Author: AndyGMcK

Why do I need to find a quite space?

If I do not reflect, I lose touch with myself and the patterns I am living in. I risk making the same mistakes over again, I risk not learning and progressing. It is necessary at regular intervals to stop and take stock, reflect on where I am and question my own paradigm (the way I view the world and life) against reality.

A quote that really helped me to engage with idea was this;

‘You don’t see the world as it is, you see it as you are.’ – Stephen Covey

Not only did this statement get me thinking about how narrow my own understanding of the world could be, it also showed me that the views of others may be equally narrow. As such we have a lot that we can learn from each other, with insights that can help others reveal and undermine unhealthy and destructive paradigms – bringing about healing and wholeness.

But is it that easy? How do I begin to reflect on my way of viewing the world? I just do it, there isn’t a lot of thought that goes into it. Isn’t it more instinctual than premeditated?

How do I go about it?

Personally this is where meditation and mindfulness come into the equation. Self-reflection brings awareness and clarity to how I am ‘operating’ day-to-day. It requires time spent stilling the mind, taking a step back from the constant internal monologue, just being in a moment and doing nothing.

It is worth researching into different aids to meditation and mindfulness. There are a lot of useful resources out there; apps, YouTube videos, etc. I tend to either use slow tempo instrumental music, or go outside, or just look out the window at the sky. Whilst doing this I focus on taking slow deep breaths in and out through my mouth as this helps to slow my mind down and make me more aware of my body.

Staying in this state of stillness for a period of time allows me to more effectively reflect on myself afterwards. It can be useful to have a notepad in which you write down things that have become clear to you and try to keep a journal over several months. This will be useful to look back over periodically and notice any patterns in thought processes; thus further aiding you in your self-reflection.

Remember there are no simple, quick routes to understanding your thoughts and patterns of behaviour, it takes time and attention. What I am describing here is in itself the beginning of a new pattern for life that gives space for development.

“Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.“

Proverbs 4:23

What can nature teach us about life and spirituality?

Nature has such a powerful affect on our mind and soul. It connects with something deep within us beyond words, and yet at times seems to be so at odds with the culture and society that we live in.

I don’t know about you but at least once every day (often more than once) I find myself wondering why life is so frenetic; whether it is the constant drive for efficiency and effectiveness in work, the seeming inability to be out of contact with other people for any length of time, or the feeling that I need to be successful and achieve something amazing.

It is this feeling and the associated frustration it generates that caused me to search more deeply for meaning and purpose within life. Through this searching I began to spend more time in isolation, meditating on both sacred scriptures and my thoughts and feelings trying to find some light.

It was during this time that I learnt some profound lessons from nature. Most things in nature take place in a slow and deliberate way, so slow sometimes that it can seem nothing purposeful is happening. Yet very little in nature happens without a purpose. This I believe is the first lesson I learned; when it seems as if nothing is happening in life, rather maybe, it is happening slowly requiring more patience.

The second lesson I have learned from nature is to notice the patterns in life. Nature is rhythmic and cyclical; the seasons, the lunar cycle, the tides, the menstrual cycle all involve repetition and follow a rhythm. By slowing down and becoming more aware of the ‘seasons of life’, remembering that each season is temporary and will pass in time, I am more able to weather the storms that come my way.

The third thing I have learned from nature is the innate wisdom of self-acceptance it possesses. Things in nature don’t strive to be anything other than what they are. Take a tree, it does not try to be more like a mountain because it is a tree. It seems to be a very human condition to strive to be something or someone else, rather than being the best version of me that I can be. It is easy never to feel content by striving to be something we are not, rather than investing time in understanding who and what we are as an individual.

“But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you.“

Job 12-7-8

Definition of ‘plane’: Level of existence, thought or development.

We are all connected by a thread, some would call it divine, others the universe, or maybe love. Whatever the name, this notion of interconnectedness gives us a rich viewpoint from which to observe the life we find ourselves in.

In sharing my own journey; the meanderings, the mistakes and the lessons I hope to learn. Giving myself permission to ask questions of my spiritual journey, questions that open up the possibility of new understandings and growth. And if you are hear reading this then I hope it does the same for you.

Welcome.

…