Tag: happiness

Changes · inspiration · knowledge · Trappist monks

The Calm and Clarity of Silence

Joanne5 Comments

Last night I accidently, half-watched an episode of “The Simpsons” on television.

It was while I was in the kitchen, having a tidy-up. Master twelve had himself cosily snuggled up under a rug, in front of the television. At first, my mind was on autopilot, whilst going about my chores.

Without warning though, I realised I was listening to those goofy, cartoon voices.

No offence to anyone who enjoys “The Simpsons”, but I don’t watch the show, as I don’t enjoy it, simple as that, which is why I say I accidently listened to some of the show.

I’m also not a believer in any kind of “accident”, so it isn’t completely accurate to claim that I listened to the show “accidently”.

In the storyline, the father had his mouth clamped up (for whatever reason the writers of the show gave, I didn’t hear that part), so rather than hearing only his own voice, he began to listen to what the members of his family were saying, for a change. Needless to say, he learned a lot about them.

My kitchen chores kept me in the vicinity of the television long enough to find out that this gave him a whole new respect for his family.

The show was a reminder to me of a time, many years ago now, when I had a severe throat infection, so severe in fact that I was advised not to speak at all for about three days (not that I could speak, even if I had wanted to!)

My children were young at the time and I only had three of them, aged eight, five and ten months old. It was difficult at first, not having a voice, and I wrote notes to my husband constantly. I couldn’t read to my children and had lost the use of words to comfort them if they were sad, although hugs still worked wonders!

After the first day of speechlessness, however, calm set in. I could see that my family could actually function quite successfully without my voice; it was not, as I had previously believed, an essential commodity in holding my family together!

I remember these three days as the worst of times (I wasn’t feeling well) and also the best of times. The lessons I learned astounded me!

For me, my lesson hadn’t been to listen to my family, I already did that. Children are fascinating little people to listen to, and as they grow their own individual personalities begin to shine through. That is magic in itself!

By the time I was able to speak, I didn’t want to! I had developed a whole new respect for the Trappist Monks who had taken a vow of silence. I now understood the wordless, peaceful presence of their souls.

Trappist monks are an order of Cistercian monks, established in 1664, at La Trappe, in Normandy, France.

Actually, I believe it is not a “vow of silence” as such; however these monks are expected to only speak when necessary and are not allowed any idle chatter.

Silence is said to “empty oneself in order to allow the word of God to flower within”.

The purpose of the silence in the monks lives is to bring about quietude and receptivity. This I can believe, as it happened to me.

The feeling of calm, which overtook my whole being, although it amazed me at the time, has since become a necessity in my life. I can only describe it as being like a drug (not that I’ve taken any kind of drugs, ever!); a completely harmless drug, which enhances your life, giving a clarity of mind that previously, you would not have imagined possible!

The on-going after effects of the silence are calm and clarity, further enhancing not only your own life, but also the lives of those about you.

We are given the gifts of speech and hearing. We also have the gift of wisdom, which we must learn to put to use in overriding our innately human desire for constant chatter.

Just like the three monkeys; “hear all”, “see all” and “say naught”. These three monkeys must have no doubt spent time with the Trappist monks!

I’d be interested to hear your thoughts on this subject. Have you yourself ever experienced the changes, overtaking your entire being, brought about by silence?

Australia · inspiration · knowledge · winter

The Week That Almost Never Was

Joanne4 Comments

Today is Friday, and as I pondered the events of the past week this morning, at first glance the week appeared to have been mostly uneventful.

Hmm…I’ve been busy all week ~ doing what?

Further scrutiny has revealed the evidence, the clues scattered around my desk ~ hand written notes of “points to remember”. The “Mystery of the Vanishing Week” has been solved.

Every day this week has been occupied with research on the internet and we all know how fast time can disappear, in an instant, when engrossed on the net!

This time spent deep in research has indeed been worthwhile as all the right people are appearing, just when I need them, to take me to the next level in my quest for knowledge.

In fact, my week could very well be summed up by the following Buddhist proverb:

“When the student is ready, the teacher will appear”.

