A new year comes with high expectations. And this new year in particular was, perhaps, viewed with pleading eyes, desperate for a glimmer of hope to be born with that first sunrise on a new turn around the sun.
But January and February can still be dark months. The nights are long, the days are short and, disappointingly, they are very similar to those last days that we slogged through last year. They have the same names, the same number of hours, the same routine. There’s little, it would appear, new about them at all.
And this can easily make…
Here we are presented with a very rare thing — a single life — and as both a species and individuals we seem committed to missing this amazing opportunity. We are surrounded by wonders beyond measure. Bright and colourful flowers put here for our enjoyment, smells, flavours and sights that are so magnificent that even the most lauded poets cannot truly capture their brilliance.
The stars line the firmament just for us, diamonds shining their light simply for our attention. Their furnaces the birthplace of the atoms in our own cells and organs. …
There is a lovely quote, supposedly from Albert Einstein — though probably not — but worth examining anyway. It’s this: “The most important decision we make is whether we believe that we live in a friendly or hostile universe.”
It’s tempting to challenge this statement. How can the universe possibly be friendly or hostile? Surely, as a non-conscious expanse of energy and radiation and rock and dark and light it is not even ambivalent, it merely is. It is neither friendly nor hostile, just as a chair is neither friendly nor hostile. It’s not scientific and the question is daft.
…
If a tree falls in the forest and there is no one around to hear it, does it make a sound? If the whole world were deaf, would sound exist at all? If the world were blind, could there be light?
“The universe is full of magical things patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper,” posited the writer Eden Philpotts. Can there only be existence where there is awareness?
The people of Northern Natal in South Africa greet each other with the word “Sawabona.” This literally translates as “I see you.” But it’s more than a simple “I can…
In the forest, across the plains, desire paths are worn through the undergrowth. This is where the animals go, following their instincts, wearing their grooves into the earth. Their way. The best way. Their nature.
The paths of their intrinsic selves.
Desire paths are the easiest, most direct routes to their destination. That’s not to say that it takes no effort to forge these routes. But there is no map-making involved. No logic. No judgement. No planning. The animals are simply aligned with their purpose and their identity, and their path is forged from this wordless authenticity.
There are desire…
In mythology, dragons sleep on a bed of gold. If you want the gold you have to fight the dragon. This idea appears over and over again in books, films and everyday life. In order to obtain the treasure, whatever that might be, one must face a great danger and overcome it.
Ahab must battle Moby Dick for pride and glory. Luke Skywalker must fight Darth Vader to discover the truth about his father and overcome the Empire. Arjuna must go to war against his own family to reach enlightenment. Popeye must fight Bluto for Olive Oyl’s affections.
You get…
The well-tended garden rewards and reflects the work that goes into it. And while the fruit you harvest will nourish you, and the spring blossom will surround you with its fragrance, the weeds, if neglected, will ensnare you. They will grow up around you, blocking out the sun, their thorns cutting and scratching, their tendrils wrapping themselves around your arms and legs, preventing you from moving, choking the breath out of you. Overwhelming. Confusing. Out of control.
A garden is a wild beast that is never truly tamed, you see. Turn your back for a minute and it will rear…
It’s easy to feel stuck. To feel like there’s no way out of your situation. That life is just something that happens to you, rather than for you, or by you. Have you ever felt that success and happiness were reserved for other people, and not you?
Taking control of your life may seem like an unfathomable mystery, but actually the steps to making it happen are simple and straightforward — if you’re prepared to have an open mind and do the work. …
Discontent is a powerful thing. We all have it. Even the most accomplished of us — the wealthiest, most worthy, most well balanced and happiest — wish some aspect of our situation, our lives or ourselves, could somehow be different.
This is why democracy is an illusion.
Our discontent makes us vulnerable to manipulation. Because thinking takes effort, and we’ve become conditioned to reject anything that takes effort, particularly in this day of ready meals, fast food, and instant gratification. It’s easier, therefore, to let others do the hard work for us. Food is ready prepared. Information is ready digested…
“A man has two lives,” said Confucius. “And the second one begins the moment he realises he only has one.”
This is the existential struggle. When we suddenly awaken to the passing of time, realise where we are, and see that the corners of our leaves are just starting to yellow. For some of us, we planned well, made astute decisions from our school days to the present, and rest comfortably in the knowledge that everything is going according to plan.
For others among us, this is where we start to thrash around. We realise that time got away from…
Chris Brock
I’m the author of “Shine Manifesto” and “Do The Thing, Have The Power”. I write about finding your peace in an overwhelming world. http://www.chrisbrock.uk
