JustCounselling

Photo by Rsoe Robertson

What a gorgeous contrast between the grey uneven pavement and the rich dark soil filled with treasures to behold! 🙂

Photograph by@RoseRobertson, April 2026

Stunning images from Glen Tanar, photographby@RoseRobertson,April 2026

Endurance, drive and self-belief!

Beautiful flowers for an outstanding advocate!

For those who feel alone and at risk of self-harm or suicide: Please do contact The Samaritans-116 123 , Shout- Text 85258, 112 ,999, go to A and E in emergencies or call your local emergency number in your country. Call for support and information | Helplines | Mind

Looking for hope? The news is heavy right now! Its your choice to decide what you would like to do, but here are my humble suggestions!Help is available out there. It may be from friends, family, a mentor or it could even be a stranger.

Listening to inspiration from radio and podcasts such as “Daily Bread” inspires me because its filled with real stories of human beings who had struggles or challenges but somehow received help or hope from kind strangers or through those experiences surprised themselves. They discovered within themselves a person with emerging resilence and character.

The news is hard to hear at the moment, seeing people suffer or fall. I definitely have days when I feel weighed down with worry about the future.

Yet, I have learned over many years that despite disappointments, past pain and hurt we can survive.

If we can notice the stories we tell ourselves , is it an inner critic or our vulnerable voice, is it our adult self or our younger self? We can navigate the mountainous pathway with support, reach out to someone. Take a risk and ask for support and if there is a barrier, contact helpline services with people who can listen.

For those who do not have someone they trust, you are not a burden, you are loved and you are worthy. Keep going, keep moving!

• “Knowing your own darkness is the best method for dealing with the darknesses of other people”.
• “The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are”.
• “Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves”.
• “I am not what happened to me, I am what I choose to become”.
• “The world will ask you who you are, and if you do not know, the world will tell you”.

Carl Jung (1875–1961) a psychiatrist and psychoanalyst from Switzerland, he is known for his work in psychoanalytical psychology. He developed the concepts of like the collective unconscious, archetypes, and introversion/extraversion personality types.

What gives you a sense of space, silence or peace? Waking up first thing in the morning, are you able to take a deep breath in and out and stretch. Do you live alone or with others!

What do you enjoy ? Is it reading for 5 minutes? Going outside to watch the sunrise? A walk with a friend or alone? Visiting the gym or doing aerobics outside?

“Treasure what is in front of you”. by Claudia Jessie of Bridgerton fame. (actor/buddhist) She has lived experience of poverty as a young person. The poverty was so profound that they could not afford to eat. The kindness of her local community helped them survive hunger. The neighbours bought food for the family. She talked about her hard working mother raising her and her sibling alone.

She found resilience through the practice of meditation. She practices for up to an hour a day to help her navigate panic attacks and anxiety. I would not have known this had she not spoken about it openly. Hopefully her story of her experiences will inspire others too!

• “I am no longer accepting the things I cannot change. I am changing the things I cannot accept.” — Angela Davis
• “Owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing that we will ever do.” — Brené Brown 

We all have eclectic opinions on different matters and that is ok. The exception is if our words, behaviours or actions deliberately cause harm indirectly or directly.

For example, promoting racism , stereotypes, or negative judgements based on misrepresentation of facts, tropes or beliefs that cause division or hate within our societies and world.

Cherry blossoms may blossom for a week or two, but words can remain in our memories for longer. Let us practice kindness to ourselves so that we can share this kindness with others! Take care.