We know the saying, "If your only tool is a hammer, all the world looks like a nail." The meaning is obvious: if we only know one way to deal with certain situations, in our perception all situations are the same and we always behave the same way. But that is not always good. If you find yourself in a situation today that causes you stress because you know it and you know that you will not feel well afterwards: try a different approach than you are used to, i.e. use a different tool. Then you may no longer be dealing with a nail, but with a slab of wood to be ground, so to speak - which perhaps requires sensitivity and evenness instead of strength of words (as with a hammer). And so the outcome of the situation can be quite different and hopefully more pleasant for you and for everyone - without you getting a wood splinter while sanding. I wish you an extraordinary day!
As a child, yoghurt was something extraordinary for us. We were given it on rare occasions, for example when we were ill, to cheer us up. I still like to eat yoghurt today, but preferably without sugar, because I think most of them contain too much unnecessary sugar. But what all yoghurts have in common is that they usually have very attractive packaging: a buttery pot with an equally colourful lid. So you can't see the yoghurt at all. You're buying a pig in a poke, so to speak, or simply trusting that what you're getting is okay and meets your expectations. Trust without seeing. Experience certainly helps with this step. But it's amazing how carefree we are about things like yoghurt, trusting that our decision is good and right, and how difficult we find it with other things. Perhaps also in the spiritual, in our life of faith. How do you cope with that? I wish you an extraordinary day!
On the occasion of birthdays and parties, children have the opportunity to have their faces painted. Many have their faces painted as animals and then wear a corresponding costume at carnival, for example, so that it is clear to everyone around them what kind of animal they are. Depending on the child's personality, they then behave in the same way: they hiss or move in the same way as they have seen this animal do. And of course they want to be treated accordingly by their environment - just as you would speak to or meet such an animal. Well, with the exception of food, presumably. Whatever. The fact is: even if the children feel like these animals in such situations and however well they interpret them - they are not. And so it is important and good for all of us to remember who we are from time to time. Interpreting someone else, however genuinely, is not our identity. I wish you an extraordinary day!
Nets in sport can be found on the goals in football or in handball. They help to recognise whether the ball is actually in the goal or not. A wall as a solid surface would quickly throw the ball back again and it would remain unclear whether the ball was really in the goal or just outside or on the post. The net catches the ball within the defined area - for example the goal. If necessary, the net slows down the fast movement of the ball and keeps it in place so that there is no uncertainty as to whether the ball is in the goal. The net also shows that if the ball is played from the side, the ball is just outside the goal. Just as nets create clarity with their flexibility, leniency, giving in and not wanting to be right can de-escalate tense situations and ensure reconciliation and peace. Giving in is therefore not always a sign of weakness. Perhaps this is the case for you in a situation right now. I wish you an extraordinary day!
Surely you have also felt the need for a familiar conversation. You wanted to discuss something, ask a question or simply share something personal. For this to work well, at least one thing is important: no time pressure. And ideally undivided attention from the other person. While you can pass on instructions or information spontaneously and in passing, this is not ideal for personal matters and can leave an impression of a lack of appreciation. What applies to you naturally also applies to others: if they have something personal to share, they want time, attention and presence - from you. You may find yourself in such a situation today, be it just once or occasionally with family, friends or at work. Then prioritise it. It will be appreciated, just as you would appreciate it. And it will come back to you. For sure. I wish you an extraordinary day!
Switzerland has THE spice: Aromat! As children, we were allowed to eat bread with butter and Aromat with a host family. It was like a special meal. Aromat is officially and neutrally known as a seasoning and comes in a container similar to salt or pepper, but larger. However, Aromat has the property that it clumps together relatively quickly - and so it can happen that the sprinkling container is full of the spice, but because it has clumped together inside as a result of not being used for too long, it cannot escape through the narrow holes of the sprinkling container. So you would have what you want, but it is not accessible. Sometimes shaking it vigorously helps to break up the clumps, sometimes nothing else helps but opening the can and breaking up the clumps manually with force. Do you have areas in your life that would be valuable for your environment, but which you have neglected and should shake up and activate again? I wish you an extraordinary day!
In nature, we marvel at lush plants, especially those that serve us as food: Gorgeous cherry trees or apple or pear trees or berry bushes with their fruit. It is a pleasure to harvest and then enjoy them. The same applies to strawberries, which grow close to the ground and can be enjoyed from the bush to the mouth. And then there are the herbs. These are relatively small and yet often look rather simple, almost pathetic. No pretty flowers or fruit. But some of them are so full of flavour that they make an enormous impact on a meal. If you like them for the better, if you don't, they can spoil the flavour. A small addition with a big effect. It's often the same with our self-talk or our words. We use them to give projects, conversations, events and decisions essential character and flavour. It is therefore advisable to use the right amount depending on the situation. Do you manage that? I wish you an extraordinary day!
