It’s such a beautiful time of year here in Sydney – the days have started to cool but the ocean is still so warm from the summer months. We’re surrounded by blazing sunshine & azure blue skies…it fills me with a sense of wonder to look at the blue expanse stretching away to the horizon. I can just see white clouds starting to gather in the distance which hint to the storm that will come later. It feels a little like life at the moment – amazing moments of clarity, clouded by the onset of busy-ness and the need to work down the list…
I am really struck by the power that nature has over our sense of well-being… how often the weather can impact how we feel and equally, how we can feel nourished by a walk in sunshine or rain…
Taking time out to walk the dog is an essential part of my day & when I don’t find the time to do this, my mood is impacted – feeling lethargic & frazzled- unable to think clearly… In the summer, I am so grateful for the opportunity to swim in the ocean…
Each day this week, I have had a quick swim at a quiet local beach – the water clear & warm, giving an amazing sensation of freedom as I dive in. I always leave the ocean feeling refreshed, with such clarity of thought… a natural alternative to coffee! It wakes me up & so contributes to my sense of well-being as stresses are washed gently away. There is also a sense of being part of something so much bigger…
Where I live on the beautiful Northern beaches, there are many other people who make the ocean part of their daily rhythm and I see the same people, regardless of time of year, heading to the water, surfboards under their arms or just towels in hand… The kids who race to the beach, first thing, surfboard under arm, to grab the perfect wave before school, all inexplicably drawn to the expanse of blue water as an important part of their day…It reminds me that Nature is the perfect way to re-centre ourselves & regain the calm & balance that it is so easy to lose amongst all the other demands of busy-ness. The perfect anti-dote to stress…
What have you done today to regain your balance?
I read an article last week about a new app, which allows you to speed read books. It struck me at the time as a symbol for the speed of life nowadays & the need to consume as much as possible, in as little time, as possible… Whilst I can see the appeal for maybe students or others who need to read a huge amount of books/articles/reports in their daily work, I couldn’t think of anything worse as someone who reads to relax! This is so far from the ‘natural’ pace of life with its driver being to consume more, faster…
Technology has moved on so far now that we don’t need to even flick through paper if we don’t want to… we can just turn on our Kindle/iPad/Ereader & read away where ever we are… For me, there is something restorative about turning the page, losing myself in a story or picking up a book to relax. I am a book groupie… I love buying books. I have shelves full of books that I haven’t read because every time I travel through an airport or pass a book shop, I’m compelled to buy one! Every time I browse online bookshops, I can’t resist buying something… I have recently discovered a new book shop near my home & love the eclectic mix of books that they sell. I can lose myself for hours in there & feel truly nourished when I leave clutching my latest purchase…
Time to re-charge is so important… I spend my days, juggling the demands of a busy job and busy family life – helping clients be more effective & realise their dreams on one hand, whilst nurturing and caring for my family & trying to ensure calm amongst the chaos! Life is certainly busy, at times stressful & demanding but I know that if I didn’t make time for my walks or give myself permission to stop for a moment… I would struggle to achieve what I do…
Have you taken your time for you today???