Category: Observations

The Power of One

We all need other people. We are designed for companionship. We thrive when we are in good company, especially in times of trial or adversity. In fact, that’s when we need each other most. Yet we also need time on our own.

We all need other people. We are designed for companionship. We thrive when we are in good company, especially in times of trial or adversity. In fact, that’s when we need each other most.

Yet we also need time on our own. We need time to contemplate the things that affect our lives and the lives of those we care about, no matter where they might live and no matter whether we know them personally or not.

That’s where personal time comes in. We need to be alone, sometimes, just to be able to make sense of life. We could say we need time to breathe; to refresh ourselves; to clear everyone else’s clutter from our minds so that we can get on with dealing with our own issues.

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Read Widely

When it comes to peace of mind the advantages of reading can be very underrated. Reading slows down the pace of life. It creates an oasis in the desert of our lives. It gives us the time to sit quietly and breathe, activities known to calm shattered nerves.

When it comes to peace of mind the advantages of reading can be very underrated. Reading slows down the pace of life. It creates an oasis in the desert of our lives. It gives us the time to sit quietly and breathe, activities known to calm shattered nerves.

But, to be effective in developing inner peace, our reading must not be hurried. Take time over it. Savour the words and phrases. We need to imagine ourselves in the scene. Even if our reading material is academic we can still drift into the picture by imagining that we are explaining the material to someone else.

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You Are Not Alone

Bare trees in frosty weather as the dawn starts to break
Dawn trees in frost

When we are struggling to cope with the things that life throws at us, it’s easy to think that the whole universe is conspiring against us. We know it’s not true. It simply feels that way.

I once spoke with a woman who raised this very issue, but from a more balanced point of view. She rightly pointed out that she feels that despite trying to do good to others, bad things keep happening in her life. But then she explained that when she sees what some people have to endure she realises that she’s not so badly off,  after all.

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Lonliness

Lonliness

I just love the emotions involved in this photo. It’s so full of memories, happy and sad. It’s a reminder that children don’t stay young, forever.

Originally, I titled this photo, Neglect. But I now like to think of it as Loneliness because it tells a story of having been a best friend, now abandoned in favour of more important interests.

Well. Almost abandoned. The spiders found a good home there! And the contrast between the spiders’ webs and the man-made netting is a treat.

Enjoy your children while you can. Treasure the time that you have with them. There will be plenty of time for your career once they leave home. At least, there’ll be a little time until the grandchildren come along.

And then you can re-live those days all over again.