it hardly ever works out that way. But if it is left to fester, it grows, instead of being dealt with quickly and efficiently, so you can get back to peace and harmony.

On a relationship level, there are compromises and negotiations all the time. What we are seeing now regarding an increase in anger, is related to overall instability, and negative news. Daily doses of news about crime, death, covid, isolation, change, insecurity, loss of routines, loss of finances for many, loss of exercise outlets, loss of socialization, and the loss of support systems in health care, communities, etc. No doubt all the covid news contributes to fear and anger.

Most of all, the anger is political. The political extremism, rapid changes, restrictions, lockdowns, and various other worries, leads to anger. Words have a great deal to do with organized anger. A powerful speaker can whip up a crowd, as we have all seen.

It really does bring to mind, the power of words. Freedom of speech is an important liberty, but for those who gain an audience, it is a significant responsibility.

We should always seek peace. We do have to assert ourselves and stand firm on certain subjects. But then, the quicker we can return to love, peace and harmony within ourselves, the better.

All causes and things we are against should be articulated, and framed into an intelligent debate, or open conversation – where each side is willing to listen to the other. Both sides must be heard. Listening to each other is what creates balance and tolerance. The one party system, one side of the story, judgement without trial, refusal to hear the other side, deception, oppression, dominance, and control – are key contributors to anger.

There is absolutely no room for, or reason, to have any kind of violence. Violence is primitive. It is like there is a short circuit, and once unleashed, it becomes like a wildfire.

Whatever the stressors contributing to an increase in anger, it is important to value everything good in our lives. We have to rely on faith, as opposed to fear. First of all, do not fear what is not happening. It is amazing how quickly we conjure up the what ifs and worry about everything from health, to crime, to money. I think it helps to be able to do what you can and then set it aside.

Also, don’t let the media get the upper hand. Skim, filter, apply, and let the rest go like water off a duck’s back. I have a background in health care, so I find it interesting in some ways. There are some rapid changes in health care. My objective is to stay out of the system completely if possible. Not only is it germ-laden, but the system itself is rapidly losing efficacy.

The best anti-anger antidote is to avoid letting it spiral, especially letting it spiral out of control. Self-control and higher reasoning is the key.

It is difficult to know how to deal with neurochemistry since we have no real control over the adrenalin rush, or the emotion itself. It’s just better to evaluate it from a stable perspective and save yourself the cortisol damage.

Since fear is often the root cause of anger – faith and courage are the antidotes. Patience and self-control increase our level of refinement and coping. Deep breath….

Of course, it never hurts to say you are sorry!

The World Is Not A Stage – We Are Growing In A Field

January 10, 2021  | Valerie Hayes  | Health & Wellness, My Story, Thoughts & Ideas, View All Articles & Photos

Like so many others coming out of the year 2020, I too, am wondering if the world is going to hell in a hand basket, as the saying goes. I still do not understand the Great Reset as outlined by Klaus Schwab and the World Economic Forum. It seems rather ominous in theory, and impossible or implausible to put into practice.

The gist of it, and the terminology surrounding this borderline conspiracy theory is sticky and viscous. Or rather, what struck me the most, is the references to the key stakeholders of the world. When I listened to some of the beat-around-the bush cooked-up rhetoric, the part I was most appalled by, is the notion that a handful of elites actually think they “own” the world. How preposterous.

As I have described in previous posts, I was targeted and brainwashed by a high school teacher who was also a religious zealot. He became obsessed with me when I was a student in a public school in a small town in Alberta. The villainous teacher has stalked my entire life. It took me many years to unravel the lies he repeated about my own life, but even more significantly, the religious lies he indoctrinated me with. For many years, I had no idea that I had been thought reformed with soul destroying spiritual lies.

Thankfully, the arrogance, deception, and unlawfulness of this man’s conduct became increasingly obvious over the years. But he created a real stronghold of corruption within our family that has gone on for many years. The Exclusive Brethren Mennonites have a long history of destroying families. It angers me, because of the fact he was a teacher, and a complete stranger – yet he infiltrated and destroyed a fractured family for more than a generation.

One of the predominant false doctrines in the world today, stems from the Plymouth Brethren and the John Darby Bible, which is a completely altered version of the Bible. Among the many falsehoods they believe, which has been promoted by hyperbolic movies and books over the years, is that Christians would be taken out of the world, or raptured prior to, or during the great tribulation. As this theory goes, the great tribulation is calculated to span a seven year period.

There is nothing whatsoever in the Bible to indicate there will be a secret rapture. In fact, a careful reading of the parable of the wheat and the tares tells us just the opposite. It is found in Mathew 13: 24-36. There are countless interpretations, therefore it is up to each person to read these verses with a sincere desire to discern truth from fiction.

After mindfully reading the parable, clearly Christ is telling us the whole world is the field. And guess who owns it? It is certainly not the rich people on earth who own the world. In fact, many of the rich people are the most corrupt tares in the whole field. God owns the earth. We can all believe what we want, but to me this one is obvious. And if we don’t choose to believe it – the day will come when we do.

Another doomsday aspect of the religious fundamentalists is the fear surrounding the great tribulation, and how things will get worse and worse. They believe Satan completely takes over the world. Images of blood running in the streets, famine, locusts, massive earthquakes, plagues, hundred and thirty pound hailstones, and unimaginable horrors. This makes the notion of a great escape through a pre-tribulation rapture, so much more preferable than having to go through crowds of gory – as opposed to crowns of glory.

Myths aside, and getting back to tilling the ground – truthfully, this parable tells us the world is a field. It tells us good seeds have been sown in the field. Under the cover of darkness, the enemy (devil) came and sowed the tares. Some of the good seed fell on the rocks and did not take root. Some were planted in shallow soil.

When the wheat and tares in the field grew, the servants noted the bearded darnel, and realized it was a weed. It took careful examination to see the look-alike plant had no grist. The servants wondered how the field had become infested with weeds, and if they should get rid of them.

The parable goes on to describe how the farm workers went to the owner and asked what happened. The Master told them the enemy had surreptitiously sown the weeds. They wanted to know if they should dig them up, or cut them down.

They were told not to cut them down, for in doing so, the wheat might also be cut down. The farm workers were told to let the wheat and the tares grow together until harvest time.

The world is the field, the seeds symbolize the word of God, and the way it takes root in the hearts of the people living in the world. In some cases, it will be shallow, in other cases, it is the imitation beaded darnel that grows and becomes tangled in with the rest.

This metaphorical description is profound to me. Partly because I grew up on a farm on the prairies, and thought the ripening wheat fields in the morning or evening sun, was one of the most beautiful scenes I had ever seen as a child. Mind you, I had not seen much of the world.

Yet there are magnitudes of dimensions and immensity, surrounding this incredible parable. It helps to understand how I became entangled and ensnared with the tares, as an unprotected child. Incredibly, there are so many layers of this parable arising from my own experiences and childhood. This includes the tangible memories, the intangible depths, the deep-rooted conflicts, and the literalistic imagery of the wheat in the fields.

Even now after living all my adult life on the west coast, in looking back, I vividly remember the gilded beauty of the ripening wheat fields, rippling in the sunlit breeze, like an ocean of gold. The harvest was a central fixation each year, with much worrying about things like drought and hail.

So here we are frolicking in the great field of life. Will people get raptured before the great tribulation? Will there be a great tribulation? Are we in the midst of it already?

No doubt there is tribulation. I have experienced a great deal of it myself. But if we refer back to the parable, it does not say the field will be overcome by tares. It says they grow up together until the harvest. Contrary to what the dispensationalists and preterists would have us believe, the truth is embodied in this parable.

Instead of having visions of getting beamed up before the second coming, we would be wiser to read and understand that no matter what – the harvest time is getting closer and closer. No one knows when Christ will return. But he did explain, once the disciples implored him for more clarity. The reapers will be angels, and they will gather up the tares first. Then they are to gather the wheat for the barn. So it sounds like it will actually be the tares, who get bundled together, and leave this world first. The time of reckoning will happen in the twinkling of an eye.

Of course we can only really judge our own hearts and what seeds we have sifted and nurtured. We cannot control what others believe in, or how they act. Nor can we even begin to understand why some of us got planted right beside the tares, with their roots dominating, curling around our spindly stems, and trying to extinguish our own rocky start.

As a kid, we spent many hours picking roots and rocks out of the fields. From the freshly ploughed rows of dirt, to the furrows on the farmer’s worried brow – we are part of the proverbial crop.

The stage is an illusion. Like the Phantom Of The Opera. Those who are in the shadows, behind the scenes, directing the media, planning and scheming as they amass greater fortunes and perceptions of ownership. They are prancing arrogantly on their fanciful world stage. They do not realize how close they are to being cropped. We are just a gust away from the wheat being separated from the chaff.

Like all illusory, false, ill-conceived and wicked plots – they become as chaff in the wind. Our seed is our lifeblood, and no matter how lofty, rich, or elitist one becomes – none of us owns the field.

Copyright Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West (2020). Unauthorised use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author/owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Why Being Centred – Makes So Much Sense

January 8, 2021  | Valerie Hayes  | Health & Wellness, My Story, Thoughts & Ideas, View All Articles & Photos

Being centred is not the same as being self-centred. It implies a place we have within us, and hopefully around us, to maintain a functional balance and harmony. You cannot stay in balance by going to extremes. If there is a choice to do extreme sports or whatever, make sure you only do one thing at a time! Then return to baseline.

Whether it is the internal locus of control, or a political party – we stay grounded by maintaining certain values, and finding ways to keep peace and harmony in our lives.

Extremism, whether it is religious, political or personal, will either create huge divisions, polarizations, conflicts, and instability, or it will collapse the systems entirely.

Where there are right and left polarizations, one side cannot totally blame the other, because both extremes lead to instability and violence. If there can be negotiation, tolerance, civility around expressing viewpoints, and some order, lawfulness, fair play, etc. things become more stable.

What is extremism anyway? I think it takes a position on the edge or the fringe, whether it is religious, political, or personal. It is interesting to note that extremism in ones personal life can revolve around addiction, ideas, money, fitness, resentments, cultish religious ideas, Armageddon, secret rapture, etc. The sky is the limit!

If some people think there are aliens or electromagnetic thought waves, or whatever – it means they might also act on those beliefs. But what can they do about perceived aliens? If it means storing water and dried food, or stocking up on toilet paper in case of a disaster, that is one thing – but personally, I don’t think we have much control in the event of a big disaster. You could be out for a walk when the earthquake hits. If you got pinned under the beam of a building, it would not matter if your supplies were six feet away.

I do think we should work and plan for the future, but once we do what we can each day, don’t worry about tomorrow. Fear and worry robs us of the joys we would otherwise have today.

Prayer, meditation, long walks, and a multitude of other things can help keep us grounded. It also helps to have a combination of to do lists, along with appreciation and gratitude for the little things in life. Being happy is a decision we have to make when we wake up in the morning.

It makes sense that peace of mind on an individual level, would help contribute to overall peace in this world, if it is widespread enough.

We can share articles, values, ideas, hopes, beliefs, metaphors, songs, poems, pictures, testimonies, political leanings, diet, and health and wellness tips, without becoming extreme. We apply our own values to the way we live our lives, and otherwise live by the laws. It helps to know that wisdom, knowledge, refinement, and dignity – are traits that are above the law.

Anger is an extreme emotion and is often the outcome of fear. We cannot help what we feel. But we can set some parameters around how it is going to affect us, and how we might deal with it. Feeling trapped, or sensing a loss of control might lead to anger.

Thoughts are deeper than speech. Emotions are even deeper than thought. Therefore to help keep anger and fear in check, we have to balance our emotions and bring them back to where there is an appreciation for what we do have, and what we can do.

Emotional extremes can lead to some bad or impulsive decisions. Political extremes are driven by emotional extremes, and building on certain ideologies. Extreme wealth is in contrast to extreme poverty, with a pejorative view of the poor. Wealthy people tend to be highly esteemed regardless of how they got rich.

It almost seems like the whole world is indeed a stage, with thousands of sub-plots – but dare you call them conspiracies. It is hard to know what to believe about current events these days. The pastors giving sermons on youtube are just as likely to be deceiving and teaching wild myths, as any other person might do. Many of the Baptist, Mennonite, Evangelical, and Charismatic churches are teaching dispensationalism from a very altered John Darby version of the Bible. They are teaching pure fiction and doomsday cultist type stuff, not truth.

People go to all kinds of extremes. Most extreme reactions start with negative thoughts and emotions. They might be displaced. They might be irrational. They might be manipulated by an outside source like a finely tuned fiddle, without the person’s awareness. Manipulation is a valuable tool for those who like to promote extremism, or any kind of deception or exploitation.