If you have a cold, your nose is blocked. This is unpleasant. Sometimes only one nostril is affected and you can still breathe normally to some extent. If both nostrils are blocked, you have to breathe through your mouth, which is also not very pleasant. All in all, it's annoying, but you can still cope relatively well with everyday life. Nasal drops can help by decongesting the mucous membrane for a certain period of time and thus opening up the passage for reasonably normal breathing. What sounds very banal is nevertheless very important. Imagine what would happen if your nose and mouth were so closed that you could no longer breathe: you would die in a very short time because you would lack the oxygen necessary for life. For this reason, even supposedly unimportant things in life and everyday life require appropriate attention - failure to pay attention could lead to an unforeseen collapse. So be mindful even of the little things. I wish you an extraordinary day!
Shaken When you make coffee with a portafilter, you fill it with ground coffee powder. However, before you insert the portafilter into the machine and brew the coffee, you tap the portafilter a few times on a hard surface so that the powder you have just filled in collapses and then you press it flat with a tamper. Only then is the coffee brewed. This means that nothing remains of the original height of the mountain of powder and the original volume is substantially reduced. So what originally looked like a lot then takes on a real form and is compressed to maximise enjoyment. Jesus says we should do the same with giving: Give, and it will be given to you: a good measure, pressed down and shaken and running over, will be given into your bosom; for with the same measure that you measure, it will be measured to you again. A great promise. Perhaps for you today. I wish you an extraordinary day!
Stairs are a practical way of overcoming a difference in height. You overcome the difference in height step by step - whether up or down. In the vast majority of cases, you also have a good foothold, so you can step safely and firmly, which is helpful when ascending and descending and protects you from unintentionally slipping. However, there are different types of steps: those that feel ideal for your own stride length, others seem difficult because they are either too high or too shallow and deep. It's like life: Sometimes things are going great, at work or at home: you achieve the goals you hoped for comfortably or even faster than planned. And then sometimes you feel overwhelmed, too much is demanded of you at once or things go too slowly and you get tired. In the example of the stairs, it's clear: you won't stop, you'll just keep going, even if it's not ideal. Perhaps this also motivates you for a corresponding life situation. I wish you an extraordinary day!
They say 'hard shell, soft centre'. The image of the nut is used here. To open the nut, a nutcracker is used, for example, which transfers the force to the shell and cracks it so that the kernel of the nut becomes accessible. The shell often splinters in the process and the kernel is also damaged by the violent opening. This is the force variant. However, there are also suitable tools which, especially in the case of tree nuts, have a thin, stable shape that allows them to penetrate the transition point between the two halves of the shell and then open the nut with a slight twisting movement without force. Both the shell halves and the kernel remain undamaged. Less waste is produced and no splintered kernel has to be freed from shell parts. You may also have people around you who have hard shells. You will rarely gain access to their insides by force, but by a delicate approach. I wish you an extraordinary day!
Food storage boxes keep food fresh. However, they also need the right environment. So what needs to be stored in the fridge also belongs in a food storage box in the fridge and what does not, does not. Some boxes can be sealed airtight, others are more open. Some are light-proof because this is better for storing certain foods, while others are transparent and allow an overview of the contents at any time without opening the container: what is inside, how much of it and what condition the goods are in. Such boxes are therefore very practical, not least because they can be stacked or because they protect pressure-sensitive food from external pressure. But... they are never an end in themselves. In the end, it's always about the contents. That's how it should be with us humans: our inner self reveals our true character and personality, not what surrounds us. I wish you an extraordinary day!
In forests or free-standing trees, the weather side can often be recognised by the heavier moss growth or greenish discolouration of these trees. The weather side is the side of an outdoor object - which can also be a building - that is mainly exposed to wind and precipitation, i.e. the weather. So on the one hand, the weather leaves traces and on the other hand, the objects absorb these impressions or residues - in other words, they are characterised by what happens. We humans function in a similar way. What happens around us influences and shapes us. Only ever negative reports or critical statements do not contribute to a positive and open mood and attitude, on the contrary. It is therefore all the more important that we are very aware of the influences we expose ourselves to: What kind of media releases, talk about others, self-talk, etc. All of this will shape us over time, like the weather shapes trees and buildings. And our surrounding will very well notice what we expose ourselves to. I wish you an extraordinary day!