This week’s events in my life are yet another example that when you know what you want in your life, have faith and it will come to you. 🙂

Further thought has also revealed to me other events, for which I am extremely grateful. The university course information, requested by my daughter, has arrived. A week ago she began questioning whether she would be capable of successfully completing her chosen course. The arrival of this information has given her a new spark of interest and I am expecting the right people will be appearing in her life, helping her to make decisions regarding the next steps for her, after finishing school in a few months time.

My gratitude is also directed firmly towards the weather! Mundane, perhaps to some, but not to me ~ oh, how I am relishing the cold air, bestowed by the Gods of the Chill this week on Australia!

This leads me into even more gratifying thoughts…during next week I will have both my youngest children on school holidays, so we will spend some time together, without the burden of being conscious of the time! No wake-up alarms to set, no lunches to be packed, no getting-to-the-bus-on-time, no homework and no “go to bed early, so you won’t miss the bus in the morning”.

For a change to the usual routine, we could visit a lighthouse. There are two lighthouses, located within less than an hour’s drive from home. While we are there, we can go walking along the beach. Winter on the beach is wonderful in my area, on a sunny day.

It is perfect weather also to take a drive towards the Magical Mountain, which I photographed and wrote about this week. All we will need is a clear day and the camera, and off we will go!

Next week is shaping up to be an enjoyable week, just as this week has been, in a different way. I would call this week “The New Knowledge Week”. It would be appropriate to call next week “Freedom from School” week or perhaps “Quietly Adventuring Week”.

Either way, I’ll keep you posted. 🙂

How has your week progressed? I’d love to hear about the gratifying events of your days.

Australia · Changes · winter

Winter Sunset Over The Magical Mountain

Joanne7 Comments

Yesterday we experienced a particularly cold day. Apparently our maximum temperature only reached nineteen degrees Celsius, although I can’t work out at just what time of day the nineteen degrees happened, as I froze all day!

Yes, I can hear some of you laughing at me right now…and I do appreciate the fact that if your area reaches a maximum of minus-something degrees during winter, you can’t leave the house at all, due to frost bite, and even if you can get out the front door, the snow is so banked up you can’t get any further than your front gate, nineteen degrees seems like a heat-wave!

Surely you understand though, it’s a matter of what you are acclimatised to!

One of the advantages of our cooler weather (yes, there are always advantages, to what at first may appear a disadvantage), was yesterday afternoon’s beautiful sunset.

The photo really doesn’t do it justice. The sky was amazing! Can you see the clouded area over and above the mountain? That is a little stream of smoke from our local sugar mill. Sugar cane farming is one of the local industries in my area.

The mountain in the photo is Mount Warning, named by Captain James Cook in 1770. The highest peak of the mountain is the point where the rays of the sun first fall on Australia each morning.

Yesterday’s winter sunset photo reminded me of a collection of photos I had taken during the summer months, in the same position as yesterday, showing the vivid yellow/orange sky, after a hot summers day.

The view is constantly changing over the magical mountain. It’s yet another natural wonder, one which I will never tire of seeing. 🙂

advice · challenges · Changes · inspiration

A Rejuvenated Soul

Joanne2 Comments

When it comes to keeping mementos, I’m up there with the best of them. Those treasured keepsakes, the trinkets of happiness, able to transport the soul to bygone days of warmth, wonder and joy.

But just how much warmth and joy can one soul take? Can the soul cope with possession overload, and still function in its soulful way? Are you a victim of “stifled soul”?

Help is available. “Stifled Soul” is treatable and curable, no drugs or hospitalisation required!

Clothing and shoes are a huge soul stifler. When the disheartened soul is peering at “a wardrobe full of nothing to wear”, that would be a great place to begin. Go through each item in your wardrobe, one by one, asking the same question of each item of clothing and pair of shoes stashed in there; “Have I worn this in the last year?” If the answer is “no”, out it goes!

Next, open the linen closet. Are all of the sets of sheets in there still being used? Are there even beds in the house that still fit the sheets in the closet? And the towels, does your family of four really use the fifty towels you have stashed away in there?