Therefore, learn to recognize and avoid being manipulated by control freaks. Highly manipulative people are really quite insecure, but many of them become gifted at manipulating others to get what they want. Some are quite transparent, and others are very devious. You only see the mechanisms they used after the fact.

Manipulation is quite common, and develops as soon as we learn how the reward system works. In my opinion, being honest and straight forward with regards to our motives, is much better for strengthening and maintaining trust in relationships.

So much of our productivity stems from patience, consistency, stability, faith, perseverance, hope, minding our own business, and functioning in some kind of harmony with our environment.

Being centred means coming away from the edges and moving toward the middle. For sure, let your yay be yay and your nay be nay. It does not mean giving in to an invasion of personal boundaries. It just means being as adaptable as you can be, while maintaining motivation and self-control.

Why Our Seed Is Paramount To Our Existence

December 25, 2020  | Valerie Hayes  | Health & Wellness, My Story, Thoughts & Ideas, View All Articles & Photos

For those of us who have children, we have a basic concept of the importance of our own lineage – with a connection to them from birth. Each and every one of us comes from the seed or offspring of a certain union. The unique parental coupling brings together all the genetic characteristics, resilience, and proof of existence – into the entire span of our lives, from birth through all eternity. Our seed, and where it took root, is the essence of our existence.

We become anchored by our birth ancestry in both time and history. Whether it is a family tree, the Bible, the Department of Vital Statistics, birth registration, or more recently the DNA ancestry – our seed is our identity and lifeblood.

There is no physical adoption of any human being in the developed world that can be forced or illegal. If the person was stolen, trafficked, exploited, traded, sold, etc. obviously it is not an adoption. So let’s cut to the chase and call it what it is. An illegal adoption of an underage child – is a crime. If the person was not given up for adoption by their mother as a child, and did not consent to an adoption as an adult, they cannot possibly have been adopted.

During the many hours I was forced to listen to an aberrant high school teacher make repeated and brazen claims that I was his daughter, I remember thinking, “How bizarre. Clearly I am not his daughter, and everyone knows that. So why on earth do I have to deal with this trauma”? He used his autocratic and religious teacher authority to make the false claims. He should have been arrested for his stalking and intrusive behaviours, as well as forcibly confining me for hours on end outside of school hours.

Nevertheless, the Alberta teacher made repeated false adoption claims over a very long period of time. It has to be one of the most delusional cons anyone could ever try to conjure up, and get away with. It is beyond the rational mind, yet it became a real belief. People in the school and community believed him. I just kept trying to escape him. It was all about enforcing dominance, control, punishment, and humiliation.

Since we are trending in conspiracies and conspiracy theories these days, this one is a real conspiracy. The teacher made a deal with my older brother when I was a student in school, and set up a sophisticated and nasty plot over my entire life. I got snared into a trap like a scared rabbit.

The teacher was absolutely obsessed with creating some kind of illusory relationship with me. I repeatedly said no. But I could not get free of these consistent and persistent lies. He was extremely aggressive and punitive, just like my big brother. I was ganged up on. After that, they just added more to the mobbing and robbing me of who I am.

The Ten Commandments tell us not to steal. I knew very little about the Bible when I was a young teenager, but I did know the Ten Commandments and a few basic things. I was forced to sit there being stared at by this creepy stranger claiming to be my daddy-god. In actual fact, he was trying to steal my life, my potential, and my soul for all eternity. Pretty serious delusion on his part.

The Ten Commandments tell us to honour our mother and father. Yet I had to listen to hours and hours of diatribe telling me how wicked and non-redeemable my own mother was. This twenty-nine year old religious fundamentalist teacher who came to teach in a small town in Alberta, had an absolute hate-on for our mother. In actual fact – he did not even know her, other than some of the tragedy and gossip surrounding our lives. He used that information and familial vulnerability to exploit and take ownership of a child.

In later years I began to understand the cult doctrine I had been brainwashed with. But it took a very long time to realize the significance of this guy trying to make me part of his own lineage and seed. How absolutely revolting. It is against every single Godly principle in the Bible. It is against all Universal, moral and ethical laws too. Yet he had no qualms about cornering me, staring me down, and insisting that I was his daughter – over and over and over again. Dare I defy him? Bullies have targets. I had the bulls eye on my forehead.

I am still facing the wrath, exclusion, and punitive orders from both this teacher, and my older brother over my refusal to have anything to do with the teacher – but so be it. It has been the struggle of my lifetime. Why some of us have a heavier cross to bear is something we may not know until the final judgement day arrives.

I am far more ashamed at the concept of being part of the teacher’s seed – than I am of the truth. Like everyone else on this earth, I came from the seed of my own mother and father. I am the fourth child of Harold and Joy Stevenson. I grew up with my siblings on a farm in rural Alberta. No one can rob you of the truth and testimony of your own life. At least I knew my parents – and over time have developed much more understanding and compassion for the weaknesses and suffering in their own lives.

But with the teacher, the more time went by – the stranger he seemed. The profound absurdity of it was a constant assault on my psyche and emotions. I must have cried a million tears wondering how I got stuck with the guy. I never could stand him.

My own brother gave me up for adoption (a con), and still uses every bit of power in his arsenal to make it stick. Since when do big brothers get to give their little sisters up for adoption? He is in his late sixties now, and has adhered to this adoption con like crazy glue.

Furthermore, he is one of the major shareholders of Canada’s second largest construction company. He is filthy rich, with a rich reputation and a huge company to defend. Does he care? No. He just cares about making more money, getting more power, and arrogantly abusing that power. That’s the name of his game.

He has his own seed, and offspring to consider. Does he care about them? If he had not pushed this adoption con with such an absolute vengeance, his juvenile history and background would never have surfaced.

This is an example of some of the Universal laws. A family who intentionally and repeatedly hurts a family member, will bring even more pain back onto themselves and their own family. The principles surrounding this must be brought out into the open and admonished. My brother will not even have a conversation with me about any of this. Believe me, I have tried more times than I can count. This is about finally setting some familial boundaries. This blog is kind of like an ongoing reality TV show. I am trying to reach him with some reality checks.

Rule Number One: The answer is NO. Siblings do not get to give their little sisters or brothers up for adoption. Nor do they get to sell them, trade them, kick them out of the family, lie about the fact you were born and raised together, change the seed they came from, or sell their soul to the devil. There will be consequences at some point for having done so.

Maybe we cannot change the past. But this is the present. They still cling to the idea they can punish me for rejecting their lies about my life. They do not own or control my life. I am saying it is long overdue to STOP IT.

Rule Number Two: The answer is NO. Teachers do not get to make a unilateral decision to adopt a student or a child who is clearly not up for adoption. Teachers do not get to chase down and take ownership of a young girl they happen to get the hots for. A twenty-nine year old teacher who is obsessing about adopting a sixteen year old girl who is about to graduate, and was not up for adoption in the first place – is nothing but a pervert. If the objective is to ensnare the child into the mind-altering world of Beelzebub – it is every bit as evil as any other type of child molestation.

Rule Number Three: The answer is NO. You do not support the villain instead of your own family member. Healthy families do not collude with and side with the perpetrator. Very few older brothers would even consider doing such a thing.

My brother knows full well how hurtful it is to damage all these relationships and rip the family apart. I want him to know – he does not get to set the parameters around my life, and restrict what I can and cannot do. He needs to stop the destructive “hate, shame and blame your mother campaigns”. That means he should at least try to overcome his own mother complex for his own sake. Even though she has died – there will be day of reckoning.

We all make many mistakes, and do many wrong things over the course of our lives. The key is to recognize wrongdoings and put a stop to them. Only then can there be true forgiveness and reconciliation. I know my brother is a very rich, and powerful big shot.

He has simultaneously turned me into the extreme opposite – a downtrodden outcast. He made me into a punching bag, and a throwaway, when I was just a child. Then he discovered he could make a deal with the teacher, and exploit my existence. It was one convoluted and underhanded way to get rid of me. He will have nothing to do with me for defying the teacher plot. He cannot accept reality – especially the reality of his own conduct.

Regardless of who and what he has painted himself to be in this world, and how much he has rejected me since the day I was born, it is not over yet. Far from it. Just as it was with Cain and Abel – we are still siblings. We are the story of one family with unresolved issues and unfinished business. I can accept that much.

But I do not accept my own family members colluding with some goon to gang up on me. Ganging up on family members is not cool. Period. I deserve to have a life just as much as they do. In order to maintain love in a family, we must have trust and respect for one another on an equal footing. It is difficult to trust people when the top dog, wealthiest and most powerful member of the family is gunning for you, scheming and manipulating non-stop. It is time to get over it.

Truthfully, it is Ledcor – a huge company is using its resources to gang up on me. The teacher handed my brother a reference to get a job with Leduc Construction in the early seventies, along with a get out of jail free card – in exchange for the deal over my life.

Now almost fifty years later, Ron is still using his position with Ledcor to continue the degradation, control, and shaming of my life. He gives orders to take away my livelihood. He will only allow me to serve others, without receiving any help or support in return. He will use his power to force a person into the poor house, and then degrade them for being there. His pattern is to punish, and then punish you more for your reaction to the unlawful treatment.

As a young widow and single mother for many years, I am lucky I have been able to support myself, since there was no safety net for me at any time of my life. My brother went into punitive rages whenever he was asked for anything. He has hostile judgment and seething contempt for any display of weakness. He does not respect the fact that some women have to work. He expects domestic slavery and devotion to caregiving others, while working for a living, and yet still exhibits a scathing disrespect and disapproval no matter how hard you work. No one can measure up to his gaudy and exalted lifestyle.

Rule Number Four. The answer is NO. You don’t get to make the fascist claim, or manipulate and pay others to make the false claim that I am mentally ill because I am not the teacher’s daughter. Nor is a person considered to be mentally ill for writing a book about the truth of the past.

The mental illness accusation was all part of the original construct of lies and became their fallback position. If I rejected the teacher, I must be mentally ill. I must be evil and wicked like our mother. There was no way they were going to allow me to be who I am.

In actual fact, making false claims about another person’s mental health in order to set up financial or career gains, or to overpower, dominate and coerce another person – is also unlawful and unethical. Set the manipulations aside for once and STOP IT.

I have written many articles about mental health as part of the defence surrounding their constant attacks on my own mental health. When the teacher became fixated on me, my mental health was under attack every single time I said no to him. He would loudly tell people I was “”emotionally disturbed” and “intervention was required”. He was the one who needed the intervention.

In actual fact I was excelling in school and graduated early. In those months before graduation, he almost destroyed me with his constant non-stop obsession, lies and threats. Those were among the darkest times of my life.

I was not adopted. I did not create the con or the adoption delusion. Therefore they are the ones who are psychotic and insane. Stop the madness. I am obviously not in control of their insanity.

Let these holy roller longtime church-goers know this Proverbs 15:25 “The Lord tears down the house of the proud but maintains the widow’s boundaries”.

When it talks about tearing down the house of the proud, it is not just the house, but the entire family he will destroy. There are so many dire warnings about messing with widows, but like everything else in the Bible – these church-going religious zealots pay no heed.

But the truth of who I am, and the seed I came from – is girded about my own loins. I was not adopted. I have never in my life been admitted or treated for any serious mental health disorder. I repeat. There is no evidence or documentation of mental illness in my history whatsoever. It is all lies.

These dominant and arrogant men did not pay my way, or support me throughout my life. I worked my butt off as an RN from the time I graduated at the tender age of nineteen until I started working on the online store. I wrote the RN exams when I was still a teenager. The teacher took credit for my academic ability and forced me into nursing. But he had nothing to do with my abilities or IQ and never contributed anything to my life but hardship and sorrow.

There is no other female in the family who has been forced to support a family without any help – yet they condemn me for that too. They treat me like a degenerate who has never worked, yet I have always worked. Of course it wasn’t good enough. Nothing is good enough for our judgemental big brother, and his prideful wife – who has never worked a day in her life.

Even more importantly than all of the above, our seed on a spiritual level is of Biblical and eternal importance to our own lives, and our children’s families. We know from the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares that some seeds are sown for the good, and some for the evil one. Even within the same family, there can be both the wheat and the tares.

Just as it was in the story of Cain and Abel, even though Cain killed Abel in a fit of jealous rage, he could not hide it from God, and it did not take away the fact Abel was still his brother throughout all of time. Killing him did not eliminate him. It changed the course of history, but even so, there will come a day of reckoning.

Ultimately the seed of Abraham is the seed of all true believers in Christ. The only reason I have survived thus far, is by the seed from which I came from. In spite of a great deal of pain, peril, angst, conflict, and many near misses – I was protected through it all.

