Waking up to today’s news that ‘they’ve gone in’ filled many with dread.

A quick Google search will explain what’s going on in Ukraine.

But that search won’t help you with what’s going on in your head.

What goes on in your mind is down to you.

‘The price of gas will go up… again’.

‘The stock market will drop… again’.

And thousands may die.

And it’s the last line that puts it into perspective.

I can’t tell you what to believe.

But I can ask you to consider your thinking on this situation.

What you choose to think will have a huge impact on how you interpret the current crisis.

Not to take it lightly. This is as serious as it gets.

Most of us are geographically many miles away. But a quick search of my database shows I have many readers in Ukraine.

Their thinking will be different to yours. Other neighbours of Russia will have different thoughts.

To everyone reading this, it’s important to focus on what you can do.

Concentrate on your circle of influence.

Know this will pass.

Take care of yourself.

I’d like to read your thoughts here, please leave a comment below.

Michael

comments

  1. February 24th 2022 by Hilary Mackelden

    We need to stand by Ukraine. All it takes for evil to flourish is that good men do nothing. That’s as true today as it has ever been. Why can’t we swear out a warrant for Putin with an astronomical reward? Then he would be unable to trust anybody and so busy saving his own skin that he’d be too busy to flay anyone else’s.

  2. February 24th 2022 by Deidre

    Thank you, Michael. Some rational, wise words are really helpful in this time. Thank you for taking time out from your February break to share your thoughts. It has made me step back and feel less caught up in the hype. And it is a powerful reminder to me, that I can only do what I can do. As always, your words resonate with me. Take care

  3. February 24th 2022 by Kath Shadnia

    It fills me with dread BUT can I control the situation? Can I change the situation? The answer to both questions is NO. What I can do is control my own response and reactions and change my perspective. I therefore have a choice and I choose to try and stay positive in the knowledge that this too will pass.

  4. February 24th 2022 by BELINDA BOND

    This situation flabbergasts me. Have we learnt nothing from the past atrocities all from the hands of power crazed madmen. How can one man again have so much power to control a potential world war three? I get angry and so sad that so many innocent lives will be lost as he pushes his troops around like chess pieces in a board.

  5. February 24th 2022 by Chris mcconnell

    It appears that world leaders are sacrificing Ukraine for the protection of others. It’s a very sad day and reminds us to love laugh and enjoy everyday because dark days are always around the corner

  6. February 24th 2022 by Debbie Homer-Davis

    My Beloved Grandpa was from Ukraine. He was taken prisoner in the last war and away from his family when he was only 14 years old. He spent a life time finding what family he had left and helping them in any way he could Ukraine have come so far from the days of the farm he lived on with no inside toilet or running water its devastating to see this. He was the kindest most genuine man I have ever met. I miss him daily but am so glad he isn’t alive to see this it would break his heart all over again. He never became bitter about what terrible things had happened to him and he set me such a wonderful example. Family always came first for him. Michael thank you for taking the time out to post this.

  7. February 24th 2022 by TIM HUNT

    Spot on Michael.

    Materialistic concerns take second place to the need for empathy for those most at risk. Positive thoughts will help sustain those of us further removed. I pray that severe sanctions on Russian economy will make enough of the people of Russia, particularly senior military figures, wake up to the fact that the evil embodied by Putin must be overthrown.

    Young Russian army conscripts are paid 2000 rubles per month; £17.70 at current exchange rates, possibly to lay down their lives in an outrageous, illegal and unjustified war for a man who has plundered approximately 150 billion US dollars from his country’s natural resources and associated industries, for himself.

  8. February 24th 2022 by Louise Skinner

    Thank you for this Michael. Like you, I’m feeling the sense of dread BUT any feeling means I’m alive and have choices, two valuable assets at the start of the day. My thoughts are with the people like us who are caught up in this. I pray it will pass quickly with minimum impact on innocent lives. Meanwhile I am poised to respond to any requests for aid that I am able to contribute to. I will not be engaging with the negative discussions that tend to arise from events like this, other than to clearly state my belief that bullying and deliberately harming others can never be deemed acceptable in the 21st century, whatever has passed before.
    Hope the rest of February energises you for the year ahead xx

  9. February 24th 2022 by Judy Brulo

    Standing by Ukraine! It too will pass! And in the meantime, 40 people have already died. So, do we do nothing except protect our own states of mind?
    I have family there.

  10. February 24th 2022 by Ellie Moore

    Interesting comments Michael. I will be thinking and praying for Ukraines, but also for the many Russian fmailies who never wished for war and All families how it will impact them. I know as a Christian many are interceding for this whole situation, they are ALL created by God and he sees ALL thats going on. Putin cant hide!! I pray peace will come soonest.

