Share Sounds presented by Gavin Oldham related to Mindfulness

Matters of life and death featured strongly in the House of Commons last Friday. thanks to Kim Leadbeater's Private Members' Bill on assisted dying — it's curious how the new UK parliament has developed such a fixation on 'end of life'. The Government's plans for inheritance tax might encourage people towards a serious look at philanthropy — register to join Philanthropy Impact's webinar on Donor Advised Funds, starting at 12 noon this Wednesday 4th December. Background music: 'Wandering Soul' by Asher Fulero Image source: Philanthropy Impact

What does time mean for you? A busy diary, rushing people, stress and anxiety — 'never enough hours in the day'? If so, there's plenty of that to watch on the Sky Movies channel. Or do you see it as one of the crowning glories of creation which makes all life possible? Nobel Prize winner Kip Thorne helped to unravel its mysteries in 'The Life Scientific' following his input on 'Interstellar', and thus inspired our thought for this week. Background music: opening with grandfather clock chimes, closing with 'Take Your Time' by Dan Lebowitz

We all have so much to learn from others as well as from our own experience. In his April 2015 Track Record, Sir Martin Jacomb, who died on 8th June, referred to Gordon Richardson, Bank of England Governor from 1973 to 1983, as his mentor, but it was Martin himself who was my fount of wisdom. Everyone, even Prime Ministers, could benefit from a mentor, and I was fortunate indeed to learn from Martin. Background music: introduction for Share Radio's Track Record programme

Individual achievement is recognised in many walks of life, and that recognition spurs people on to achieve even greater things. With education, good exam results and university entrance are celebrated, but this doesn't do much for those who find it difficult to get started in the first place. That's why The Share Foundation's introduction of incentivised learning is so important for young people in care, achieving an attitudinal transformation as they progress through the six-step Stepladder course. We need acceptance of incentivised learning to break the cycle of deprivation. Background music: 'Everything Has a Beginning' by Joel Cummins

Voyager-1's legacy includes greetings in 55 languages, 35 sounds from life on Earth (such as whale songs, laughter, etc.), 90 minutes of music including everything from Mozart and Bach to Chuck Berry and Blind Willie Johnson, all dating back to its launch in 1977. There are also 115 images of life on Earth and recorded greetings from then-US President Jimmy Carter (1924– ) and then-UN Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim (1918–2007). It would take about 70,000 years to reach the nearest star to our solar system. In contrast, most tombstones in British graveyards date from well before the Voyager-1 launch, but for most of them it's no longer possible to discern who they commemorate or when they were erected. Burial grounds occupy over 19,000 acres in England, but the legacy they seek to preserve is forgotten within a very small number of generations. Background music: 'Elegy' by Wayne Jones

In so many respects the news that greets us each day seems devoid of logic and reason. Whether it's international conflict, short-termist governments or the denial of reality, we are led to believe that we can walk on water indefinitely and set aside intellectual thought. But the biggest challenge is to bring logic and reason into the public square for young people, at a time when their perspectives have been stunted by the pandemic and social media. It is this new generation which will have to deal with the mess we're leaving behind: let's help them to participate actively. Background music: 'Intellect' by Yung Logos

The science of memory and how it shapes us is the central question in Dr. Charan Ranganath's new book. It's an absolute truism that memory is deeply personal and individual to each one of us, but does it really vest in the neurons in our brain, or in our soul? In contrast, human creativity is not the possession of intermediating corporations but a collage gathered from right across the great human family. Antiquated copyright legislation is really showing strains as generative AI emulates the thinking process: it's time to overhaul copyright law, and for everyone to share the benefits. Background music: 'In Memory of Jean Talon' by Mini Vandals

Rishi Sunak's call for tolerance in Downing Street on Friday 1st March was couched in terms of hard work and endeavour, which are generally associated with self-interest; but what's really needed is convergence based on generosity of spirit, starting with tolerance and journeying through respect for others, no matter how different they are, towards unconditional love. Background music: 'Resolution' by Wayne Jones

With 1.45 billion speakers, English may be the most commonly spoken language across the world, but it displays a real poverty with the word ‘love’. It's not often that St. Valentine shares the same day as Ash Wednesday, but this year the essence of sexual attraction converges with the unconditional love of God at the beginning of Lent, providing a pointer to the contrasting splendours of this wonderful word. Background music: 'Forever Yours' by Wayne Jones

Unbridled revenge just leads to an escalation of the cycle of violence: in a world which possesses such an arsenal for mass destruction, we have to learn how to deal with national insecurity in ways which promote rather than destroy international harmony. In this episode of Share Radio's Thought for the Week, we set out realistic routes by which this can be achieved. Background music: 'Sarabande' by Joel Cummins