There is probably no greater time than on Christmas Day to give thanks for being part of the seed of Abraham. We are grafted into the tree of life for all eternity. Only God can graft us into our true lineage. No one can take the seed of our existence away from us.

I am very thankful by my own experience to finally know this to be true. It has served to strengthen my faith and put on the full armour of God. They cannot destroy my mind or my soul. They need to give it up already.

The teacher adoption con has become a very serious and divisive stranglehold within our family. Few people have the courage to stand up to my brother. The teacher really did steal, deceive, divide and destroy. In hindsight, it astounds me how a man as young as he was at the time, could be so diabolical, and cause such long term destruction to our family.

Everything on this earth is temporary. They will be held accountable some day. I will accept and be thankful for my humble beginnings, and the seed I came from.

Our seed brings us great strengths as well as adversity. The teacher was the opposite of what he claimed to be. Ultimately, he got the opposite of what he was trying to achieve. From our brother’s perspective, cutting off his own seed to align with the teacher, was probably the gravest error of his own lifetime. He cleaved to the darkness – not me. I lived in much of that darkness, but did manage to see the light. In fact, to me – hell would be getting stuck somewhere with those two.

In fact, if I had to choose between the two, and if they were bound so they could not attack me, I would far rather spend the time with my own brother than the teacher, who was boring as hell; as eerily ghastly as he was bland. It was like he was dead in his head.

Whereas, at least my brother is an intelligent person with a bit more scope in life. He can actually carry on an interesting conversation if he is in a half decent mood. If he would talk to me, I most certainly would make it clear that he is not going to use me or “my seed” as pawns in the continuation of his self-protectionism. The same goes for Ledcor and the teacher plot.

“Galatians 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the libertie wherewith Christ hath made us free, and bee not intangled againe with the yoke of bondage.”

My brother, through his cronyism with the teacher, cuts off all paths to reconciliation and healing in his own life, as well as the rest of the family. It is through our seed that both the strengths, and more importantly, the weaknesses arise. This gives us the ability and the obligation to discern right from wrong, and overcome some of those familial patterns for the sake of future generations.

Familial burdens such as addiction, superiority, greed, worshipping money at the expense of others, unwarranted punishments and accusations, and male dominated misogyny related to family violence, can be intergenerational strongholds.

Familial wrong cannot be resolved by cutting off the branch, the fruit, or cutting down the entire tree. In fact, just as I am not owned as an object to be traded off, or given up for adoption by my brother – nor does he own our family tree. He does not get to eradicate another person’s life or spirit regardless of his wrath, hatred and jealousy.

My brother overestimates his power and dominance. The teacher is as far from the seed of our family as the east is from the west. He has his own crap to deal with. My brother’s power is not going to last forever – except perhaps in the place of torment like it describes in the Bible. His punishment might last a very long time, based on the endless cruelties and corruption he has inflicted upon this world since he was a very young child.

My big brother is vastly superior to me in every way. He holds me in absolute contempt. There could be no greater polarization than there is between the two of us. He does not think I deserve to exist. He continues to give orders to control and oppress. He sets up rewards for those who will punish or exploit me. He held a grudge and hatred toward our own mother forever, and would not even go visit her on her death bed. He is the one who calls all the shots, and shuts off all compassion and reasoning.

There is no such thing as equality or accountability. He has the capacity to corrupt and harden the hearts of the family, a huge company, and politics. He has developed the ability to corrupt en masse, by honing a system of reward and punishment. He uses his Ledcor boss power over family members without regard for conflict of interest and abuse of power. He does not even grasp the concept of conflict of interest. It is meaningless to him.

There has never been a time in his life where he has been held accountable. I finally wrote a book about the truth of our past, and within a week he offered a truce. Then he immediately turned around and broke that truce by trying to force the teacher on me all over again.

Both my brother and the teacher are dedicated church-goers. They suit the following 2 Timothy 3:3 verse to the letter:

This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. and verse 7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

On my part, there might be some poetic justice on the horizon. He does not get to break the truce, punish me, and still expect the book go unpublished. It is high time for some cause and effect.

In due time, there will be real justice. Hopefully they will figure it out before it is too late for them. After all – especially as we age, we are really just a heartbeat away from a sudden death finale.

We ride that pale horse with no thought of the end – even though its conclusion is breathing right down our necks.

Merry Christmas. Peace, Love & Good Will To All!

What Does Optimal Mental Health Actually Mean?

December 13, 2020  | Valerie Hayes  | Health & Wellness, My Story, Thoughts & Ideas, View All Articles & Photos

Whether we acknowledge it or not, we are all immersed in this topic. We not only feel the effects of negative emotions – but we see the effects of a breakdown in mental health on society in general. Obviously mental health deterioration has an adverse effect on the person who is losing it, as well as on the family and community they dwell in. It is a vast and complex subject.

Maintaining stability in mental health involves managing emotions first and foremost. Of the wide range of mental health illnesses, anxiety and depression seem to top the list. Most people who suffer from anxiety and depression manage to lead outwardly normal lives.

It is fairly common to struggle with thoughts of what has happened, and what could happen – and then feel dominated by negative or fear-provoking thoughts. We need to ask ourselves what is happening from a realistic perspective. A depressed or anxious person can remain quite stable, as long as they do not turn to drugs and alcohol to self-medicate. Self-medicating for short term relief or mood elevation, exacerbates the problems. Excessive and ever increasing amounts of self-medication can disinhibit any individual, leading to a downward spiral of an otherwise stable person.

Most violent and antisocial behaviour stems from a failure to cope with life’s circumstances. The number one key responsibility to remain sane, is to manage anger and fear without lashing out. It does not mean the emotions, betrayals, annoying behaviours, wrongdoing should be buried. If it is buried, things do not get resolved and fester away often erupting in violence.

The key is to remain rational and share your opinions using words. If the negativity is being inflicted on you by another person or entity – sharing the opinion helps to find someone to either validate or refute it. In any case, using non-violent language to explain how something is affecting you, will help to get the grievance out and on the table.

The other thing to help alleviate anger, agitation or tension is through exercise and sports. Most people who are healthy with high levels of energy have long since realized they are much saner and more able to cope if they go for a walk, run, swim, or bike ride. One of the healthier mental health habits is to create some kind of outlet that works best for you as an individual, and make sure it is something you can fit in and do on a regular basis, especially when faced with negative moods, reactions, and conflicts.

In some cases, people find their escape route through music, painting, tinkering on cars, washing the car, organizing the kitchen or the garage, etc. In fact, organizing things can be quite therapeutic since it gives us a sense of control over our environments.

None of us can maintain a completely optimal state of mental health 100% of the time. So we have to think it through, and make decisions on how to handle the intense emotions. Screaming, cursing, throwing things, verbal abuse, etc. is a sign of mental health deterioration. If done frequently or consistently, it is a sign the person is going to need intervention.

Part of navigating undue strain upon our mental health is the importance of setting boundaries. All healthy relationships, families, organizations, and communities need to set boundaries. There are certain things we can tolerate, and certain things that are deal breakers.

Fortunately most people can discuss, understand and respect boundaries. But there are difficult people who will not respect boundaries, or who will try to control the life of another adult without even consulting with them. Each of us only has our own life to live, and we get to decide what we believe and who we serve.

No one can take away the intrinsic purpose of another person’s life. They do try – so boundaries are critical. No means no. It is a hard thing to get across to some people. People who will not take no for an answer are viewing you as an object. We don’t have to be treated as objects. We were not put on this earth to benefit someone else, who thinks they can scam and take ownership of our lives and our potential. Get lost – is what you firmly have to tell them, and the sooner the better.

It took me more than thirty-five years to get a high school teacher out of my life. A teacher I did not want to have any kind of relationship with in the first place. Yet it was almost impossible to get rid of the guy. My biggest regret in life, is that I did not set a louder boundary and scream blue murder when he targeted me as a student in school. Someone should have put a stop to his obsessive and delusional claims over my life. He would not listen to me. What an incredible abuse of power he exhibited.

I am certainly not being preachy when I write tips on maintaining mental health, because it was only by the grace of God, I managed to survive the delusional teacher’s lifelong soul-stalking and lies.

There are soothing and meditative sleep channels that help a great deal. A nutritious diet is essential to provide all the regulatory and stabilizing mood chemicals from the gut bacteria, blood glucose, etc. Our moods are influenced by our environment, relationships, sleep patterns, diet and exercise. Never underestimate the value of a peaceful and restful sleep. Rest is central to mood, healing, restoration, and immune function.

Another aspect of maintaining optimal mental health is to work at something every single day. Idleness is unhealthy. It numbs out both body and mind, leading to a lack of productivity and hopelessness. Everyone who is capable, needs to work on something. No matter how old we are, the more we do, the more it keeps our cognitive function going. Making a point of memorizing passwords, sixteen digit bank and credit card numbers, etc. will help the memory. Staying motivated to work on something helps us to look forward to each day.

Games like bridge, chess and scrabble are good for memory and brain exercise. My all time favourite is Words With Friends, which is online scrabble, with a few different rules than regular scrabble.

Taking a break from negative news media helps. I spoke with one elderly lady recently in the grocery store, asking her how she is coping with all the covid news. She said she has stopped watching the news and puts on comedies or nature shows instead.

Her sensible reply demonstrates how adaptable we are. We can unplug from the media for a period of time, if things get too depressing. For many people, growing things, nurturing others, or caring for pets is quite therapeutic.

One bonus to being home so much is that I have learned about the varieties of chrysanthemums, and at the time of writing, still have multiple blooms when it is almost Christmas! There are so many different colours and types. Some look like zinnias, others like bright yellow daisies, and some like small bushes. Others will cascade downward like a waterfall.

In fact after reading up on them, I have learned they are the flower chosen as the Imperial Emblem of Japan. The New York botanical gardens and many yearly displays in Japan showcase these colourful blooms. They have certain varieties growing with up to a thousand blooms on a single stem. Who would have dreamt it? They also seem to like coffee, so we do have common grounds.

Chrysanthemums supposedly only bloom once a year. But I have learned from experience, they do bloom more than once. I bought some in the spring and once they stopped blooming, stuck them in bigger pots, just in case. They grew much larger, and all four plants bloomed again for months.

They will grow stems long enough to go around other plants, to get their faces and flowers into the sunshine. They are totally different than the common bushy small ones you see everywhere in the fall. They get much more creatively unruly, and are far more beautiful, once they let loose a little. The semi-lockdowns brought me a huge appreciation for these gorgeous flowers with so many varieties. It also reinforces the many advantages of living in a fairly mild, west coast type climate.

The milder climate means we have been able to get outside, without all the snow and ice. I think a big part of staying sane and well-balanced, is to have gratitude for what we do have, and what we can do.

People who end up in LTC facilities, often end up there for one of two reasons. One is a physical disability, which is severe enough to take away their mobility, and therefore they cannot get around or function without help. The other, and equally important contributor, is a loss of cognitive function. In some cases, the person has no control over these things. Like cancer and other diseases, some of the chronic conditions are simply bad luck.

But to improve our chances, we have to learn to control our emotions and exercise our minds as well as our bodies. We have to adapt to losses or disappointments in life without losing our mind, or being in a constant state of stress.

Many times I ask myself when I feel worried about something, whether or not it is something to be dealt with, and what needs to be done about it. If the answer is nothing – then accept it as a transient annoyance or trigger you are not obligated to react to.

Sometimes when there is conflict, you have to measure out a response, and put the ball in their court. Then simply wait for a reply. So in this regard, being able to compartmentalize certain facets of life, can help us to set negative things aside, once we have done what we can to alleviate them.

The biggest word of caution, is regarding the roller coaster ride created by drugs and alcohol. Never assume a prescription drug will not have side effects or consequences to your health. Anti-anxiety and antidepressant drugs may give short term relief, but getting off them and restoring dopamine and serotonin levels is another matter all together. These drugs are potent neuroleptics affecting the brain and entire central nervous system.

There is no point in being in a chronic state of not being able to see the forest for the trees. Look at the mountains, the sky, the ocean, and the rivers when you get outside. Nature is every bit as beautiful as it was before all the covid fears began. Some things in life change. Other things are constant. Some of what we face each day is completely out of our control.

Figuring out and accepting what we can and cannot control – while leaving the rest to faith – in a nutshell, will also assure us of a sound mind. Good thing too. We need our cognitive function now more than ever before.

