Someone once said, "The one who walks through a countryside sees much more than the one who runs."
It's my hope that you will have the opportunity to walk more leisurely through the hours of your day, so that you might taste and see and enjoy the beauty that's being offered as a gift.
I wish you time to see today! And I wish you peace and wholeness... where there is nothing missing, nothing broken.
Do you ever go merrily along, enjoying all that's going on in your life, only to wake up one morning to realize you have somehow, once again, bitten off more than you can handle? More than you can chew?It was okay and then suddenly it's too much. Now you feel overwhelmed, weary, maybe even a little resentful that you're so overloaded.
It makes sense then to take some time to step back and re-evaluate what's all going on in your life -- especially note what you've been gradually adding to fill the hours of your days. Make a list of everything you do in a typical day. Look the most recent things you've added to your schedule.
No doubt you have probably heard the saying that, in order to simplify and maintain the balance in our lives, when we buy something new for our house or wardrobe, we should also get rid of something old. I believe the same principle fits for the times when we add a new task or role or project to our lives.
To keep layering new projects and jobs on top of existing ones in our usually already busy lives is a quick recipe for burnout and discouragement.
Having learned the hard way, I finally realized that if I want to add a new job or regular event to my schedule, I will need to carefully consider if I have the time or space, and if I don't, to decide what to let go so that it will fit. Time and space needs to be carved out for each additional task or event or engagement you add into your life.
I was thinking about gardens and roses today. You may wonder why I'm talking about roses in October; after all, many people in northerly climates have probably put their gardens to bed a while ago already. Usually we would be too, except we've had such warm weather this autumn that my roses are still in full bloom. What a treat!
Which reminds me, have you ever had the chance to see Audrey Hepburn in the wonderful Gardens of the World DVD series? A timeless work of art in which Ms. Hepburn reminds us how much we need gardens and flowers like roses to keep our souls and our society well.
"I must have flowers -- always, always!"
~ Claude Monet, Artist
Today, if you need a few minutes to unwind or envision something other than the piles of work staring at you, why not click on the 7-minute trailer below and take a leisurely stroll with Audrey through beautiful gardens of the world. The photography is so beautiful, you'll come back refreshed and ready for whatever is on your slate for today.
Wishing you glimpses of heaven in unexpected places,
With a stroke of the pen, a stranger transforms the afternoon for another man in this short film called The Story of a Sign by Alonso Alvarez. It won the Cannes 2008 on-line short film competition.
Whether or not you've seen this wonderful video before, I think it's worth the four minutes it takes to watch just for the joy bubbles you'll feel in your heart afterwards.
