Listening to the rain always brings me to a place of appreciation and this, no doubt, goes back to my childhood on a farm in the wheat belt in South Australia, where the autumn rain was prayed for and meant the earth could be tilled and new crops could be sown. The rain and the mist in the valley this morning also encourage an inward day, an opportunity for reflection.
So with another cycle around the sun, what is there to reflect on?
This past year has seen much intensity in the world – catastrophic fires, floods, cyclones, snowfalls and landslides. There are millions of people on the move across the globe seeking refuge from war-torn homelands and from racist abuse, poverty and corruption. Lifestyle illnesses are escalating, drug addiction and exhaustion are becoming an everyday reality for many.
I have seen and experienced much change throughout my life, for women and men, in the workplace and in homes. And I am questioning whether life is getting ‘better’ for humanity. There are a plethora of books promising and suggesting ways that we can have a ‘better life’ or that life on earth is ‘better’ than it used to be. However, when I watch TV and social media news I am not getting this message.
It would be easy to get absorbed in this seeming deepening hole of despair, or muster up some false hope, but today I am choosing another way.
Today marks the end of a cycle as well as a new beginning for this one person and millions of others sharing this birth day with me on a planet called earth. This birth day I have a moment to reflect on how I am living, my purpose and what I am bringing to the world.
Reflecting on my life I have made many mistakes, and there are many things that I would do differently next time! However, what I have learned at this age is that every moment counts, and that it is the quality of every moment that matters.
Being aware of the quality of how I am moving throughout the day, for example, choosing to feel my delicateness, stillness and presence, builds a quality of life, regardless of what is happening out in the world, or around me.
It has an impact on my nervous system, my sense of well-being, in spite of what might be happening in the ageing body.
This is what I am celebrating today – how I am choosing to live this day. My dear husband asked if I would like to go out to dinner to celebrate, and my answer was no. I am going to prepare a candle-lit dinner at home, and cook a delicious meal for the two of us, to celebrate our years together, our home that we have created for ourselves and for everyone who visits.
Today I am celebrating all the people in my life, my family and friends, and appreciating the cards, messages on social media, emails and phone calls that are coming in throughout the day. The joy that I feel in these connections and communications is a true birthday celebration. Another thing that I am appreciating today is how I love simplicity.
When given a choice and surveying all the possible options for how to spend today, I am content to have a glorious day at home, alone.
This doesn’t mean that I am a loner. I love being with people, with my family and friends, and working with my clients, but given the options today, I am allowing myself space and time to reflect, appreciate and to nurture myself.
Dressing in some warm, light, comfy ‘at home’ clothes, writing, doing some yoga, warming some nourishing soup for lunch, sitting still and listening to the rain, are simple pleasures that I love. Mid-afternoon I relish the opportunity to snuggle into cushions on my big sofa, cover myself with a warm, soft blanket, and surrender to sleep, and I think to myself ‘this is how a baby must feel’.
Sitting at the dinner table in the warm candlelight my husband and I share our day and enjoy our meal together. We plan an outing on the weekend to celebrate again, and I am looking forward to catching up with a group of dear friends, several of whom are also celebrating birthdays at this time.
Today is the first day of the rest of my life. That feels very expansive, and opens the way for me to enjoy my own authority and the responsibility of knowing that everything matters, the energy that I am emanating right now affects everyone on the planet earth. If it is joy that I am feeling, that is my offering to everyone today, and I invite you to share in my birthday celebration!
Bernadette C., Australia
If you enjoyed this article, you may also like to read: https://www.unimedliving.com/mental-health/personal-development/reviewing-reflecting-and-appreciating-our-choices.html
So with another cycle around the sun, what is there to reflect on?
This past year has seen much intensity in the world – catastrophic fires, floods, cyclones, snowfalls and landslides. There are millions of people on the move across the globe seeking refuge from war-torn homelands and from racist abuse, poverty and corruption. Lifestyle illnesses are escalating, drug addiction and exhaustion are becoming an everyday reality for many.
I have seen and experienced much change throughout my life, for women and men, in the workplace and in homes. And I am questioning whether life is getting ‘better’ for humanity. There are a plethora of books promising and suggesting ways that we can have a ‘better life’ or that life on earth is ‘better’ than it used to be. However, when I watch TV and social media news I am not getting this message.
It would be easy to get absorbed in this seeming deepening hole of despair, or muster up some false hope, but today I am choosing another way.
Today marks the end of a cycle as well as a new beginning for this one person and millions of others sharing this birth day with me on a planet called earth. This birth day I have a moment to reflect on how I am living, my purpose and what I am bringing to the world.
Reflecting on my life I have made many mistakes, and there are many things that I would do differently next time! However, what I have learned at this age is that every moment counts, and that it is the quality of every moment that matters.
Being aware of the quality of how I am moving throughout the day, for example, choosing to feel my delicateness, stillness and presence, builds a quality of life, regardless of what is happening out in the world, or around me.
It has an impact on my nervous system, my sense of well-being, in spite of what might be happening in the ageing body.
This is what I am celebrating today – how I am choosing to live this day. My dear husband asked if I would like to go out to dinner to celebrate, and my answer was no. I am going to prepare a candle-lit dinner at home, and cook a delicious meal for the two of us, to celebrate our years together, our home that we have created for ourselves and for everyone who visits.
Today I am celebrating all the people in my life, my family and friends, and appreciating the cards, messages on social media, emails and phone calls that are coming in throughout the day. The joy that I feel in these connections and communications is a true birthday celebration. Another thing that I am appreciating today is how I love simplicity.
When given a choice and surveying all the possible options for how to spend today, I am content to have a glorious day at home, alone.
This doesn’t mean that I am a loner. I love being with people, with my family and friends, and working with my clients, but given the options today, I am allowing myself space and time to reflect, appreciate and to nurture myself.
Dressing in some warm, light, comfy ‘at home’ clothes, writing, doing some yoga, warming some nourishing soup for lunch, sitting still and listening to the rain, are simple pleasures that I love. Mid-afternoon I relish the opportunity to snuggle into cushions on my big sofa, cover myself with a warm, soft blanket, and surrender to sleep, and I think to myself ‘this is how a baby must feel’.
Sitting at the dinner table in the warm candlelight my husband and I share our day and enjoy our meal together. We plan an outing on the weekend to celebrate again, and I am looking forward to catching up with a group of dear friends, several of whom are also celebrating birthdays at this time.
Today is the first day of the rest of my life. That feels very expansive, and opens the way for me to enjoy my own authority and the responsibility of knowing that everything matters, the energy that I am emanating right now affects everyone on the planet earth. If it is joy that I am feeling, that is my offering to everyone today, and I invite you to share in my birthday celebration!
Bernadette C., Australia
If you enjoyed this article, you may also like to read: https://www.unimedliving.com/mental-health/personal-development/reviewing-reflecting-and-appreciating-our-choices.html