St. Lucia Simply Beautiful

PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE – BASIL SPRINGER COLUMN WHICH APPEARED IN THE BARBADOS ADVOCATE’S BUSINESS MONDAY ON AUGUST 20, 2012
 
Your eye is the lamp of your body. If your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light. – Luke 11:34
 
Flashing back to the 1950s, I recall the chorus of a very popular song of the time: “Que Sera, Sera, Whatever will be, will be. The future’s not ours, to see; Que Sera, Sera, What will be, will be”.
 
Although our future is in God’s hands, we have the combination to unlock it. If your eyes are healthy, then your whole body becomes full of light. Your eye is the lamp of your body, maintaining your vision is paramount.
 
Your vision must be “optimal well-being”. You must be well in body, mind and spirit – that is the combination about which I speak. It is important at the beginning of every decade that you are privileged to reach, to renew this vision for at least the decade ahead. Your doctors monitor your health and recommend a holistic maintenance programme to keep you in the pink of health but it is up to you to act on their advice.
 
It is good nutrition, daily exercise, peace of mind, touch and conversation that keeps your body in good shape. When you are young these may be easier to achieve; when you get older then you may have to be more disciplined. Each activity is a tribute to the life of God within you. You will feel the renewing energy of God flowing through you with every movement and every breath.
 
“Mens sana in corpore sano” is a famous Latin quotation, often translated as, “A sound mind in a sound body.” Your mind must be continually exercised by reading, learning a new skill, working on exciting projects and playing mentally challenging and relaxing games.
This has been facilitated by the advent of the ICT revolution.
 
In my case it is Laptops, Tablets, Blackberries and more recently mobile 4G Hotspot devices. These devices are a very convenient and cost effective way of having access to the Internet wherever you go, just in case Wi-Fi or other network access is not available. I understand that this device is now offered by more than one carrier in Barbados. You must take advantage of every opportunity to maintain mental acuteness.
 
The recommended way to ensure your spiritual well-being is to connect with loving, positive, joyful people, regularly pray and meditate, and maintain an affirmative attitude.  We need to be centred in the presence of God as the love of God flows through you to establish a complete sense of well-being. In body, mind and spirit, you will be whole and well.
 
Whereas the opportunities for ensuring body and mind fulfillment are abundant when managed in a disciplinary way, there are many more diversified opportunities for spiritual maintenance all involving other people. Let me share some well-being experiences interacting with people which I had in the last week alone.
 
At the Rotary Club of Barbados South we have a new president, the second female president in our club’s history. There is one noted innovation in our club, the introduction of a feature “A Rotary Moment” given by each member of the club, in turn, over the year. Each member is asked to say what impressed them when they joined the club and what inspires them to come to our meetings week after week as we engage in fellowship to serve others and enhance well-being.
 
The Barbados Light and Power Company Limited is currently engaged in a series of Integrated Resource Plan awareness and engagement sessions for internal and external stakeholders, which I have the honour to facilitate. The purpose of these sessions is to share information, record feedback and obtain buy-in on the mix of power generation modalities, conventional and renewable for the future. The fellowship experienced in this process is testimony to the involvement of the company with its stakeholders in the interest of a green cost-effective power supply in Barbados to meet the needs of the Barbadian public.
 
I was one of the eight members of the Barbados contingent to the Eighth World Scout Jamboree, the first world jamboree outside of Europe, which was held at Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada, from August 18 to 28, 1955 and attended by some 11,000 scouts from 71 countries and colonies. Mr. Lisle Harrison, a former Barbados Scout Chief Commissioner, has prepared a commemorative document on this 57th anniversary to recall some of the camaraderie which existed in 1955 and to trace the fortunes of the members since then. This should stimulate harmony among the scouting fraternity.
 
The sustainable development of countries in the world is going to depend on the extent to which entrepreneurship programmes are developed. Successful Entrepreneurship Programmes are dependent on: the innovative idea; the skilful implementation of combinations of the business management matrix; and timely access to appropriate finance.
 
The Caribbean Institute for Certified Management Consultants (Barbados Chapter) meets regularly to lay the foundation for the development of local management consultants to expedite entrepreneurship development. The potential fellowship among this group should be engaging.
 
This weekend, the grandchildren passed back through Barbados from Trinidad on the way back home to Dubai to continue their schooling and reunite with their friends. This infrequent real-time spiritual bonding experience is very exhilarating even though for a short time.
 
This amalgam of diverse spiritual experiences when taken as a whole are significant. When we reach the joyous state of the harmony of body, mind and spirit then we are blessed with the resources to sharpen our vision towards optimum well-being. Que sera, sera!
 
(Dr. Basil Springer GCM is Change-Engine Consultant, Caribbean Business Enterprise Trust Inc. – CBET – Columns are archived at www.cbetmodel.org).

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