The charity shops will love you, when you arrive at the door, laden with bags of excess “stuff” you no longer have a use for. The health of your soul will be improving as well.

Every room in the house will benefit from a repeat of the above “drug-free prescription”.  Kitchen cupboards and drawers, table tops and coffee tables, display shelving, even clean out the car. The soul sees and feels all.

Next, take a few deep, long, cleansing breaths…in preparation for a good old “paper-shuffle”, in the office, on the desk, or wherever those “important papers” are kept. With recycle bin at hand, go through all of that junk mail, opened envelopes, used shopping lists, in fact any piece of paper no longer required, bin it!

To keep the paper work in check in the future, invest in two or three file trays and some storage boxes. When neatly placed on top of your freshly cleaned desk top, along with a pen holder (a place to keep those elusive pens and pencils that have a knack of vanishing, just when you need them), everything will have its place.

By the time all of these tidy-up and throw out tasks are completed, you’ll feel lighter and freer than you have in years, all due to the fresh air your once stifled soul is now breathing.

To prevent a re-occurance of “stifled soul”, I would recommend repeating the treatment on an annual basis. Your healthy soul will thank you for it!

There’s nothing new about having a good old-fashioned clean out; even our grandmother’s took part in an annual “spring clean”, although the season of spring is not necessarily required for soul therapy to be carried out.

When the cleanout is complete in the home and office, your heart, mind and soul will feel light and refreshed as well, rejuvenated, and awaiting the next chapter of life’s evolving events.

advice · Changes

Writing With Reason

Joanne2 Comments

There has never been a time in my life when I haven’t wanted to write.

When my memories are panned back as far as they can possibly stretch without breaking, to before I even started my school days, I can recall trying to write by copying words I found, written on pieces of paper, and not having any inkling what all of the scrawl meant! All I knew was, it was writing. And I wanted to know how to write.

For many years thereafter, I did write, until I grew up and somehow lost myself in the real world. Not that I was happy about the real world eating me up.  I would have been quite content to permanently share my book-world with my children.

And share books with them I did, every day. Dratted school interfered. Work interfered. The realities of life flew thick and fast, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t dodge the hits. I’d loved riding on the merry-go-round as a child, but the one I had become caught up on now wouldn’t stop. I couldn’t get off.

Reeling from the shock of “this is life, you can like it or lump it”, I closed my eyes, held my breath and took a massive leap into the nothingness, not knowing how or where I would land.

I’m happy to report that I did in fact survive the jump, and retreated to my safe place, a place so close to my heart it is a part of me. I went home.

The little voices inside of my head kept on urging me on; you know what you want to do, don’t just think about it, do it! My neglected garden needed urgent attention. My kitchen appeared to belong to someone else; it needed a huge dose of “Joanne-ification”.

Somewhere in the midst of becoming reacquainted with the real me, Home Life Online was born. Just one problem; I lacked the confidence to write anything. So many years had passed. What would I say?

Inspired by the need to write, although lacking confidence, I created another blog, “Memoirs of My Life”. I needed somewhere to write anonymously, with the use of a pseudonym. That could work.

And it did; it worked a treat. “Memoirs” filled me with the confidence boost I needed, enough to slowly venture out, one tiny step at a time, into a world where I now feel no fear when saying “this is me and this is what I have to say”.

I have not felt inclined to publicise “Memoirs”. After writing one particular post, however, I meekly mentioned to a new-found online friend of its existence. One beautifully worded comment left by my friend was all it took. From that day on, my confidence has soared, compared to what it used to be!

Sometimes, that is all it takes; a few encouraging words…they can mean the world to someone. Or perhaps an article, written from your own personal life’s experience, however simple, which strikes a chord with a stranger, and sets their life in a whole new positive direction.

My recent discoveries regarding writing have sent me along that particular path; writing in the hope of helping someone, anyone, be they a friend or stranger. And it’s lovely to have feedback, in the form of a comment.

And that is my message today…a few words of kindness, however simple, and even unknowingly, can change the direction of someone’s life. Be kind. 🙂