Copyright Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West (2020). Unauthorised use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author/owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

The Four Horses Of The Apocalypse

December 5, 2020  | Valerie Hayes  | Health & Wellness, My Story, Thoughts & Ideas, View All Articles & Photos

This is a topic I never really delved into until all the recent talk of death, and the reporting of covid deaths in the media every day. I find it surprising simply because this constant reporting of death, is a relatively new thing. We used to hear about murders and car accidents in the news, but not every single long term care death, or deaths from respiratory illnesses.

Most of us understand death is inevitable. Now it seems only the covid deaths are horrific, tragic, preventable, and exponentially stacking up. For some reason, it takes centre stage over and above all other causes of death. Most people will attribute this to the fact it is contagious. But it is not the first time we have been exposed to contagious outbreaks, so what makes this one so mind numbingly catastrophic?

I worked in hospitals. If you ever sat down with even just a handful of nurses, you could hear about the saddest cases, none of which ever hit the news. So the death horse is upon us, whether it is related to Biblical prophecy or not.

The covid death announcements makes one wonder if we have entered this phase of Biblical prophecy. It is not uncommon for people to look to their faith, or to the Bible, during times of uncertainty – especially uncertainty surrounding our own mortality.

But we do have to keep in mind that apocalyptic visions have been advanced by every doomsday cult throughout history, as well as by people like Greta Thunberg on the secular and political side. In fact, every time there is upheaval and change, there are many who will associate it with end times.

I have listened to multiple different speakers on Bible prophecy, and have read about a variety of different interpretations of the four horsemen. Some of them seem rather far-fetched.

There are many examples of how events throughout history, were interpreted to be present day signs of the end times. During the major wars and famines throughout history, people understandably wondered if those events signalled the end of the age. Therefore, one could easily be mistaken by attributing this covid crisis as being symbolic of the pale horse of death.

It is not really the covid deaths causing all the ruckus, but the reaction to those deaths, that really makes me wonder what is going on. The media is on the covid bandwagon non-stop. Is it a real emergency? Or is it manufactured? If not for the media and the masks, would we know it was happening? It seems viruses are just as polarized as we are. They are simultaneously innocuous and malignant. They have been around since the beginning of time – yet suddenly we are overwhelmed on a global scale by a single virus? How so? This has never happened before.

Now perhaps more than ever, it is interesting to examine some of the end times beliefs. In one case, the author and speaker believes the colours of the horses represent emotions, balance, and the human intellect. In another case, the interpretation claims the white horse represents the antichrist.

Various other interpretations claim the white horse represents Christ. But there is not much logical support for that theory, when you consider what the white horse is leading. The white horse is more likely to represent a faux rescuer, like the concept of the knight in shining armour. Except it is an illusion of rescue, one without substance.

The apocalypse is a topic that plunges us into the mystery of the book of Revelation, and the many unknowns about the end times. There are Biblical scholars who have devoted much time and study to Revelations, yet few of them come up with the same theory about the meaning of this incredible imagery and its significance in today’s world.

In thinking about the pale horse, or the horse representing death, I have learned this is the last horse of the four. The first horse is a white horse. The figure on it is wearing a crown and carrying a bow, but apparently the bow does not have any arrows.

There is an interesting correlation on the etymology of the Latin word corona – which means crown, wreath or garland. In the light of what is happening today, it does seem to be an odd coincidence. I wonder if the horseman riding the white horse has a corona garland on his head?

The curious connection relating to the crown worn by the rider of the white horse is the type of crown it is. He wears a stephanos crown, which represents the garland of conquest, as opposed to a diademata crown, which is the crown of a king.

Another puzzling concept is why the bow carried by the horseman on the white horse has no arrows (Revelations 6: 1-2). Therefore, in my own interpretation, the first horse is going out as a conquerer, but has no real or ultimate authority. He leads the other horses, which in turn, creates the awful global circumstances that are carried by the horses following him.

The second horse is fiery red and carries a big sword. It is generally agreed it represents bloodshed and war. This one takes away the peace on earth or perhaps the illusion of peace brought by the white horse. It might also represent an increased amount of anger. Since red is also symbolic of communism, it could be another facet of this imagery. The second rider’s large sword, is in sharp contrast to the first rider, who has just a bow and some trailing ribbons. It appears the red horse has the power, or the symbology, to cause hatred and harm.

The third horse is a black one, with a rider who is carrying a weigh scale. The verses in Revelation tell us the black horse weighs out a small measure of wheat or barley for a days wages. It is only enough to make a couple loaves of bread, so many people believe the black horse represents poverty and famine.

It is interesting to note the weigh scales are to dole out portions of wheat and barley, but the oil and wine must be reserved. Reserved for who, I wonder? Although it is open to interpretation, I wonder if this refers to saving and reserving the best for the elite. Another significant meaning attributed to the scale could be fair wages, justice, and income disparity. It might also point out how unfair it is for the ultra rich to ignore the needs of the poor, or worse yet, to oppress, judge and persecute the poor.

The fourth horse is described as the pale horse, and is widely thought to represent death. In fact, it is described as having Hades following right behind, or possibly even sitting on the back of the pale horse directly behind the rider. In the translation of colour, some will say this horse is actually a pale green. But I think for the most part, claiming it is green is a matter of translation.

 ⁸And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.

Therefore, we can conclude this allegorical description of the horses is ultimately about overcoming death. It appears the four horsemen of the apocalypse are a prelude of what is to come, as the grand finale signalling the end of this age.

One thing it took me many years to realize, is how vastly different Christian beliefs are. Night and day differences. Polarized differences. And there are differences in the way we interpret things, which is probably influenced by how we want to interpret them, or whether we choose to pay attention at all. But if we do not seek truth, we are in big trouble. To me, that much is for certain.

Our spiritual beliefs are an offshoot of who we are. As a child, I hardly ever went to church. If we did, it was to the local United Church. My strongest recollections are that the Sunday school teacher seemed like she was at least a hundred years old. She looked like Granny Daisy May Moses.

Other than that, I was quite fascinated by the wooden offering plate, and having to put a quarter in when it came around. The offering was always treated as a very sombre activity, with deacons to carry it from row to row. I would wonder if a person could look straight ahead, and keep a really serious, blank expression like the deacons did – then just discreetly pass it to the next guy? I don’t know. I never really understood church rituals as a kid.

Understanding religion got much more difficult when as a high school student, an autocratic religious fundamentalist teacher became obsessed with me. It took many years before I realized the falsehoods and abuse he inflicted upon me. The belief system came from the Exclusive Brethren Mennonites, and follows a false doctrine written in the 1800’s by John Darby. The theology and doctrine they follow is called dispensationalism.

I always kind of thought religious people were superior, and seemed to think they had all the answers. Plus they were the judges of those who are bad. “Oh you are a bad girl, just like your wicked mother” – was the teacher’s mantra. They were far superior, because they had been blessed by God.

I was indoctrinated with false doctrine, without even knowing it. I could not escape the guy. He followed me around school, basketball games, and whatever activities were going on outside of school. He forced me into his car on numerous occasions, and took me to his house for all night sessions of brainwashing, with really strange dogma and lies. I remember being told what a wonderful Christian he was, and was ordered to obey his authority. But for the life of me, I could never figure out what was so wonderful about him.

To me the biggest contradiction was the lies he told me about my own life and our mother, when I knew perfectly well what the truth was. But to refute him brought punishment, so I had to sit and listen to him. In fact, this guy entrapped and ensnared me for life. I am still being punished by the teacher and my older brother. The two of them have been in collusion since day one.

There has been a great deal of pain, deception, and family betrayal – as a result of a high school teacher, who inflicted all this upon me just months before I graduated. From then on, I could not get rid of the guy. He continued to follow me after I graduated, and throughout my life. My rich and powerful older brother made sure he was invited to every family function. If the teacher decided to visit me and I said no, I got cornered and raged at by my brother. That’s pretty much how they kept me in the trap.

He would not take no for an answer. I remember thinking, “for crying out loud, even God does not force us into a relationship with him”. One of the things that took so long to figure out, was the fact there are so many different belief systems among Christians. The hypocrisy is as dark and dismal as those all night sessions with the teacher – and then as glaring as the noon day sun, with all the blinding contradictions.

Yet challenging him, in his mind, was like defying God. Saying no and telling him to get lost meant I must be mentally ill, because his supreme ego would not permit him to accept rejection. The teacher would always tell me my family would not support me if I refused to have anything to do with him. That is only because of his collusion with my older brother. Their plot over my life was based on nothing but lies, manipulations, false accusations, and orders from Ledcor headquarters (my own big brother) – to keep the punishment going.

The teacher has harboured a very delusional concept of his relationship with me from the get-go, which is typical of the stalker types. He was determined to be my daddy-god for life. Stalkers have all kinds of illusions and delusions about those they become obsessed with. They imagine themselves to be the father, the husband, the saviour, the soul-mate – or whatever.

They often develop long-term fixed delusional belief systems about the relationship with their victims. No matter how many times you make it clear you want nothing to do with them – they will not accept it. In my case, he had the escape routes blocked. He always maintained and manipulated access to me, until I really put my foot down. The punishment for doing so has never ended, but even so, it was well worth it.

A huge percentage of television and youtube preachers, like the teacher I got saddled with – embrace false doctrine. Others are brainwashed by those power abusing leaders, or else simply misinterpret things.

The one thing we can be sure about, is the level of deception is sky high. So in my own interpretation of things, the white horse represents deception by those with authority. They give the appearance of being lily white, but look at what they are bringing with them? They bring hatred, division, unjust punishment, and deception to the extent, they will lie about who you are. To them, black is white – and white is black. They speak in opposites. They act and claim the very opposite of what they are professing.

The white horse to me, represents the introduction of this final earthly battle. It brings a spirit of deception and division to set the stage for the rest. The battle of Armageddon, is about bringing all the things we fear the most right in front of us. It is in our minds and spirits. The tension in the plot is rising. Much of it is about the love of money.

Working to earn money is to be expected. Money itself is not evil. It is the love of money that causes betrayals, murders, exploitation, deception, and harm to others. That is when money turns from being a tool or a blessing – into true evil.

Some people serve mammon, and become very arrogant in the process. But in the final judgement, the Bible does make it crystal clear – greed is catastrophic. Even at the time of a natural death, surely people know they cannot take anything with them. Power must be so intoxicating for some people, it removes common sense.

It might be impossible for us to fully comprehend the Bible, to separate the metaphorical from the literalistic interpretations, and to put the pieces together. There seems to be some key elements to help with the construct of Biblical beliefs. The first is of God as the creator. Then it is the redemption and salvation through Christ, and finally – judgment.

How we live our lives is more important than we realize. Our beliefs will eventually teach us who we serve. Redemption is about understanding we were bought for a price. We should know beyond any doubt, who we belong to, as we journey through the process of forgiveness and redemption. If we are believers, we know there will be a final judgement. Repentance has to be sincere and come from the heart.

If things play out as dramatically as Revelation portrays, the end times will be the greatest test of courage and faith we could ever imagine. Yet overcoming such fears, is likened to the analogy of the increasing intensity of labour pains. When we are in labour – we know and believe the outcome is well worth it. The end result is joy, along with a sense of overwhelming love and awe.

Some Christians believe they will be beamed up before facing great tribulation. If we look at history, and what happened to the early Christians, we might get a reality check on the theory of a pre-tribulation rapture. There is no Biblical evidence to support that claim either. But, you can always find stuff in the Bible to suit what you want to believe. What could be more desirable than an escape into the clouds just when the going gets tough?

Others believe there will be a rapture at the half way point of the great tribulation. In my mind, neither of these theories hold water. The rapture theory is steeped in dispensationalism, which I know beyond a shadow of a doubt by my own experiences, as being false and evil to the core. Personally, I reject all the pre-tribulation and mid-tribulation theories. In fact, there cannot even be a measuring of time to claim there will be a seven year tribulation in the first place. I think it is clear there will be tribulation, but the length of time is unknown.

Some people believe there will be a never ending hellfire for non-believers. Some think people go straight to heaven when they die. Others believe we rest or sleep until Christ returns.

To be honest, even though most televangelist preachers and mainstream churches teach pre-tribulation rapture, the takeover by a single anti-christ, and a seven year tribulation – for the most part, those concepts are not part of the Biblical dramatizations. I’m no Bible scholar. But I have evaluated the most pessimistic and terrifying of the fundamentalist beliefs I was indoctrinated with, and find it to be false. The John Darby bible is false doctrine. John Darby made hundreds of changes to the original Bible, yet few Christians seem to realize this.

The Bible does not describe a single anti-christ, but many antichrists, and often refers to it as the spirit of the antichrist. The Bible consistently tells us that no one knows when Christ will return. Therefore, all the unlocking of the timelines from the book of Daniel is futile. The same goes for the dispensations, or timelines as crafted and outlined by Darby.

