peace

The Weather

Isn’t it funny how the weather dictates how you feel and takes you soaring and diving depending on what’s out there? It’s that time of year when “dark” is the norm and the sun has taken a well-earned reprieve. Not that it has gone away but you know what I mean.

I’ve been wanting to go for a walk for the last two or three days but unfortunately the weather put a stop to that thought. I did get out for a few minutes yesterday just to feel the cold wind on my face when there was a break in between the never-ending cold and wet drizzle.

The fields were shrouded in grey and there were puddles of water everywhere. I had to pick my way around them and even though there was no one around, I decided against jumping in them. My decision was to “adult” today and not to resort to any childish antics although “adulting” doesn’t bring the twinkle in my eyes as the wanton display of disregard for norms as a child does. I gritted my teeth and kept myself in check as I walked, alone again except for the loud and raucous cawing of a crow somewhere in the trees.

Lately, there has been very little movement out in the fields. The wildlife have taken their cue from Mother Nature and have burrowed themselves deep underground or gathered in the forest somewhere for warmth. Soon, it will be my time to find solace and warmth indoors and to let nature do what it needs to do for the cycle ahead. When the first snowfall hits, I’ll be out here again to see the magic take place as the fields go from drab to a blinding white covered in snow and the trees, oh the wonderful trees will be frosted beautifully, enough to take your breath away. We’ve still got a ways to go yet before that takes place as there is no forecast for snow in the near future. I don’t think dreams of a white Christmas is going to be a reality this year.

Still, I love this time of year even though my mood takes a dive now and then. It doesn’t stay down for long because I’m learning to see the positives instead of always concentrating on the negatives. The glass is half-empty methodology has been turned on its head and now I’m looking at it as being half-full. Gratitude is doing the rest to lift my spirits and to get me on the path to happiness for a change.

Time for a hot cup of coffee and to cuddle under the blanket and to be thankful for all that I have.

Have an amazing day.

Shaking Things Up!

Monotony is up in the air today and perhaps out the door. I’ve decided to shake things up! I’m going from the normal routine of taking a walk in the fields and keeping company with just the wildlife and nature to moving it to the city for a change.

Chachi, the cat, knows something is up and keeps looking at me suspiciously. He knows that his mom is up to something but he doesn’t know what it is yet. Does he care? Not one little bit. He is back to his normal routine of taking his place by the window seat and watching his kind of TV from the kitchen window. He is relishing life as it was meant to be in his world, relishing it from a cat’s point of view that is.

I usually meet a girlfriend for breakfast at our favorite cafe but she is away visiting family and instead of staying home, I decided to go it alone. I am not someone who loves hanging out at cafes or bars so this was going to be a very different experience.

The small but tastefully furnished cafe is all lit up with Christmas lights and there is a cozy atmosphere about it which is right up my alley. It’s a small Italian-style place which serves Italian ice specialties in summer but when the weather turns and gets colder, they revert to an indoor place serving the best coffee in town and breakfast to boot. It is the perfect place to meet up with friends but for today it is serving as my place to break new ground.

The young Italian men running the place are more than welcoming. They’ve seen me here many times before but never alone. I’ve always had someone by my side. Today, it was different. It was cozy as usual, only today it had a warmth that was hard to describe. Just a lovely feeling of being at home. I spotted the cakes lined up in the glass case, Tiramisu and Black Forest cake but no cheesecake! Never mind because that was waiting for me at the bakery across the walkway.

I took my seat at the window which was perfect for people watching as well. I ordered my usual cup of coffee, two scrambled eggs, bacon, some salad and a bread roll. Looking out the window I could see that it was cold and add the wind to it and it was not a comforting day at all. The people were bundled up and battling the wind and the cold, their faces red as their breath streamed out like dragon’s fire! I was glad I was indoors.

The promenade was lit up with lights galore and a Christmas tree all decked out took its place of honor. Suddenly, more people started coming in and it started getting noisy. I couldn’t let my thoughts run rampant anymore and to take me to where I wanted to go, just nowhere special. Looking across the room, I spotted a guy looking my way. I had seen him there last week. This time he smiled and I smiled back, just being friendly. Then he gave a slight wave and I waved back. An invitation of sorts? I wasn’t staying to find out. Men are out of the picture for now as far as I am concerned!

