Work In Colour - Work. Think. Live. In Colour
Wednesday 17th February 2010 | 2 comments
Last weekend I spent 48 hours nursing a sick dog. Now, I'm not a fan of blogging and tweeting about pets, so stay with me here - this dog is merely context.
Our dog (labrador, black, for those who are interested in such things) had an operation (he is recovering well, for those who are interested in such things) which meant he needed someone with him day and night and he couldn't go up stairs or even move around. So, I set up a base camp on our sofa and had plenty of time on my hands. Every time I get up he follows me, so I had to stay in one place, pretty much.
I realised that I hardly ever stay in one place and just hang out. Usually I am buzzing around, seeing clients or doing household chores. Even at home, there is a computer full of work, cupboards to clean, meals to prepare...the usual elements of 21st century life, in fact.
The only real time I just laze around is when I am sick, which is rare - and then I don't feel up to much except, well, just being sick.
So, here I was, sofa-bound but otherwise my usual self. I got to appreciate all over again the power of reflection, of just letting thoughts drift around, of slow time. I have blogged about the power of slow before, but this was more than just slowing down.
I felt a sense of space opening up between me and my daily life, a sense of being able to 'witness' how I operate in the world, a sense of how busyness keeps me away from the spaciousness required for creative thought and insight. I realised how important space and time to dream is in my life, and how little I have had lately. It had left my inner self feeling compressed, it had reduced the quality of my creative thought and lessened the satisfaction I have with my life.
So, from now on, I will be putting a 30 minute appointment with myself in my diary each day, a time to meditate, to journal, to reflect, to drift and listen to music, or whatever. Today I spent the time pottering in my newly planted garden, noticing fresh growth, listening to the trickle of water...
What about you?
Tags: reflection, slow
The most sacred place of all is the 'space between the thoughts', and we need to cultivate a lifestyle that allows that to happen naturally.
Part of my solution to the 'activity trap' these days is to go fishing, which I try to do weekly. Planning other parts of my week so that a 'calm weather' patch is vacant is very liberating.
My Dad's escape was also fishing - not mine, though. I love walking and swimming and meditating and sitting in my garden.
I remember reading somewhere a few years ago a comment that music is what happens between the notes, and that has always made a lot of sense to me.