  11. February 24th 2022 by Fran

    No idea when it was posted but I just received a card and photos from my cousin in Ukraine. I am emotionally right alongside them. Even so, it’s hard to imagine the fear of what is happening now and of the consequences to them snd so many. I can only pray this nightmare will end soon and send love in support.

  12. February 24th 2022 by Lorna Vyse

    Thank you for your input Michael
    For me, it is all about innocent lives. On all sides. Families are already bereaved as a result of Putin’s actions. There will undoubtedly be more. My thoughts are with all those caught up in this conflict, not least children and families of all those serving in the armed forces. There are always consequences to acts of aggression. A sad day.

  13. February 24th 2022 by Diane Goulding

    Thank you for you insight.

  14. February 24th 2022 by Stefanie Lillie

    It is terrifying and if I allowed myself, I could become very debilitated by this. But I can’t change it, that is down to the world leaders. so I am going to focus on those things in my control, caring for my family and supporting my community in whatever ways I can. All I can do is hope that the lunatics running the asylum have a moment of clarity

  15. February 24th 2022 by Barbara Carmel

    I do not want to catastrophize.
    I will take it one news bulletin at a time.
    I remember the Cuban Missal crisis. Now that was scary.

  16. February 24th 2022 by MANJ KALAR

    Well said Michael; Wise words to help us try to help make sense of our thoughts and feelings.
    Thank you once again for your generosity and breaking your Feb break to help guide us through.

  17. February 24th 2022 by jim Hetherton

    Brilliant as ever Michael, Thank you , we should be as Proactive as possible and do things like pressure our Leaders to Take a stand against this Evil this is how WW2 started, if Putin is allowed to invade a Euro country what will China do next, so yes “work” on the things we can control. Give active vocal and financial support to the innocent. The file we all watched at Christmas “Don’t look up” is now FACT! I include prayer as a thing I can do, God Bless us all

  18. February 24th 2022 by Sonja

    Appreciate you taking time off your time off to send this out Micheal. Your words really resonated with me and to many this will be the helping hand they need to gain perspective on things. It would be very easy to be engulfed by a feeling of hopelessness and fear without even realising it. I do have faith that the people with the power to make the most important decisions on this will do the right thing, while I will carry on trying to make the right decisions in that pyramid that is society.

  19. February 24th 2022 by Sue

    I feel a great sadness for the innocent victims on both sides, who are dragged into this awful situation by a power hungry leader. We have all battled against Covid across the world and now we have people deliberately being forced into war. Mankind against mankind, where is the sense.

  20. February 25th 2022 by Lorna J Clark

    Thank you Michael. What I feared is happening now. Those poor people of Ukraine. I am praying for them.

  21. February 25th 2022 by Ken Pugh

    I think that most “westerners” view the Russian leadership and society as oppressive and aggressive, but how many Russian citizens think that way?. I firmly believe that any fundamental change to a nation’s society can only be achieved internally and that change only manifests itself when those citizens are affected directly. I’m not enough of an economics student to understand the implications that any sanctions might have in the population of Russia. If it was down to me, and very clearly it isn’t, however, I would ban Russia from all international sport for a number of reasons
    1. Russia sees sporting success on the world stage as a source of national pride (as do many other countries) and to remove that source might, just might, have an impact.
    2. Unrelated to the situation in Ukraine, but given Russian history in doping scandals there is always a whiff of suspicion around any successes they obtain.
    3. Entirely related to the events in Ukraine.There is surely a risk to the safety of Russian athletes competing in international events.
    I always thought that this action should have been taken anyway before, and some might say that this penalises individual athletes who have worked incredibly hard to be able to compete at international level but I think it’s a small price to pay.

  22. February 25th 2022 by Jackie Watson

    Thank you for this Michael. It is so difficult to be positive at this present time. History shows that mad men like Putin do what they do because they believe they are right. He believes he has some kind of justification to take lives. My thoughts are with all of those innocent people who will die because of him – both Ukrainian and Russian.

  23. February 25th 2022 by Dennis Conlon

    Thank you Michael, puts tribe building into perspective; though I feel as useless at doing something about one as I do the other. Let’s Pray!

  24. February 27th 2022 by Sylvia Waite

    Thank you Michael. We can’t do a lot for the people of Ukraine directly but we can be kind. Prayer does work. We must keep the innocent victims in our thoughts and prayers.

  25. March 2nd 2022 by Mary Masaba

    Having fled war zones, the footage was very upsetting as I felt for the people of Ukraine. Then social media footage arrived, of black people being stopped from boarding trains to Poland. Worse still, those that managed to get to Poland, were not being let in. And yet this was not covered by the media, till “Loose Women” yesterday. Hmmm.

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