Everyone needs a place of stillness, our very own place of tranquillity where one can be still, away from the sounds and stresses of the world, to relax, unwind and think. It can be your own special chair in a quiet place in your own home, on a balcony or an outside space in a garden, on a terrace or a quiet spot by the sea. In the world in which we live, we are reminded daily and sometimes hourly from our TV screens about the plight of our fellow human beings. Our elected leaders cannot agree on a single solution. The feeling of helplessness which we all feel had brought on severe depression and hopelessness in a rising number of the world's population and this in turn leads to people feeling anxious, sad and without energy resulting in them just wanting to stay indoors and not really live their life at all.
I too have days when just one of the morning news headlines can knock me down for the rest of the day or week. The images of hungry homeless children stays in my mind and my motivation to do or go anywhere becomes like a mountain which I cannot climb.
I try to work against this, I push myself really hard. I try to keep busy. I made a "To do list" and work my way through it as best I can. The list is never finished, I cross off what I've done and add new jobs. I started a patchwork quilt and it has stopped while I got on with spring cleaning and painting walls. We had asked a painter to come and do the painting but they are all so busy and we are still waiting....... I decided to go ahead and make a start on it myself. Mr. D then took over so that was a great help. Both of us suffer with our backs so we are having to do a little each day but we are getting there. I hate housework but also hate to see dust and unclean walls. I cleaned all the windows last month and now they are dirty again, so that means "clean windows" will be added to my list yet again!
Some days, I can work for hours and still feel I've got nothing done. I always feel I need to do more. On these days, I really need to stop! take an hour off...go and sit in my "still place".
On occasion, I'm good, I will have a chat with myself and say " You've done good this week, you've done some hard jobs which you previously put off and now they are done, you deserve a reward, take time out, forget the world and it's problems and just chill" This is when I get my book and head for my "favourite still place". I recline, look around me at the flowers and scrubs, inhale the fresh air and the scent of the roses while I listen to the chirping of the birds. I forget everything else and take in where I am while gazing up at the clear blue sky. I relax and now, I'm ready to get lost in my book.
