Little treasure moments.

One of the big lessons the last two weeks has given me is a sense of awareness of what it is like to feel the demands of others. it is a long time since I left the workplace and the pressures of it had slipped far into my memory.

I can remember the days when I lay in bed and my thoughts were only of those in my parish who were looking to me for help. Then it changed and I lay in bed wondering how I could better help particular students. The responsibilities lay heavy on my mind.

There were times when I actually ached because I could not find the solution for the many responsibilities I was faced with. My own happiness was in danger of going.  Sleep, not something I have ever worried about, would have been impossible if I had been striving to do so. 

In the past few days, I have seen people living under such pressures and trying to pass them on to others. On one or two occasions this led to an argument. 

In the midst of this, I remembered the words of the sages. All of this is the folly of humanity.

They are correct, but the words seem too lofty when you are scrounging about seeking for ways out of the pressures of everyday life. I rejoice that I have found since retiral a way of finding daily peace. But many I can see face the pressures and it weighs heavily upon them.

When we live under stress, awareness of being at one with yourself and with nature is impossible.

it becomes like living on the battlefield of life. I am aware it leads to fighting in the workplace, fighting in the home, fighting in your very mind. sadly for many, there is no sense of the peace of being.

If this is how you are feeling, then in my humble opinion the words of sages and wise are of little help until we learn to find personal contentment by renouncing bravely that which is pulling us down.

Every minute that we hold on to problems we cannot be at peace. 

The starting point is to remember, "This too will pass." The first step is letting go. There is a great truth in the simple little homily that a problem shared is a problem halved.

Today I lay down the tools, they will be there when needed, I grasp the handle of my golf trolly and seek to be at one with myself and nature. I am fortunate I can do this and I rejoice it is so.

But for those, I have watched it seems important that they too make a little space to just be calm.

Have a good and peaceful day.

The painting above is some of my little finds from beaches in three countries making one simple little painting.