We are also told many times throughout the Bible, that to God, a day can be as a thousand years, and vice versa. So we simply do not know the timelines, otherwise people would be able to accurately interpret the return of Christ. Therefore those timelines go out the window with the rest of false doctrine.

Another set of beliefs places the prophecies of Revelation as past tense. They claim the tribulation already took place in 70AD, and the evil ruler or antichrist was Nero. This particular belief system envisions a world that is becoming increasingly better, not worse. We are going in the direction of Utopia, not great tribulation.

Although placing tribulation in past tense is an optimistic interpretation, it does not make sense either, because Nero has nothing to do with the end of the age. The events that took place in Rome during that terrible time in human history, did not turn out to precede the second coming of Christ.

So what is the truth? We may not find out until the end of the age arrives. Even if things unfold as dramatically as Revelation describes, some people will be in the midst of it, and still not believe it.

In the end, what we believe, is the final inalienable right we will never have to let go of. We have been warned many times not to be deceived. The white horse and the leader of the apocalypse is the deceiver, or more likely, the spirit of deception.

I do believe Christ will return. I believe the four horsemen of the apocalypse are prophetic visions depicting the end of the age, or the culmination of the great battle between good and evil. It does not mean we can predict what will happen next. But we can see the changes and what is developing now, as an indication of metaphorical comparisons at the very least.

It could take a day, or it could take another thousand years for the end times scenarios to fully play out. With the dramatic changes throughout the world in this past year, it does seem things are unfolding before our eyes.

When we look at the four horsemen, it could seem pretty grim. When I listened to the religious zealot teacher, it seemed even worse. Shaking the dispensational theology loose and getting free of it, totally changed my outlook. It is a relief to know the teacher was wrong, and I do not have to believe what he believes, in order to be a Christian.

But now, I see these things as a precursor – a confrontation of the great deceptions and polarizations we have been plunged into. I see the lily white supremacy and arrogance of false prophets. Each successive horse spells out for us, what follows the first one. I think the period of tribulation varies for different individuals. Some people have to deal with far more adversity, tribulation and persecution than others do.

The conflicting aspects of eschatology for me now are based on the severity of tribulation, and whether it will be as bad as some people envision. There are several verses describing a busy albeit corrupt world. It does not sound quite as apocalyptic as some descriptions. Also, it would appear to be entirely possible to avoid and steer clear of depravity and corruption, therefore be less affected by what is going on. I think tribulation is both personal and worldly, but maybe not as catastrophic as the dispensationalists and other cults would have us believe.

Also the Bible tells us the return of Christ would be like it was in the times of Noah. From gotquestions.org “They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all” (Luke 17:26–27). Jesus was pointing out that, although the people of Noah’s day were totally depraved, they were not the least bit concerned about it. They were carrying on the events of their lives without a single thought of the judgment of God.”

The four horses are giving us the warnings. They are rearing up into a wild and dramatic depiction of what it is to merge worldly warfare with spiritual warfare. In my interpretation of things, we will become more entrenched in spiritual warfare more than anything. Ultimately the battle between good and evil is a spiritual battle, not a carnal one. So many people are caught up in the concept of the mark of the beast. If there is a mark of the beast, there must also be the mark of a Christian, to differentiate the two.

This to me, is a metaphorical interpretation, or should be. The reason I believe so, is because the Bible does refer to the seal of the Holy Spirit as well, but for some reason this assurance gets very little attention.

I think the idea of the mark of the beast being put on one’s forehead or hand is metaphorical. It stands for what you believe, what is in your mind, and who or what you worship. Because what is in your mind, or what you believe in – will motivate your activities. After all, deviousness comes from planning and scheming, followed by doing, or carrying out unscrupulous deeds.

The pale horse of death is what most of us fear the most, especially if Hades or hell is on the heels of that horse, breathing hellfire down our necks. What our secular world fails to wrap their collective heads around, is that we do not face the prospect of just one death.

There is the earthly physical death, when the soul leaves the body and goes to a resting place. The Bible does teach certain things about the time of the second coming. It says the dead in Christ shall rise first. That means believers do not go straight to heaven after death, but they sleep and wait until Christ returns.

It sounds like some people go to a comfortable place to sleep, such as the references made about those who are resting in Abraham’s bosom. Others may not be quite so comfortable – such as the rich man who is described as begging Lazarus for a drink of water, and then asking him to warn his family about this terrible place he found himself.

The second death is the death of the soul for non-believers or those who are not repentant. This death comes after the final judgement. In my opinion, the Bible does not claim there will be eternal hellfire for all unrepentant sinners. It says, “the wages of sin is death”. I know many will disagree, but that is what it says.

How can we believe people go to heaven or hell for all eternity at the time of their physical death, if they have not faced judgement yet? Many would argue it is salvation alone that assures us a place in heaven. But what would be the point of judgment then? Surely there is some sort of plausible integration surrounding the rewards, punishments and system of justice that sets the stage for how people will live eternal lives.

I tend to believe at the time of Christ’s return, the living believers will be joining the dead in Christ to meet Him in the air. Prior to His return, those who are dead, have left their physical bodies and are sleeping somewhere until He returns. Following the return of Christ, there will be something akin to a massive court case.

We are conditioned to fear the first death. But the old saying “giving up the ghost” is somewhat realistic, in that the spirit and soul leave the body. It is not the final death. What is referred to as the second death is the annihilation of a person’s existence following judgement. There may be a certain amount of hellfire to face, but I don’t think people spend all eternity burning in hell. In fact, I cannot even imagine such a thing, and am not sure why it is central to mainstream religion.

I believe the meaning or intent of the four horsemen is to warn us. It helps to give us a conceptual framework for what is happening in this world, and what is to follow. For those who believe in and look forward to the return of Christ – we will see how the final pale horse representing death has been overcome.

The central message of the true Gospel is that death will be overcome. The apocalypse is dramatic, and beyond our comprehension in many ways. But after that, the greatness and glory has just one focus. Christ will bring about the great reset. So even though it seems like things are going to hell in a hand basket, and may get worse in the near future – there is much to look forward to.

Although the wait has been a long one – in the end it will happen in the twinkling of an eye. Then everything on earth, and everyone on the earth – will be changed. As promised – the truth will set us free.

Although any kind of deception, hypocrisy, or contradiction – tends to make us angry, anger is not the remedy. We still need to maintain self-control and follow the laws.

In fact, the most important part of our armour – is peace, truth and love. Against such – there is no law.

Copyright Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West (2020). Unauthorised use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author/owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

What Is The Great Reset?

November 21, 2020  | Valerie Hayes  | Health & Wellness, My Story, Thoughts & Ideas, View All Articles & Photos

This one is even tougher to grasp than all the covid contradictions. At first I thought mentioning it might lead to accusations of being a conspiracy theorist. Even though this concept sounds like a conspiracy – it is clearly something of significance lurking like an incredible hulk, in the shadowy forms with all the covid hype.

Did you ever wonder why the published image of covid looks like one of those spiked balls, flails, or morning star weapons they used to clobber people over the head with during medieval times? This image has been put on almost all publications, featuring a round ball with red spikes.

Where did such an image come from? Does it really look like the covid virus? The obvious answer is – No, it does not. They have yet to identify single viruses within a family of viruses, under an electron microscope.

For the most part when you look at images of viruses under an electron microscope, you see clusters of amoeba like shapes. There can be a differentiation by the general shape, to help identify the type of virus, but as far as what covid-19 actually looks like, they had to resort to a completely fictional image. Quite simply – they do not know what it looks like.

Where does the spiked ball covid image we see published everywhere, as a purported likeness of the virus come from? This image is part of an emerging trend called BioArt. It is a fictional representation and branding based on graphic design alone. There is nothing real about it. And why they would make it look like a flail to whack people in the head with, is incomprehensible. Yet in the overall scheme of things, it makes some sick sense.

They made the covid image look that way for a reason. It looks sinister. It has multiple red spikes. We have been hammered in the head with the little spiked ball, every time we look at the news. It is a metaphorical bit of squeamish injury to our sensibilities and thought processes. Ouch. What just hit me? Oh right. More covid BS.

Okay, so there you have it, the best non-conspiracy observation of the shadowy form and branding lurking behind the covid imagery. Oh some might cry! How dare you call the little spiked ball fictional! Well, then why not use an image of the real thing? It is the most logical question to ask.

Another example of some far out BioArt being used to demonstrate RNA messenger vaccines and chemotherapy with little scissors embedded into the RNA. Seriously? The image looks like something out of a Walt Disney Movie. https://www.timesofisrael.com/with-new-elegant-chemo-israeli-scientists-edit-genome-to-destroy-cancer-dna/

Languishing behind the spiky covid form, is a despotic fascist archetype from the World Economic Forum. If he could be portrayed as the villain in the plot of a new release of George Orwell’s book, The Animal Farm, I would give this guy the role of a bullfrog on a log. He has about as much charisma as a Gaboon viper, along with the audacity to think he can dictate what is best for the entire world, and all those who inhabit it.

The Great Reset comes from the World Economic Forum, which sounds like a big deal, but in reality the founder is a University professor by the name of Klaus Schwab, born in Germany in 1938. He is the founder and chairman of the World Economic Forum. Yup. This whole devious plan comes from an arrogant professor in Germany.

Honestly, it is one of the most convoluted and contradictory plans I have ever heard of or read about. Next to the objectives of various other tyrants throughout history, this one is right up there. First of all, he claims the world will become a much angrier place. He admits there will be poverty, mass unemployment and misery.

From there he takes a great leap to another log, and claims we will have a greener earth, and the two concepts are not incompatible. What?

Using a double negative, he is claiming the resulting unemployment, anger and human misery is compatible with the objectives of having a greener earth? Since when does poverty, squalor and homelessness make the earth greener? It is just the opposite in fact. Always remember – they speak in opposites. The bullfrog has two faces.

Last I checked, the earth is pretty green. Are they going to change the colour of the sky too? Will they start to make up rules for a brighter, and bluer sky? You bet they will. They seem to have no limits to their over reach.

He makes very arrogant sweeping statements, like how the “global stakeholders” will determine the great reset. What global stakeholders? Who owns the earth? They do? Or at least they seem to think they do.

Embodied within all these contradictory statements, when real questions are asked, he says, “I do not know the remedies”. Well the logical thought process in my opinion is that if you don’t know the remedy, or the cure – how are you going to reset anything?

He claims there will be dignity for all. Yet the title of that particular you tube diatribe was how the world is going to become a much angrier place. How do we get dignity out of anger?

He seems to think there will be equality for women. He looks and talks like he is still stuck in the German fascist regime of the late thirties, so how would a guy like that know the first thing about what it is to be oppressed as a woman?

He talks about equality of outcomes. There is no such thing. If you give identical fishing rods and boats to five different groups of people, does anyone really think they would all return with an equal number of fish?

I will readily admit how little I want to know about the great reset plot, but it cannot be ignored. I call it a scheme, because clearly there is a great deal of deception and arrogance underlying the statements he makes.

There is no compassion for humankind whatsoever in his plan for a great reset. In fact, there is no real plan at all, other than creating human misery, homelessness, hopelessness, famine and poverty – all under the guise of creating a greener earth.

The question is, who benefits from such a disjointed plan? They do. Those who meet at the DAVOS conference each year. Those who think they are the global stakeholders. Those who have the money to buy the mainstream media, which is little more than taking out full page covid ads on a daily basis. CBC is constantly running ads requesting people’s covid stories. How on earth can that be considered unbiased journalism?

Some obvious examples of media deception: In one case they tell a story about a woman with dementia who cannot remember to wear a mask. The gist of the article, of course, is to shame the anti-maskers. If a person with severe dementia can be taught to wear a mask, then how can any cognitively intact person ignore those orders? Since the woman cannot remember anything from one minute to the next, the article describes how the caregiver hangs several brightly coloured masks on the woman’s doorknob because she cannot remember to wear a mask when she goes out.

Here is the clincher. The article goes on to say that when the woman goes out with her caregiver and sees other people without masks – she is aghast to see others are not wearing masks. How can a person with short term memory loss, who cannot remember why she must wear a mask – make a judgement call on random people in the community who are not wearing masks? It is such obvious deception, especially for people who have known and cared for people with severe dementia.

Another article in the mainstream media describes the death of a teacher calling it a covid death, and calling on all people to wear masks to prevent such tragedies. The man had stage 4 lung cancer with metastasis to the brain. He had zero chance of survival with that diagnosis, yet they somehow twist that to be the fault of random people not wearing masks on Granville Street? How so? How pathetic is it to exploit deaths for the sake of media sensationalism and promoting a false narrative? In my opinion it is the absolute bottom of the barrel, tire biting, ambulance chasers, who would write such overtly exploitive articles about grief and death.