I left the cafe feeling full of energy and something else. Not sure what it was but it felt good for a change. A slight drizzle was starting but it was not going to dampen my spirit. I headed to the bakery to pick up my daily dose of cheesecake. The lady had a big grin on her face as she said, “One whole cheesecake?”

Me sheepishly: “Yes, please.”

It is a foregone conclusion that I have no willpower when it comes to cheesecake! Heading home, I decided, it was time for a walk as well. Why not go all the way, right?

The fields were covered in fog and there was nothing moving out there. Even the crows had taken refuge and nothing, absolutely NOTHING was at play today. Suddenly, I spotted the lone heron standing dead-center on the path I was on. Its underbelly gleamed white as it stood there motionless, again statue-like as I kept approaching. My heart caught in my throat. Perhaps I will get to touch it today but just as that thought crossed my mind, it took off into the air and to a place unknown.

Making my way back, the wind was relentless as it whipped my long hair around. It was showing no mercy today. Wishing I had piled it on my head and fastened it with a clip as I usually do but there was no chance of that now. So I let the wind have its way and walked home thinking it is going to take extra brushing to get the tangles out. Then I saw the big puddle of muddy water and my eyes lit up and skipped a beat. Seeing no one around, I jumped in gleefully and it joined in deliriously. That, folks, was a perfect ending to just half a day of shaking things up. My idea of it anyway. I came home looking like a wet rat with my boots and jeans splashed with mud BUT with a huge grin on my face! The rest of the day will be tame if not downright boring! Who knows and I’m in a rebellious mood so will see what comes up next. I might just decide to go jump in the duck puddles as I used to as a young girl!!

Have an amazing day.

It is Sunday, a day of rest and rejuvenation from a week of stresses and unrest. I woke up with good intentions this morning. Finding peace is my goal for today, more precisely, inner peace that is.

“It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart.” Unknown

And this is exactly the problem. Chaos and noise shatters my idea of peace. My mind is like rush hour 24/7 and when I find the time to gather inner peace, it has taken flight and I am left with unrest, anxiety and an inability to calm down no matter how hard I try. Sleepless nights follow and I wake up to another day of more of the same.

Now I am arming myself with what is needed to stop the constant chatter within my mind. I liken it to a monkey jumping around with no real goal in sight. Recently, I started the age-old practice of meditation. Five minutes was too much at first. I felt my whole body rebelling against this new concept that was trying to break into what it was accustomed to and that is total and utter chaos! After a while of consistently practicing this method of inner peace, I could feel my body say, “Come on in. I like you!” Slowly I progressed to 10 minutes and now I am doing 40 minutes a day. Unbelievable but the benefits are seen and felt and I am sleeping better.

7 Benefits of Meditation

Calms the nervous system

Decreases brain fog

Enhances memory

Boosts attention and focus

Slows down aging (this one I like a lot!)

Improves sleep

Regulates mood.

Sukhasana

What’s not to like right? Furthermore, it doesn’t cost a thing. Just a quiet space, focus and take off and in time, the “inner monkey” is tamed and he or she takes a step back and lets the calm and peace take hold, and you my friend will be headed to nirvana. Well, it is not that easy, mind you. It takes time and YOU wanting peace above all else.

Deep breathing is another easy tried and true method of shutting out the world, of going inside yourself and within minutes or to a count of ten breaths and there it is, instant peace and relaxation. The benefits are plenty.

It helps to:

lower blood pressure and heart rate, reduces stress hormones in the blood, balances levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood, improves your immune system functions, increases physical energy and it increases calm and well-being.

There you go. Another fast and easy way to get to that goal of inner peace. However, the human mind tends to retaliate because we don’t want easy do we? We moan, cry, throw tantrums and refuse to take the bull by the horn and say, “Look you, I am no longer putting up with you (stress, anxiety) ravaging my body. It’s time for you to get going!”

