SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO DIG DEEP

Sometimes there is just no fuel to keep you going. 

It is times like this that we need to be patient and wait, to regroup and plan, to minimize activity and to store resources, so that when the time comes and we have some fuel, some energy to keep going we can make the best of it. 

We all need to rest and to take time to muse. 

This waiting game is not easy and it takes a certain type of energy as well, especially when you are used to having the fuel tank full. 

So rest up when tired and spend some time doing some thinking and planning, some reflection on what has passed and this will fuel the activities that are still to come. 

The best will then be achieved when the motors start running again and that rest will feed the activities of the future and provide the required energy for the tasks ahead. 

Listen to your body and do what it tells you. The rewards will be immense and the achievements will surpass those in the past.

Rest well and re-energise. Wait for the fuel, the water of life.

THE WIND IS BLOWING.............................

.......................................................................the cobwebs away.

It's time to sweep away the dust from the months that have passed. A breath of fresh air is what we all need to think clearly again. Things pile up and chores get pushed to one side in the manic pace of our lives. Sometimes, it becomes necessary to just simplify life and do without it all. To make do with the simple side of life. See clearly, hear acutely, taste with discernment, touch sensitively. Regroup with renewed energy and a plan for the coming months. Stand tall and be strong. Fill yourself with the energy of life and forge forwards with purpose and commitment.

Salutations as the new season begins.

It sounds like the sea

is close to me

Close your eyes tight

before you take flight

into a journey of thought

where no side is fought

but clarity holds true

and sticks fast like glue.

SOMETIMES WHEN WE'RE TOO BUSY......

........we need to work as a team.
Thought for the week..........

Sometimes we think we can do it all and that we don't need anyone else. That's where we are wrong. Sometimes teamwork is just what you need to get a job completed. It requires humility and acceptance that your way is not the only way. It takes many pieces of a puzzle to see the full picture. As long as the team members are committed this can happen.So as we end a week of long and hard work, I encourage you all to look around you and see what you can add to a project. Don't try and do it all yourself but share your talents and combined with someone else's they might just have the effect that is required. I suppose we should never forget the words of Joan Baez that 'no man is an island, no man stands alone'.

Happy team work!

UNDER THE MICROSCOPE

Sometimes the pressure gets too great and the margins become small. You feel as if there is a never ending stream of concentration required and too many details to stay focused. Detail is beautiful but it can be overwhelming. Time to just sit back and survey the whole picture instead of all the details. Appreciate the beauty and the intricacy just for what it is and not what it needs to be.

As the details become blurred and the colours change so the light dawns and the reasons for the structure become clear.

The time has come

to have some fun

Away from the stress

and the need to impress

not only yourself

but your other self

Sit back and look

take time to read a book

Breathe fresh air

and you'll be able to....

climb the next stair.

LOOK DEEPER........................AND WHAT DO YOU SEE?

I love nature and I often find answers there. Every once in a while we become tired of how complicated life can be and fail to look deeper at the little things we see in our daily lives. We don't see the wood for the trees. It is important to take that time to look deeper and to try and make sense of the inner picture, the magnified look. Just as this piece of bark has an inner life, workings beyond our comprehension, so we need to also do the same and look a little deeper. The rough comes with the smooth but they are all interconnected and have an effect on one another. As one part is stressed another relaxes to compensate. As with this bark the colours contrast but complement and create a harmony as they fit together and create a beauty beyond understanding. The next time your world seems upside down and all over the place, take the time to look deeper at some of the elements and you might be surprised at what you find - how it all fits together to make a whole.

IN THE ASHES

Hi to all my blog viewers. Have been absent for a while - been buried in 'stuff'.

Sometimes we think our world is crumbling around us as we struggle to make sense of each day. We plan, we strategize and we try and get too much done, rushing from one deadline to another. Taking life just far too seriously and forgetting to laugh. That is the time to stop in your tracks and just think about things. 

I had a fire on the go the other day and it was quite scary how quickly the pile of debris was reduced to a pile of ashes. There is such beauty in ashes and on reflection I decided to make the most of this beauty and grabbed my camera, to document what I saw. 

The patterns, like life are fascinating, and vulnerable as with a breath of wind they can be scattered. It is a grim reminder to refrain from holding on to what is not permanent but to appreciate every moment of every day, as we never know when we will be reduced to ashes and become but a fading memory. Life is made up of many parts as are we as personalities, and it is interesting how some parts are stronger than others, and take longer to be broken down. 

At the end though it all becomes one and the pieces are not important any more. The veneer is not what is counts, but the organic nature of the way we live our lives and take others into account. It is all transitory, so from today face each day with renewed insight into what life really means. Make every moment count and do not get lost in the attainment of a goal, but look, listen and appreciate not only your surroundings but the people who surround you and make you who you are.

IMBALANCES

It has been one of those weeks when my brain was not connected to the rest of my functioning. No energy, no clarity of thought and just the need to sleep and sleep some more.  Towards the end of the week the vision started clearing and I started finding purpose again.

It came to me that we all need purpose, goals and a clear pathway to follow in order to be fully functional. 

The ability to break things down into manageable portions goes a long way to achieving goals. Sometimes we cannot see clearly in the maze of activities we take upon ourselves. It reminded me of the importance of breathing, taking a step back, out of the situation, just to refocus and put things in perspective. 

Flexibility is the key to managing times like these and an awareness of self that becomes powerful once exercised.

Have you ever had moments like these. I think the praying mantis has the right idea. Ponder, sway back and forth and you will progress, a little at a time. Observation and awareness of your surroundings.

