Following on from my last post, I was delighted when Facebook pulled up this from a ‘Memories’ post. Such bliss that might be: having the time to nothing. It made me recall a talk I attended several years ago on the subject of ‘Modern Human Sacrifice’ by a prominent pagan author, whose name I can’t recall for the life of me. I will say, that this piece is from a female perspective, because, duh! I am female.

Now, if you perform a Google search for ‘human sacrifice’, you will pull up some fairly gory images. Blood, damning statements on abortion, pictures of military cemeteries. That’s how many see human sacrifice. But how does that work in the modern world? You know that modern world where, if you are still a wage-slave like me, whilst trying to write and publish books as an indie author? You day consists of waking early, bolting a breakfast down to join the morning commute. Actually, you might even skip breakfast, which I consider to be a major thing, because then you will end up snacking mid-morning, before you might even risk indigestion all afternoon by bolting lunch down, because you have ‘stuff’ to do.

Then there is the evening commute. Home with the family. Food preparation, unless you have an understanding spouse. Evening tasks, including preparation for the next day. Sleep – probably fairly late. Then it begins again. Nothing changes. Everything continues, and there comes the point where you want to cry because you can’t cope anymore. And then you break.

So, modern human sacrifice. What is it? What is the one thing that is lacking? How often have you said to yourself, “If only I had a bit more time!” To me, that will always be the essence of modern human sacrifice. Time. Cue the sound of the Pink Floyd song. Make time. Now that is easier said than done and I will admit that I am the worst when it comes to that. Yesterday, my bo

ss queried the number of hotel nights I had last month. Hotel nights cost the company money, and behind his apparent concern was the question: “Will the company see a return on their investment?” Mask it how you will, but that is what the thought will be, because that is modern business.

If you want to feel less like a commodity and more like a person, then you have to make the changes in your life. Yeah, right! Like that’s going to work.

Baby steps. That’s how you make change. Baby steps. Small changes. Perhaps agree that you take turns with your partner to cook dinner? That would give a breather, at least on some evenings. Breakfast: eat it. It doesn’t take long to make a bowl of porridge, and sling some fresh fruit in it. Apple goes well, frozen blackberries. Tesco sell a bag of frozen berry fruits; a handful goes well as the porridge cooks. Look at your bedtime routine. Do you keep your phone/tablet computer by the bed, and ‘do a bit’ before turning in? Guilty here of that one. My husband reckoned the apocalypse was imminent because I left my phone at home one day. So, charge your equipment in another room. Read a book, of the paper variety, that has nothing to do with work. The lack of flickering screen will make a huge difference in your brain shutting down. I have started to use an aromatherapy vaporiser in my room. I set it off about an hour before bed, with some lavender and patchouli to fill the room with a relaxing scent. When I go to bed, the scent is conducive to sleep.

Little things, but they are changes. So, what’s the To Do List?

• Make a list of EVERYTHING that you do from waking to sleeping: eating, drinking, etc. There are plenty of ‘timesheet’ type apps that you can use to record this.
• Look at where your time is going.
• Can you introduce the ‘baby steps’?

You don’t have to do it all, but even one change is a ‘baby step’ in the right direction. Baby-steps, small ripples in a still pond … However you look at it, it is your life and only you can start the process to change it to the life that really works for you.

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LINKS TO THE BOOKS BY JO PILSWORTH & THE HUNTER’S ARROW LTD

Amazon.co.uk: £3.05 https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01KB20OL6
Amazon.com: $3.99 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KB20OL6#nav-subnav
Smashwords: $3.99 https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/660156