Simplify your life. We complicate with so many unwanted things that cause tremendous stress. Relationships that tear us down instead of build us up. Quite often we hide behind a curtain of insecurities that it is hard to see the path ahead. Bravery and courage is needed to tear down that invisible curtain. Get rid of the things that are weighing you down and you know what they are if you are honest with yourself. Finally, free your mind so that peace and tranquility can reign supreme and that folks is my goal for today. If I make it that is to be seen. Fingers crossed but I am going to do more than that to achieve my zen-like state of mind.

“Peace is a day-to-day problem, the product of a multitude of events and judgments. Peace is not an ‘is,’ it is a ‘becoming.” Haile Selassie

“Peace is a daily, a weekly, a monthly process, gradually changing opinions, slowly eroding old barriers, quietly building new structures.” John F. Kennedy

“But achieving a sense of inner peace is real. It’s out there. You just have to be willing to walk past the darkness, and even past the light, to find it.” Hannah Hart

“Do not let the behavior of others destroy your inner peace.” Dalai Lama

This one is important because we do allow people to influence our moods and how it affects our inner being. If they lie, treat you badly or take you for granted, DO NOT let the after-effects seep in and gnaw at your insides. Let it go…..easier said than done I know.

I wish you PEACE.

Nature’s Way

“To walk in nature is to witness a thousand miracles.” Mary Davis

Walking is my favorite thing to do. It helps to clear my mind, helps me to get a better perspective on life and it’s good for the mind and soul not to mention my body so what’s not to like?

It is almost springlike in my part of the world and after the snow, ice and sleet of the past week, blue skies and sunshine is a nice change. After having been cooped up for a week, it is time to take advantage of the nice weather.

Zipping up my light jacket with a scarf around my neck and stepping into my boots, I am all ready to head out the door. I am not expecting much, just a beautiful walk in nature. I wonder if I will see the deer I’ve seen on my last few walks. We made eye contact several times and then he took off and went back into the woods. I hope I do because there is something about coming face to face with one of nature’s own. It makes me feel like I belong too.

“Nature is the purest portal to inner-peace.” Angie Weiland Crosby

I am surrounded by blue-tipped mountains on one side and the sporadic green line of the forest on the other. Today, I find myself alone as I am on most days. I feel the wind picking up speed and I pull my coat closer against me as I raise my face to the sky. It is clear and blue and perfect. A loud cawing draws my attention. I look further up the path I am on and see two huge black crows fighting over something. As I approach them, they let out a loud sound at the human who has walked into their space, it almost sounds rude to the ear. Then they flap their wings and take off to another part of the field where they would be left in peace. I understand them well, I crave peace too.

Approaching the apple trees, I see that they’ve lost all their foliage and now stand naked their twig-like branches reaching out to nothing in particular. Not too long ago, they looked bright and beautiful with globes of red, pink and green hanging from their green branches. The apples have been harvested and there is nothing more left to be done until springtime of course. Out of what stands before me will emerge pink and white blossoms bringing with them a faint delicate scent that is warm and delicious and the cycle will start again. So it is with life. There is no end and no beginning. It is a never-ending cycle. You get on at some point and you get off when your time is up but life never stops moving, it just keeps on going.

As I make my way back, I realize that I haven’t seen the deer. I hope it is alright. Feeling refreshed by the clean air and the open spaces for as far as the eye can see, I say a small “thank you” for the beauty, the peace and the graciousness of nature. It has accompanied me in good times and bad and will be my companion for many more walks to come. Suddenly, a sharp shrill sound pierces the air. I look up to see a hawk hovering above me. A smile crosses my face as I watch it stay there for a while. Almost weightless it hovers and then it lets out another shrill cry as it flies away into the blue yonder. Nature teaches us many things but most of all it has the power to heal, it shows us a thousand miracles if we are open to it and in its own way it shows us that there is a time and place for everything.

“I took a walk in the woods and came out taller than the trees.” Henry David Thoreau

Or this one,

“And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul.” John Muir