Do any of you have any secret spots or special locations? A place you can travel to, a place you can go to get away from the busyness, a place where you can imagine yourself immersed in a completely different location? I enjoy being busy and having a full schedule, but I also enjoy getting away and being alone for a little bit. I think everybody needs a place like that; a place of solitude; a place to pause. In the mornings after preparing for the day’s events, make time to brew a cup of hot tea or coffee, and then sit outside and bask in the beauty all around you. During your lunch hour at work, take a real break and leave your work at your desk. Spend half an hour outside for some fresh air and find new paths to take each day. A quick walk can do wonders. And then in the evenings, instead of sitting some more to watch television or scroll through sites online, grab a book, do some journaling, or spend time outside.
According to Steve Jobs, 40% of Americans read one book or fewer last year. Those who don’t read miss so much! Every book is different and unfolds a new, exciting adventure. I love being whisked away to other worlds and other time periods, and I especially love being able to dream while still awake. As so, I am never without a book in my purse or on my nightstand. “A book is a garden, an orchard, a storehouse, a party, a company by the way, a counsellor, a multitude of counselors” (Henry Ward Beecher). “You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me” (C.S. Lewis). “In a twinkling I could whisk myself into regions of wonderful adventures, unhampered by any restrictions of time or place” (LM Montgomery). Are you a reader? What is your hobby? Whether it be reading, gardening, music, cooking, painting, or carpentry, invest your time in it. Also, make time to be still, and cultivate a life of giving pause.