In Canada, we have had confidentiality policies within hospitals for many years. If a person calls in to make the most basic enquiry, they are told the information cannot be disclosed. Yet the minute the person dies or becomes incapacitated, the media can exploit their story. How many of these people would have given consent if they knew the true motives behind this?

The next of kin can give consent to share stories, pictures, etc. But those people are in a state of grief, are vulnerable, and it is common for them to feel anger and blame, as a normal grief reaction. Making all these vulnerabilities, raw emotions, and losses into public sensationalism with covert political objectives, is unfair to the general public.

Probably the greatest contradiction surrounding the great reset, is the placating claim: “we are all in this together”. They are telling us, indoctrinating us, brainwashing us, into believing we must not socialize with another human being, yet we are all in this together? Togetherness is the last thing they want.

We are not to see our family members, no hugs, no Mother’s day, no Thanksgiving dinners, no birthday parties, no exercise or dance classes, no singing, no indoor public spaces without masks, etc. What togetherness are they advocating for? See how they speak in opposites?

How can they constantly and divisively drive people apart, banning all contact, and then say, “we are in this together”. Obviously we are not in this together, so cut the crap. Their objective is behaviour modification.

What are they trying to do? An elite few are basically claiming to be the owners of the earth. They will make the rules. They will dominate and cause unprecedented human suffering. And most of all, they get sadistic and arrogant pleasure out of doing so.

They obviously rule mainstream media. But who else do they rule over? If we do not believe the lies. If we do not give any credibility to the lies in the media – what does that leave them with?

If the so called great reset had even a modicum of value to the general public, one might be able to defend it. But it makes no sense at all.

If a problem is defined, fair enough. But how can they justify collapsing all systems, when they themselves do not have the answers? How does any virus, sniffles, a cold, or flu bug lead to a golden opportunity for a great reset and intentional collapse of the economy? The bull frog makes some great leaps of logic, creating these antagonistic paradoxes.

I had the misfortune of being forced into nightly brainwashing sessions as a vulnerable teenager by an autocratic, incredibly arrogant high school teacher. Due to a collusion with my older brother, this teacher plagued me my entire life with his lies. If not for that experience, I might not see through the deception and brain washing this great reset is bringing about. If not for the fact that my own brother is the second largest shareholder of the second largest construction company in Canada – I would not be so aware of how psychopathy has come to rule the globe.

But I do know from experience how brain washing, shaming , deceiving, and making outrageous false claims – can become a reality. They have a single MO, and that is to repeat the lies until they are believed. They will intimidate you if you refute those lies. They will gang up on you. Make no mistake – their end game is domination and violence. They have no respect for humanity. They have a dehumanizing disgust for the poor and downtrodden. They do not think poor people even deserve to exist.

Refute the lies. There is nothing wrong with truth. In fact, there has never been a more important time in history, to let truth rise to the surface. Truth rises high above people like Klaus Schwab. He is eighty-two years old. Would anyone want to be in his shoes?

Buried within the books written by Klaus Schwab, there is a focus on sustainability achieved through a careful management, not of resources – but of people. His utopia or more aptly dystopia, revolves around having “smaller numbers of perfect people”. Someone should let him know – he is not perfect either. None of us are perfect. So obviously this is an ideology beyond human capabilities.

It would be crazy to follow this WEF guy. He is one step away from his own demise, whether he dies of old age, a heart attack, or a massive stroke. Reality of age should not be considered ageism if the person is not acting on behalf of public interests.

He has already reached his life expectancy. Why would anyone want to inflict misery on the world at his stage of life? He has lived most of his life, yet he proposes to alter the entire landscape of opportunity for the rest of humanity? Especially when using out dated, quondam, long in the tooth, antediluvian, archaic concepts?

I often wonder why we are seeing so many men well past retirement age, continuing to dominate world politics with the “old dog” mentality. The adage that you cannot teach old dogs new tricks, certainly comes to mind when you listen to some of these guys. How many old women do we see taking centre stage? It is pretty clear, what is good for the goose, is not good for the gander.

For those who believe there will be a final judgment day – no one should fear it more than the people who are proposing the great reset. They are deceptively using an unseen virus as the perceived human enemy. It is high time we point the finger at the real enemies of humanity.

The great reset plan eliminates love and truth – and replaces it with fear, anger and deception. They are promoting unemployment, isolation, poverty, and global behaviour modification. They have created a recipe for disaster.

Total control stems from insecurity and complete unbridled selfishness. People are turning on each other, and blaming their neighbours for lockdowns and restrictions, when in actual fact, the general public does not cause viruses, and have nothing to do with the plan created by Klaus Schwab.

We most certainly have not caused the disproportionate over reaction to this particular virus. The political leaders are causing it. Covid is merely an excuse to control the world. They have manufactured the crisis.

Goodness and truth will prevail. And someone, somehow – will put a stop to this madness. To those who are encouraging this covid mania – ask yourself one question. Can there be any greater greed or delusion, than the belief you can own and control the world? I don’t think so.

I just discovered the petition on the Pierre Poilievre website:

https://www.withpierre.ca/stopthegreatreset

Copyright Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West Vintage (2020). Unauthorised use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author/owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West Vintage with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Self Care During Lockdowns ~ Flatten The Fear

November 20, 2020  | Valerie Hayes  | Health & Wellness, My Story, Thoughts & Ideas, View All Articles & Photos

Most of us have never experienced such restrictions in our lifetimes. Without a doubt we face an unprecedented bombardment of rules, arguments, civil unrest, contradictions, and most of all – things that provoke negative thoughts and emotions.

Fear is not our friend. It breeds worry, blame, anger, hopelessness, and negativity. For the most part, we fear the unknown and the unseen. It’s like laying in bed in the dark with the covers over our head, trying to interpret every noise and creak in the house. From there, we imagine the worst, like something out of a horror movie.

One of the things that helps with fear of the unknown, is to create your own plan for daily living. There will always be some dark days, but the goal is to reduce and minimize the dark clouds that pass over our souls. Central to the “be happy” plan is maintaining practical aspects of physical and mental health during the lockdowns. Since there has been so much fear mongering in the media, our biggest challenge, and the best conquest in this covid era, is to overcome fear.

To overcome fear, we have to remind ourselves that we have control over our own thoughts. Fear is a biological signal that serves to increase adrenalin and prepare us for fight or flight. In the absence of the need to fight or run, it means the fear is mostly irrational. Besides that, there is nowhere to run to. In the past people would flee countries where the political scenarios became worrisome or tyrannical. But with the current situation, moving to a different country is not an option, and would not be an improvement anyway.

One thing we can count on in life is change. Where there is instability and upheaval, we can expect things to change. In the meantime, it helps to do rational evaluations and be thankful for what is stable, secure, happy, positive and hopeful.

Gratitude is central to maintaining peace of mind. If we have peace, as in the absence of war and being attacked, a roof over our heads, health among the members of our family, hot water, heat, and food – basically it is a good day.

The small things can be amplified, like when you see roses blooming in your garden in winter months. Or a burst of sunlight through the clouds that highlights the snow on the mountain tops. We don’t have to go anywhere to appreciate these things.

I think we are all realizing how important our health is and how much we have to rely on ourselves to maintain it. Many health care services are adversely affected as a result of the focus on covid. We have heard so much about the fear of overwhelming health care systems, we are inclined to avoid those services all together if we can.

For many people, part of this entire health argument is to listen to the experts. I don’t think we have much choice but to follow the mandates that are put into place, and wait and see how long they are going to last. We can adapt. But the most important thing, is to listen to our own body and mind. We can nurture and nourish ourselves with the food we eat, and combine it with wholesome food for thought.

If you take grocery shopping for instance. The line ups are longer than usual, which changes the habit of running out for a couple of lemons or some sour cream. Many of the small produce stores are now shuttered, so we have to go to the large supermarkets even if we just need an onion.

Given all the changes around grocery shopping, means that we have to plan the meals, fresh produce and healthy meals to last for longer periods of time. If we can shop for everything in one stop, to last two to four weeks – then we can reduce the length of time in line ups, as well as reduce the exposure to others.

Fresh produce and whole foods are the healthiest for our diets, but you cannot keep lettuce and radishes for three weeks. That means, the planning includes buying things like fresh salad ingredients, fresh beans, peppers, cauliflower, and broccoli, then using those up in the first week.

The longer lasting root vegetables such as turnips, carrots, parsnip, squash, sweet potatoes and beets – are the vegetables to use for the second and third week between grocery shopping. When setting up the grocery plan, the first couple of times, you realize what you are most likely to run out of, and also what things you allowed to go to waste.

After a bit of trial and error, you realize what you run out of and then add to it. For instance coffee cream lasts a week or ten days in the fridge – but you can buy a larger container and pour some of it into smaller containers and freeze it.

Overall, adapting the shopping and food planning to last for longer stretches, also helps with our sense of security.

Most of us are spending more time than usual online. I was listening to some lectures on eye strain and near sightedness and how much this increases with time spent indoors looking at screens, whether it is television, phones, or computers. Getting outdoors makes a difference to the health of our eyes as well.

We all need fresh air and exercise. To combat the excessive computer time, it is best to get two hours of fresh air each day if possible, which is crucial to our overall health. When adding to a daily routine or plan to stay healthy, we are wise to include habits that increase our physical mobility. It is also a good idea to make a point of taking frequent breaks to look at things further away – like the sky, birds, mountains and trees.

Gardening and playing an instrument are self soothing activities. The use of essential oils cannot be under estimated. I have learned to love the smell of cypress, marjoram, thyme, sandalwood, lavender, jasmine, and several others. In fact, essential oils are more powerful than the mainstream systems will ever admit to.

Over the years I developed some severe allergies, to the point of anaphylaxis. The first time it happened was life threatening, since it progressed rapidly before I realized what was happening. After the first time, I had a few more episodes to signal the onset, which was itchiness and rapid swelling in my hands and throat, followed by hives and body rash.

The first time, I attributed it to the last food I had eaten before going to bed, which was blueberries. But the next time it happened, it seemed unrelated to food. I do have some epinephrine in a first aid kit, but after doing some research, I figured that it is a mast cell anaphylaxis, and not quite the same as other allergic reactions.

The second and third times there was an onset of anaphylaxis, I used Benadryl, steroid cream on my hands, and a dropper to put a high concentration of undiluted oregano oil down my throat and under my tongue. The last time it happened, I used just the oregano oil. For me, this is what works to stop the progression to full blown anaphylaxis.

After thinking about how it developed, I could correlate it to a root canal and illness related to the dental procedure that developed more than ten years ago. No doubt, certain things are cumulative. I think there was a build up of allergens, antigens, and toxins, that simmered away systemically for a period of time. It took three years before I would try blueberries again to test my theory, and sure enough, it was not the blueberries that caused the first reaction.

Now I realize the cause of mast cell anaphylaxis is complex, and is related to cortisol, the adrenal system, blood dyscrasia, neurotransmitters and receptors, lymphatic toxins, and stress. If there is a significant amount of stress, it really increases the risk of having this type of allergic reaction. I have learned to manage it, so that I do not have to go through the episodes of battling it and fearing the worst.

I have not had any allergic reactions in the past year and a half. Thankfully, it has been getting better, not worse. With any type of chronic condition, we want to alleviate it on an intrinsic level. If we can manage to do so, it increases our confidence in managing our own health. I realize this approach is not for everyone. But I have managed to stay away from doctors for many years, and consider myself to be better off for it, not worse.

We have entered a period of health interference, where the government keeps announcing how they are “keeping us safe” when nothing could be further from the truth. I don’t mind staying out of the health care system, and for that much I am grateful beyond words. We never know if we will be hit by a debilitating illness or accident, but each day that we can maintain our health and freedom from illness or pain, is a good day.

Most of us can relate to getting a blister on our foot during a hike. Prior to the blister, we never gave out feet a second thought. Then before we know it, we cannot think about or concentrate on anything else. I think it is similar with many things. We take our health for granted until there is something we cannot ignore. A few preventative measures can save us a fair bit of grief, and in some cases, can completely alter the direction things are going with our health.

Of all things to avoid, we need to be very cautious about prescription drugs and alcohol. All addiction is about mood elevation and escape. But it wreaks havoc with our systems and creates a cycle of dependancy and sickness.

It takes years to clear our bodies and minds of an addiction once it takes root. Every addiction has many layers, from the cause, to the effects on ourselves and those around us. For those suffering with addictions, there is hope. We have the capacity to change, and once the dopamine levels and peace of mind is restored, there is a path to feeling better.