Not so long ago there was this provocative slogan "Stinginess is cool" and many people meant it not just ironically, but seriously. Financial optimisation, as much yield or return as possible for as little investment as possible. In the western world, we can afford such ideas or approaches. In many areas, we are in a better position than the poor. But this actually means: the more power, the more responsibility. Today, however, this is often ignored and a lot of power means a lot of personal benefits for some and the needs of others are of no interest. In addition, there are complex global interrelationships, long supply chains, etc. and so it doesn't matter what the actual producer or worker actually receives for a cheap product. As a buyer, do you take your responsibility here and question cheap offers and perhaps consciously choose a more expensive one that is transparent and gives the worker more? I wish you an extraordinary day!
Old bunkers often have small hatches. These were used to give the soldiers in the bunker the greatest possible ability to react to the outside with the smallest possible attack surface and the opportunity to get a visual impression of the situation outside. It is only a very small area in which the defence can be attacked and, as mentioned, in addition to the field of fire to the outside, it is also used for visual inspection. We all know people from our social environment who withdraw and isolate themselves for various reasons. Often out of self-protection or as a form of defence for various reasons. But they also have their hatches somewhere, trying to perceive their environment in order to remain capable of reacting accordingly. Perhaps today you can go into the field of vision of such a hatch of a withdrawn person in your neighbourhood as a door opener with a kind of offer of reconciliation or peace. I wish you an extraordinary day!
To send a letter, you must affix a stamp to the envelope. If this is not done, the letter may be sent, but you will subsequently receive a request for payment. The stamp is therefore a kind of credit system: I buy a certain amount beforehand and can spend it and send letters as long as this credit is still available. Today, we often live the other way round: we first spend money that we don't have and then pay afterwards. As long as these expenses are based on an account that can cover these expenses retrospectively - and this is assumed with credit cards - the system works. But if the account is empty and you have still spent money with the credit card, then you fall into debt. Quite a few people feel this way. It would be better to top up the card first so that you really only spend as much as you have. Are you living on credit or on the stamp system with your resources? I wish you an extraordinary day!
It's amazing and even frightening what artificial intelligence can do today. Images can be artificially generated that are almost indistinguishable from the real thing. This poses a massive threat to the trustworthiness of information. More and more often, the question arises: is what I am seeing, hearing or reading true? How can I be sure that it is? This can not only be unsettling, but also threatening. This effect is also used deliberately in warfare today. In the end, trust suffers and fundamental mistrust is fostered. Not a good development. We humans live from being able to trust and rely on each other. In this context, I also understand better how great the challenge was for the first believers: is what they were told about a resurrected Jesus true and is he really so trustworthy? Thank God he is. I wish you an extraordinary day!
To make progress on your bike, you need a few basic components that work well together. This includes the bicycle chain. If this is not well adjusted or is old or otherwise limited in its function, it can be a hassle. I experienced how a colleague's chain broke on a bike tour. We were somewhere in the middle of the countryside. He had no choice but to hold on to someone who was pulling him. The chain must also be well matched to the cogs on which it lies and which ensure the drive via the power transmission. If a tooth is missing, it may still work, but if the sprockets are old and blunt, this can also damage the chain. Either way, good maintenance and a check-up from time to time is a worthwhile investment. This also applies to us mentally, physically and spiritually. It's no coincidence that Sunday is a day of rest and not a "I'll do what I couldn't do otherwise" day. I wish you an extraordinary day!
Every now and then I am woken up in the morning by the birds and their chirping. It's nicer than being woken up by a construction machine. But what I have noticed is that the chirping is totally mixed up. I had the impression that none of the birds were listening to each other, they were all chattering wildly and without interruption. Why do they do that? Is birdsong also a form of communication, like language? In any case, it got me thinking, or rather it made me want to dedicate an episode to this aspect: When we speak - is it just about us or me, or is it also about the other person? Is it about being allowed to react to my speech and do I allow this, do I give it space or do I only do this when the expected or hoped-for reaction occurs? Can I be quiet sometimes or do I have to communicate without interruption? How do you deal with such questions? I wish you an extraordinary day!
Life is constant change or continuous change or everything in a state of flux - and whatever the phrases are called. The fact is: very little stays the same. Not only is this world subject to time and therefore to decay, but the process of change is sometimes very actively pursued and is even decisive here and there, sometimes even life-saving. However, change is not easy for everyone. For some people, things happen too quickly or they would like things to be the way they used to be - whatever that means... when and how exactly? Others love change and standing still makes them nervous and restless. Innovations are also part of this area of change and the fact that they exist has changed humanity enormously. We may debate whether it is for the better or not and whether innovation is good in itself or not. Either way, it happens and has already brought a lot of good. Can you also see the positive in change? I wish you an extraordinary day!