Perhaps we all take life too seriously and need to step back and forth as we make our way through the maze. It is not critical, and it is more important to make considered decisions in some circumstances. I have learnt a lesson this week about myself and am thankful that I went through what I did. It was a time of rest and pondering and I have emerged from it re-energized and focused.

Knitting

Knitting, I thought. That is what I should do when out in the veld keeping an eye out for the Big 5 as my staff clear fire breaks for the winter season. I cannot sit and do nothing, so I had to find something productive to do. I hate doing paperwork while sitting in a car. I had a good dig in some boxes that have not been touched for over 6 years and lo and behold, I found my unfinished jersey. It was like a treasure hunt searching for the right needles and working out what I had used before.

Now came the challenge to try and work out exactly where I was in the pattern, what all those incomprehensible markings (rather faded now) on small bits of paper were, and to try and make sure that I still understood how to do the pattern.

Success! In a couple of hours I had completed quite a few centimetres while intermittently scanning the veld and getting out of the car to make sure none of these animals were around. Knitting makes this scanning exercise quite easy as you don't have to keep your eyes on your work all the time.

On reflection, however, I realised how tremendously enjoyable knitting was and could not believe that I had hidden it away for so long and had forgotten how something so simple and productive could bring peace to the soul. It must be the clicking of the needles like a Mantra for meditation. It has spurred me on to start another jersey for my dearly beloved, as soon as I have finished this one, which should be soon. Once that is over I think it is time for the blanket squares for the aged and young in the local community.

When did you last pick up a set of knitting needles and create something out of nothing?

I urge you to try, and you will see what I mean. 

Sometimes, in the simplest of tasks one finds quiet and time for reflection.

I suppose the same can be said for watering the garden, baking, painting, drawing or planting seedlings. 

Find what works for you, and get back to that simple task that you used to find so much pleasure in. You will be amazed at how you feel. 

In this fast paced world of ours we often think we do not have the time, but by making the time, your energies will return.

Happy reflections!

HINDSIGHT - A valuable thought

Something happened to me earlier this week which on reflection made me re think my behaviour. I felt ashamed of my reaction in this situation, even though to some extent, I could understand my reaction, and many would have done the same. For me what was powerful about the event, and my reaction was the fact that it signified a learning curve for me as a person. Even though I could validate my reaction, I realised that it was at the same time unacceptable in the scheme of things. 

The power of reflection of one's behaviour is what makes us as human beings grow, and in some ways I was thankful for the event, because it was a lesson learnt, will build my character, and will allow me to react in a different, more appropriate/socially acceptable way in the future. It will in fact contribute to my serenity of soul, and my humility and enable me to understand the reasoning behind others and my own behaviour in certain situations. It has opened my heart and increased my tolerance.

Sometimes we need to look beyond a situation before judging and be fully acceptable of others behaviour before we mirror their behaviour. I have closure and peace of mind about the situation and know that it will probably not happen again.

Acceptance of the self and others, flaws and all, in conjunction with humility is the first step towards emotional intelligence.

You caught me

When I was down on my knee

I give thanks for my soul

It made me feel whole...

Again (Alison)

OLDER...WISER...STILL YOUNG?

I sometimes wonder if as you get older you get wiser or if things are just rather more familiar. This morning I was thinking that I don't feel older, as my spirit still feels so young (In fact it feels a whole lot better than it did years ago). I almost feel as if I have more energy than I did when I was younger. What I do feel is an inner confidence (most days), a surety almost of the validation of my existence. The lesson I have learned over the years that is most important and has made the most impact for me has been my maturation with regard to the art of listening (although my children would probably not agree - they love to joke you know). I feel as if I have finally learnt the art of stepping back, looking in on the picture and really taking in what is happening. I hope this is the beginning of a step towards enlightenment of the presence and role of others in my life.
As I step into another year of my existence I would like to share with you some words that come from my heart to all of yours.

LISTEN..........................

To the sounds of the day
As they float away
on the breath of the wind

Be present in your space
with a glow on your face
that radiates out to all

Look and see, really see
and you will be free
without blinkers.......
to be in awe of it all. (Alison)

Happy listening. Take time in your day to just be and to allow life to penetrate your soul. Increase your awareness of what is happening around you by quieting your spirit and soaking it all in. The rewards are rich and will feed your spirit.

VIBRATIONS

Breathe slowly
Feel the beat 
of your heart
Listen...
to your core
to the sound of life
Unlock the energy 
lying in wait

BITS OF PAPER

Have you ever had the habit of writing everything on bits of paper - at a coffee shop, at the robots, all over your home, while at your study desk, during lectures, cooking the evening meal, watching television, at meetings and while driving. (That's when your children come in handy). "Darling, I have to write this down. I think there is a piece of paper in the middle consul. I think the pen is there too. Quickly.....before I forget this idea".
 I have this problem.
Why on earth I don't keep a notebook handy I don't know. Actually, don't get me wrong. I have notebooks all over the house, next to my bed, in my handbag - diaries, journals - too many to count and all started at different points in my life, never completed, but just there. The entries are spasmodic and then I try a new journal. Discipline sets in and every evening or morning, I write down my thoughts, and then life gets busy, too busy, and then I forget the power of reflection, of consolidation of thought, of the pure meditative power of writing. I love thoughts. I could write a book on thoughts. The time has come to change my ways. Time to put the bits of paper into a book, streamline my life and take action.

I am ready, but is life ready for me.
We will see!

THE TRUTH ABOUT REFLECTIONS

Reflections generate 
the best of intentions

The trick is....

to know where to go

after the going gets slow

Take time to absorb 

the power of the thought

to prevent ending up with nought

All said and done 

reflections can show

which direction to go.......

The power is in the journey.