As much as it helps to plan our days, from groceries and to-do lists, now is the time to plan our thoughts and bring them captive to our own quest for joy and happiness. The entire media and covid barrage, seems to want the opposite – so the best we can do is defy them with our thoughts.

Some people get mad if we don’t think masks and lockdowns are effective. Or if we don’t believe asymptomatic healthy people should be called covid cases. But, even if we are following the rules and mandates, it does not mean we cannot think for ourselves.

They speak in opposites. They drum up fear and anger. There is misinformation galore. If we can manage to filter out the negatives, and make a determined effort to stay happy, it defeats their purpose.

For those who are abusing power and deceiving the masses – I would not want to be in their shoes, no matter how much money they have. There will be a day of reckoning. There are Universal laws, which if ignored – they do so at their own peril.

What is our best ammunition against the onslaught? There is no greater time to make a commitment to being humble and happy. Gratitude for personal health. Gratitude for nature. Gratitude for the nature of truth.

Truth will rise to the surface. There is no regime of tyranny that has lasted forever. There has never been a deceptive and self-serving scheme that has not eventually crumbled. We have coexisted with viruses since the beginning of time, and regardless, humankind has grown and thrived. Covid is not the beginning, or the end of viruses. It is not as atypical as they would have us believe.

So we might as well add patience to our list of happiness objectives. Let the rest of them wrestle the wind if they want to. We can ride out the storm and wake up with a song in our hearts.

They want worry and fear to consume us? They can pound sand. We don’t have to surrender our thoughts. The sky is not falling. I have been checking it every day.

As far as the lockdown is concerned – salute it with a happy thought. We will be just fine. The more this covid hype continues, the more of a farce it seems to be. They are aiming for the great reset, so they do not want to see the cases go down, no matter what people do. Relax. This is not our fault.

Copyright Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West Vintage (2020). Unauthorised use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author/owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West Vintage with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

What Is Our Soul & Why Is It So Important When We Die?

November 9, 2020  | Valerie Hayes  | Health & Wellness, My Story, Thoughts & Ideas, View All Articles & Photos

As human beings most of us have been taught that we consist of body, soul, and spirit. We know what our physical bodies are, and depending on what we believe spiritually, we can readily grasp the awareness of spiritual beliefs, and how they shape the inner person. But what exactly is the soul?

Our soul resides inside of our body, and consists of our mind, thoughts, intellect, and emotions.

For the longest time, I thought I had been targeted by a religious fundamentalist high school teacher because he was a complete self-absorbed king-kong type chauvinist, with the hots for a teen age girl. I also knew that he saw me as a golden opportunity to use as a fund raising mascot for the Exclusive Brethren religious cult he was steeped in. But that was only a part of the whole plot. His main objective was mind control.

There was opportunism, victimization, objectification, and an all out attack on my mind, which in turn led to a great deal of emotional pain. Constant accusations, shame, humiliation, entrapment – were all part of the lying scheme.

As time goes on I am increasingly cognizant of the soul destroying aspect of what he was aiming to do to my life. It was definitely all about attacking my mind and emotions. The nightly brain washing sessions were geared towards thought reform. He used tactics of sleep deprivation, fear mongering, skewed Bible verses, and constant degradation of me and my mother.

He did not even know our mother, yet he had vitriolic hatred for her. She was the most despicable, sinful, horrible creature on earth. In fact, he would claim she was non-redeemable. Then he would drop his head as if it pained him to make such a statement. He would say, “I know that is a hard thing to accept.” Like I had no choice but to accept his authority on who is redeemable and who is not.

I mean this guy was a twenty-something year old brand new teacher at my high school in a hick prairie town of 454 people. Yet just because he was a teacher, he seemed to think it also meant he was god. He had the swaggering and untouchable arrogance like he was the almighty authority over all things.

This was a teacher, who I did not even know existed, before he showed up as some kind of tough guy guru in Warburg, Alberta. Yet simply based on being a teacher, he had the audacity to follow me around, chase me down, force me into a car, and then forcibly confine me all night long. He did it many times in the months before I graduated.

At the time I was a vulnerable student, just months away from graduating and making an escape, from the public school in the small town that had employed him as a teacher. I was born on a farm seven miles from Warburg. He was a complete outsider. Both of my parents were alive at the time, and I did have family in the community as well.

How I wish he had either been arrested at the time, or better yet, got a job in some other town. I would have been spared so much of the agony he brought to my life. If I allowed it to, the rage and indignation over his incredible gall, would have consumed me by now.

For starters, where do our thoughts come from? There are actually Universal laws surrounding thought processes. Our thoughts stem from our identity, which is established at birth or soon after birth, perhaps even before we are born. Our identity and individuality is intrinsically understood based on our family of origin. We exist as a part of, or extension of first our mothers, then the awareness of our own physicality, and presence in our family of origin.

Although no one really knows when thought processes begin in an infant child, those thoughts are inextricably linked to identity, and especially to our mothers in utero and after birth. As time goes on, we get a better understanding of the impact of birth order, and other relationships. Therefore a big part of attacking the mind and soul, also attacks relationships.

When the teacher fixated on me when I was in high school, and had cooked up a scheme with my older brother to make an outrageous and false adoption claim, he was attacking my identity, my mind and my emotions. It was a life long, soul destroying endeavour he stubbornly embarked upon. He also set out to rip the family apart, and make himself more important in my own family than I was. He actually managed to do that as well. My big shot older brother remains closely aligned with the teacher. They are continuing the lies, and attacks into the next generation.

The question of whether the devil or his minions can attack our minds, is pretty obvious to me now. How does a person reconcile the constant lies when someone is trying to convince you that you are not who you think you are? I was sixteen years old when this guy stalked and pounced on me. Did he really think he was going to change my identity at that stage in life? Was he delusional enough to believe his own lies? Or is he so evil that he stubbornly and purposefully continues to lie, in a soul destroying fight to the finish?

There is no doubt in my mind that the number one focus in most satanic type attacks, is the mind. For me, this has been a lifelong battle. The minute I refuted the lies, I was accused of being selfish, mentally ill, wicked like our mother, who was not wicked at all; but that was all part of the whole ruse. They used this ploy to set up a lifetime of persecution.

Our earliest recollections and identity, are based on being an extension of our mothers, therefore I can now see why that was so much a part of the teacher’s repertoire. He repeatedly told me my mother was wicked, evil and non-redeemable. He repeatedly told me I was HIS daughter, which struck me as being beyond bizarre. He had made the unilateral decision that my mother did not deserve to be my mother.

The all night sessions were very dark. The room was dark, with just enough light to reflect off his glasses. It was like something out of the twilight zone, listening to him rant and ramble on all night. One night, I got up and bolted for the door, but he caught me on the landing before I could get the door open. I honestly thought he might kill me, when he grabbed me by the arm and yanked me away from the door. I looked into a face of absolute rage. “You better not try that again” he growled.

He would allow me to go home around five am, so I could get a couple hours sleep, and then get ready for school. I had to face this guy in school all day. He was also the girls basketball coach. He would stare at me like we had some kind of special secret. I felt revulsion to the core of my being, but there was no escaping him or his lies.

During those many dark and tortuous nights when this teacher forcibly confined me in his living room, with his wife and young children sound asleep in their beds, he hammered me with skewed Bible verses, accusations, humiliation, shame, and claims that God told him to adopt me.

The teacher and his wife were a little more than a decade older than me. I remember thinking, “So did they have a child when they were ten or eleven years old? I wonder what the birth experience was like for them? Were they elated when I was born?” It just seemed so absurd I could not process it in my mind. I know that I am very lucky to have come through it all, without losing my mind.

When I was much younger than sixteen, I knew where I came from. I knew who I was. But that meant nothing at all to this aberrant teacher.

When a person is attacked by such a cultish, domineering and violent mentality, it is beyond description. He used his teacher and god authority to attack my mind. He repeatedly told me I had the exact same IQ as his wife. I knew that had to be a lie, yet I was ordered to have the utmost respect for this wonderful Christian. Often when my tyrannical older brother would order me to “Be grateful for the wonderful Christian”, I would say, “What is so wonderful about him? He lies.”

I always had a vague understanding of the soul within us. But I did not really understand it until I had a near death experience with anaphylaxis a couple years ago. During that rapid onset loss of blood pressure and obstructed airway, there was a very temporary out of body experience.

I have not drank alcohol for at least fifteen years, and had not taken any drugs or medications, so was very alert throughout the whole experience. It started in the middle of the night, when I was awakened with extremely itchy hands.

My first thought was that it was some kind of autoimmune reaction, like psoriasis maybe. I tried for a few minutes to go back to sleep, thinking I would deal with it in the morning. Within minutes, I woke up again with unbearably hot and itchy hands. I could feel swelling, constriction and itching in my throat as well. So I thought I better get up and figure out what was going on.

When I stood up, I felt extremely dizzy and faint. I realized my blood pressure must be very low. My hands were swelling so fast, it felt like the skin in the webbing between my fingers was splitting open. I managed to get down the hall and into the kitchen as things were going black, switched on the light, and sat down on a chair, putting my head down below the level of my heart to stay conscious. I saw the hives and scalding body rash, and knew it was full blown anaphylaxis, that it was life threatening, and had advanced rapidly. I started praying, and thinking about what to do next.

I thought, I better get to the phone and try to call 911. That was next to impossible. The phone was about fifteen or twenty feet away. I lifted my head and looked around, to make sure I would not collapse and crack my head on something, and then got up and tried to walk.

I made it just a few feet, before everything went black and I collapsed on the floor. It was like just flopping over, with absolutely no control over my body or the directions I was giving it.

That was when my soul left my body, right there on the kitchen floor. I was momentarily directly above my body, looking down on myself. I remember thinking – if I saw someone on the floor like this as a nurse in a hospital setting, what would I do? The answer was, I would get out the crash cart and call a code.

Then I thought, but you don’t have any of that here, so get up, stay conscious and maintain an airway. From looking down on myself, I knew that otherwise, I would convulse and die right there on the floor. I could not stay like that. I could not even crawl. I remember thinking, it looked like I had been sprayed with Raid. Without the chance to make the observation like that, I am not sure I would have known what to do, so in hindsight it was a benefit.

One of the amazing things to me was that I was like a rag doll, already to the point where I could not maintain a blood pressure, yet my mind was as alert as if I was racing down a mountainside. In fact, the next day as I thought about it, I likened the experience to being in your own private airplane crash.

Things just happened so fast. It’s like, Oh Oh, this could be bad. Then it rapidly got worse. Each few seconds, things deteriorated, in rapid succession toward the grand finale.

Meanwhile the struggle to get a few feet to a phone – it might as well have been ten miles away. Even if I would have made it that far, I would not have been able to pick up the phone or speak anyway. I could not have picked up a syringe or epi-pen to give myself an injection of adrenalin, or even hit a panic button, if it was five feet away. I could not speak or call out to anyone.

My mind was trying to figure out how to survive each second with full concentration, no different than if I was falling off a horse at full speed. There was a fair bit of natural adrenalin that kicked in. The adrenalin was affecting my mind, but you would not have known it to look at me.

It was a brief out of body experience, but very clear. I could see the dust on the top of the refrigerator. I quickly came back into my body, with the command to get up and get in a seated position with my head below my heart, and lean forward enough to get my swollen tongue out of the way so I could get each breath.

After struggling for what seemed like forty-five minutes just to breathe, I realized the next day, that it was probably only a few minutes. If I would have died, it would have been considered sudden, but it did seem to go on much longer. Every breath was such a struggle. Afterwards, I tried to estimate the time frame by the number of breaths I had struggled to get. Each one was a huge effort.

At the end of this whole ordeal, I finally concluded that never mind trying to take another breath, my heart was not going to take another refill. I could feel the impending circulatory collapse. At that point, I gave up and accepted death. Before that point, I was determined to stay conscious, but it was just too difficult.

I remember asking God, why? Why this? What did I do when I was sleeping to cause this? What did I eat? What infection or sepsis, or immune response caused this? In those milli seconds, the knowledge of what was going on flooded my mind. It was like a textbook of information came in all at once. I was about to leave my body for the last time and I knew it. I remember thinking, I am going to leave, and go right out that window and see what is going on out there. It was like there was a crackling of activity all around me.

At that moment I had no airway at all. Then things changed very suddenly again, and I started a succession of retching. I never left my body again. I think the retching, combined with the closed airway, worked as a form of internal cardiac massage. I felt like I was on fire, and in the midst of some sort of divine intervention. It was like the spirit world I was heading for, came to help me instead.

By this time I had third spaced so much fluid, my hands were swollen like baseball mitts. It felt like I was on fire inside. I had chosen to sit up and let myself go unconscious, because it was so difficult to keep bending so far forward to get the next breath. It felt like there was an iron rod in my chest that I had to lean over, which caused a fair bit of pain. If I sat up, it alleviated the pain, but I knew I would lose consciousness if I sat up. I decided it no longer mattered, and would be a relief to lose consciousness.

The only way I can describe what came next, was like a force from outside pushed my head down, and told me to hold on. It was like being picked up, turned inside out and given a shake. Every single pore on the surface of my skin opened up and poured out the toxic fluid. I was soaked, and the floor around me was in puddles. After all the retching, I vomited once. After that I felt immediate relief of the pain and sensed less spasm in my throat and airway.

It was like the core muscles had kicked into a coordinated effort to get rid of the toxins. That combined with the amazing function of how the skin serves as the largest organ, was quite astounding to me afterward. My body got rid of all that toxic fluid, and those reactions signalled the climax of it all. I lived through it. The worst of it was suddenly over.

It amazed me for many reasons, and on many levels. The fact I was able to shed all that toxic fluid was huge. I had seen enough third spacing of fluid to know it is usually an end of life stage. When a person is in ICU, it is very difficult to get rid of third spaced fluids. They have to rely on intravenous diuretics, and risk a chain reaction of causing more anaphylaxis by recycling the fluid through the system so the kidneys can detoxify and get rid of it.

I have never known or heard of any drug that can cause all the pores in the skin to open up and get rid of third spaced fluids. I doubt many people would let anaphylaxis go that far, to find out, if they could help it. I certainly am much more alert to the onset of allergic reactions now, and have an early intervention and treatment protocol set up in case it does. I would not want to go through it again, to test any theory.

After awhile, I managed to get into bed, and hung my head down over the edge of the bed to keep my tongue forward enough so I could breathe. I knew the airway was still quite constricted, but it was nowhere near as bad. The struggle for each breath was no longer the primary battle. The pain in my chest that had felt like a rod of hot iron, subsided very quickly.

Totally exhausted, I told myself I would wake up and check myself every fifteen minutes or so to see if I could move my fingers. After three or four checks, I knew the swelling was subsiding. Within an hour or so, I could put my head on the pillow and fell asleep for a few hours. Within a few more hours, I could close my hand and make a fist.

When I woke up and sat up, I wondered if I would have any long lasting effects. I knew I had to take in fluids and get a proper fluid balance restored, as well as get out of the wet pyjamas and sheets. So that’s what I did.

For a few days, and weeks, I gave a great deal of thought to the whole experience. It totally changed my outlook on death. I always wondered if I would fear death and how it would come about, but now I do not fear death at all.

I never had the same kind of near death experience that so many others describe, because I did not really go anywhere. There was no tunnel or bright light. But the experience had a profound impact on my understanding of what the soul is, and what it is like to die, or at least come so close, you surrender to it. The exit is different than what one would expect. Your body dies, but your soul does not.

As I look back at the many attempts by the teacher, and my older brother, to attack and destroy my mind, there is much more clarity on how it was an attempt to destroy my soul.

Now when you think of the targeted and determined attempt to attack or destroy the mind, in many ways it is worse than attacking the physical body, because our soul is what we are left with in the end. It is what we take with us to eternity.

Why does anyone want to isolate us and then attack our mind and thoughts? How can we prevent such attacks traumatizing us on an emotional level?

When I was young and constantly being physically assaulted by my older brother, he also mocked, shamed, humiliated, and did everything he could to exclude me from being a member of the family. Later on, he schemed with the teacher to set up an adoption lie. How many older siblings get to give a younger sibling up for adoption? Only in my big brother’s world of delusion and abuse of power.

Now I am beginning to understand all the tactics of the soul-destroying attempts by psychopathic individuals. They are constantly in attack mode, or they are setting you up for another baseless attack.

The most recent attack on my mind was set up by my brother and involved a mental health therapist. I got suckered into this under the guise of helping family relationships, and gaining some family support. Nothing could have been further from the truth, as usual.

The construction company obviously has hired guns in those EAP programs. It is strange because all the years I worked as a nurse, to include the aftermath of my husband’s untimely death, I never once used the employee EAP program. But I entered into those counselling sessions hoping it would help alleviate some of the family conflict over the teacher.

The entire counselling episode revolved around blaming me, and finding a diagnosis to saddle me with. The woman EAP counsellor acted like she was out for blood. My blood. I tried to tell her about the past. I told her this was a re-victimization. I told her that what she was doing was unlawful. But she would not listen. If I sent her an email telling her this was more abuse and revenge from my older brother, she promptly forwarded it to the construction company that hired her.

She tried to diagnose me, picking up and waving a DSM manual in the air. She was reminded that she is not qualified to make any diagnosis, so she began manipulating a psych assessment. When I resisted that, she got pushier.

Finally I went, and in the end, they could not come up with any real diagnosis. In a five minute interview with a psychiatrist, telling him the verifiable truth about the adoption con and family of origin abuse, he told me I was delusional.

But since I had told the truth, and the psychiatrist did not do any fact checking – it was a misdiagnosis and a mistreatment. Besides that, in this current world of extreme polarities, is there anyone who is not considered delusional by someone?

To keep it simple. I told him a teacher had abducted and forcibly confined me repeatedly, when I was a student in school. I explained that, in collusion with my older brother, they made false claims that I was adopted by this teacher. I also told him my brother is now the second largest shareholder of Canada’s second largest construction company. These things are verifiable with a paper trail of documentation and countless witnesses.

When the psychiatrist learned that I had written a book about it, he blurted out, “Oh that is just terrible.” How was I to interpret that response? I can only conclude – fascism is alive and well in the field of psychiatry. That was my one and only experience with one, and I will make sure it never happens again.

All I can say is that it is crucial to protect our minds from these kinds of unsavoury attacks. Why are we being bombarded in the media with so much fear mongering and negativity? It is an attack on our minds. Brain washing, indoctrination, thought reform – like so many other things, all share a similar pattern. It focuses on the mind, which leads to negative thoughts based on fear, anger, and negativity. Those thoughts lead to emotional pain, self examination, self recrimination, resentment, bitterness, helplessness, hopelessness, dependency, etc. Those who are basically evil, know they are attacking the soul.

It may have been my own pride, but for years I thought the attacks on my mind were because I had scored high on IQ tests and accelerated through school. But now, I am beginning to understand that this attack on the mind and emotions is not about IQ, it is an attempt to destroy the soul.

If you defy them or if they see you as a threat, they will punish and humiliate in every way they can. It is definitely a male dominance thing. If you cross them on a larger scale, such as exposing the con, they are that much more vengeful. My brother retaliates in every conceivable way.

What is hard to understand is why they did not just drop it long ago. I am not opening up and going public about this on impulse. I have been saying no to this all my life. It has been years of crying, pleading, threatening to write a book, etc.

I reported it to the police several times, the Alberta Teacher’s Association, various Ministries in Alberta, the Warburg school and umbrella school district – you name it. And they still would not stop forcing the teacher on me, which is pretty much based on Ron’s power in the family and role with Ledcor.

Ron will never stop manipulating abusive cons and control over my life. The teacher will manipulate access to me until the bitter end. There is no way I am going to let that happen. So why would they continue, at the expense of the reputation of such a large company?

Why would they bring the dysfunctional history of our family out into the open? They have literally forced it out into the open, because they refuse to take no for an answer. The refuse to listen. They refuse to stop it. What else can I do but share the story? Edification is a good thing. There has to be some good come out of so much adversity.

If God exists, then within the framework of believers, the devil exists as well. The devil knows we will all eventually die physically. He wants to destroy us for all eternity, after bringing misery to us while we are alive. He wages psychological warfare.

Some horrific crimes are carried out that attack people physically, but in those cases, the perpetrators are usually caught and jailed. The less outwardly graphic, soul destroying attacks on our mind and emotions, are not seen for what they are, in the realm of our earthly existence. But they are extremely damaging and destructive to the victim, removing all hope. How dare they?

I used to think if I could only get rid of the stalking, lying teacher, I would be fine. But, the real culprit is my older brother. I hope to get through to him that I will not allow him to attack my mind again. When he could no longer attack me physically without getting arrested, he channelled all of his attacks into emotional, psychological and spiritual attacks.

It is true that the end game in life as we know it, is the battle between good and evil. We do battle against principalities and corrupt rulers, more than anything. We fear the destruction of our body and physical death, but in reality, we must guard our mind, our thoughts and our emotions. We cannot preserve our bodies, but it is essential that we protect and preserve our soul. For that is what we are left with in the end.

“If someone has absolute control over you, it’s easy to believe they have absolute power over everything and everyone. They can’t be defied or challenged or disobeyed, and every opportunity for escape just feels like a cruel test.” 
― Josiah Bancroft, The Hod King

“Riches I hold in light esteem,
And love I laugh to scorn,
And lust of fame was but a dream
That vanished with the morn.

And if I pray, the only prayer
That moves my lips for me
Is, ‘Leave the heart that now I bear,
And give me liberty!’

Yes, as my swift days near their goal,
‘Tis all that I implore –
In life and death, a chainless soul,
With courage to endure.” 
― Emily Bronte, The Complete Poems

Spiritualism & Mental Health Over Religious Indoctrination

October 7, 2020  | Valerie Hayes  | Health & Wellness, My Story, Thoughts & Ideas, View All Articles & Photos

This is a topic that trips us up time and time again. The problem with religion is that, like politics – it is rife with deception. Throughout our lives, most of us will observe many contradictions in mainstream religion, to include people you probably would not want in your home, if you knew what they were really like inside.

Religious indoctrination is filled with a male dominant, arrogance and superiority. Often there are many rules, restrictions, and judgemental attitudes toward what they view as sinful behaviours.

If you get indoctrinated with certain religious beliefs and literalistic or false interpretations of the Bible, it is difficult to shake all that shame. It is also easy to interpret the deception and nastiness as being part of God’s world or agenda, when clearly it is not.

Yet when times really get tough and we have nowhere to turn, we need to put our trust and faith somewhere. It is much wiser to put our trust in God and never mind the religious autocrats who try to call the shots. I always found the fire and brimstone rants disturbing, along with the pious and shaming looks, and the empty stare of the faux do-gooder who, if you can see beyond the glare of his horn rimmed glasses, looks like he would rather eat you alive.

Being in touch with our own spirit, and place of rest, where we can lay the burden down, and ask for help – creates a true sense of wonderment when some of what we hope and pray for works out. It reinforces that if we trust God, we will never be completely alone. We do not need to put our faith in man, and can hit the mute button or walk out, if we don’t want to listen to some religious rant.

Spiritualism is not filled with ranting and raving fire and brimstone, burn in hell forever type scenarios. It is not holding a hand out asking for a portion of your income in tithes either. It is not rewarded with money.

It does not form a political allegiance – except to things that are honest, good, transparent, and true. It does not turn you into a god, or take you away from God. It does not rob you of your identity. It is simply a quiet retreat, a place where we can be deflated and humbled, small and forsaken – without complete desperation.

Meditation calms the spirit. On a spiritual and individual level, we do not have to believe anything – and yet we all do believe something. Even atheism is a spiritual belief.

I tend to lean toward the beliefs and writings of Blaise Pascal who wrote, “truth is so obscure in these times, and falsehood so established, that, unless we love truth, we cannot know it.”

And “We must learn our limits. We are all something, but none of us are everything.” Blaise Pascal

And “In faith there is enough light for those who want to believe and enough shadows to blind those who don’t.” Blaise Pascal

Fair enough. If we believe in God, and it ends up we are wrong, we have lost nothing. If we don’t believe in God, and it ends up we are wrong, we lose all eternity.

There is nothing though – no threat, no losses, no preachers, no visions of burning in hell forever – that can draw us toward God. It is His love and forgiveness that humbles us the most. He draws us in with the power of His love and mercy, knowing everything there is to know about us.

I am not a church goer since there is so much in mainstream religion that I cannot swallow. I believe there is a great deal of metaphor and things we do not understand about the Bible. It is very easy for religious zealots to misinterpret things and get way off base.

There are now many versions of the Bible, something like a hundred different translations in the English version alone. Many of those translations are made deviously or mistakenly. In other cases, it is church leaders who twist the scriptures to suit their own agenda. We have to search for truth and hold the truth we do find close to our hearts.

Our spiritual life, beliefs, and persona do not belong to a specific church or religious doctrine full of deception. Instead, our spirit knows who we serve and ultimately where we are going.

Copyright Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West Vintage (2020). Unauthorised use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author/owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West Vintage with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.