A String of Sunny Days

An online critic tutored me and provided lots of advice and guidance. The results speak for itself. This was a powerful and humbling learning experience. It was well worth it.

Original

Today is another sunny day in a string of sunny days. Sunny days always give me hope—hope that everything will turn out, hope for the future, a future in which happiness will be the norm, a future in which everyone is treated with kindness and love.

Transformation

During a string of cloudless, warm days, people on the sidewalk are transformed from walking like dour robots with lost looks into warm individuals whose eyes sparkle and whose stride has a noticeable bounce. Each time a passerby smiles at me, I instinctively return the smile. Each smile feels like a warm embrace, pulling me out of my daydreams. I'm gently brought back to the present moment. These shared acts of kindness dissolve the barriers between us in our daily social interactions.

a positive relationship with time

Time's pressure isn't a burden—it's a hug. Fall into the time that I have—something to welcome as a relief from worry and anxiety. Time is like a year in the meadow: throughout the year, the palette of wildflowers morphs, sometimes dormant in the cold, sometimes bursting with life. It comes to life in waves, filling the view with a changing palette of colors and smells. Time's subtlety is like dawn's light—gradual yet transformative, often unnoticed by the busy or distracted, who miss both the dawn’s gentle arrival and the wildflower's bloom.

Busyness distracts and makes us stumble along, not taking a moment to notice time's new orchestration. Love develops in the arms of time. This is true metaphorically and in real life.

How can we befriend time? Thich Nhat Han was a Buddhist teacher who taught relief from mental anguish by transforming frustrations into allies. His teachings invite mindful reflection on love and impermanence, smiling at time, waving and welcoming it. He saw time as a friend rather than an enemy. We can take Thich Nhat Han's position, and when I meet time on my path, I can stop and smile and say, "Hi, time. There you are. Come to me, and let me hug you." 

Can you stand in the meadow and smile at the pressure of time?

Literary Leisure Hobbyists

Venturing into the library of the mind, where every book is a new realm.

In the vast realm of passionate pursuits, one stands out for its quiet dedication to the world of words and ideas. If you are a reader and a life-long learner, you are a literary leisure hobbyist.

What defines a literary leisure hobbyist? A literary leisure hobbyist is someone deeply immersed in continuous learning, driven by a quest for profound understanding, without ulterior motives.

Theory and research have overlooked a subtype of serious leisure referred to here as the liberal arts hobby or the systematic and fervent pursuit, during free time, of knowledge for its own sake. People who take up such a hobby have as their primary goal the acquisition of a broad knowledge and understanding of, for example, one or more arts, sports, foods, languages, cultures, histories, sciences, philosophies, or literary traditions. - Robert Stebbins.

Their thirst for knowledge knows no bounds. The very title 'Literary Leisure Hobbyist' points to where they find their source of learning. Reading is the primary path they travel. Documentaries, lectures, or direct participation in related activities are other ways they investigate the world.

The significance of what they read also lies in its diversity. They cultivate a holistic worldview by engaging with various topics, genres, and cultures. This breadth allows them to connect seemingly disparate ideas, fostering creativity and innovative thought.

However, like all passionate pursuits, there are obstacles to navigate. They are faced with time constraints. Pursuing knowledge requires hours of solitary reading, reflection, and research. Managing time to find the necessary solitude in the social world of the 21st century is daunting. The liberal arts hobbyist has to be content with the feeling that they are missing out on one area by focusing on something else. We're inundated by a tsunami of information, often leaving us pondering where to begin.

In a world bursting with information, the literary leisure hobbyist stands as a beacon of genuine curiosity and depth, a silent dance, a delicate embrace of the world's mysteries.

Stebbins, Robert A. “The Liberal Arts Hobbies: A Neglected Subtype of Serious Leisure.” Loisir et Société / Society and Leisure, vol. 17, no. 1, Jan. 1994, pp. 173–86. https://doi.org/10.1080/07053436.1994.10715470.

The Pythagorean Whisper

A Mantra of Mindfulness

Secrets from the ancients that might cure our modern distractions.

The Boss is Always Watching

You're constantly being supervised, not by a watchful employer, but by the most discerning of bosses, yourself. This is the crux of the Pythagorean Secret mantra, which watches you like a boss. It's more of a mindset than a mantra. Throughout the day, self-monitor your behavior, return to mindfulness, and become undistracted with the admonition, "Will, are you doing what you know will move you closer to your goals?" In the hustle of our modern lives, we often forget to be present. Your mind wanders. This mantra reminds us to act with diligence as if our boss always looks over our shoulders. And it turns out that you can be the boss. You have to act like a boss.

Speaking in the Third Person: A Step Back

Imagine your boss (you) calling yourself out by name. "Will, focus on the task!" Sounds strange. Yet, this slight shift in perspective can be transformative. Referring to oneself in the third person fosters an environment of self-awareness, creating a small but potent distance, making us more attuned to our actions and intentions. Having a watchful boss call you out and insist you get back on track is a powerful antidote to mind wandering.

Echoes of Ancient Wisdom

It's almost poetic how wisdom from the ancient teachings of Pythagorean Secrets remains relevant today. They urge us to introspect and be conscious of actions and intentions.

The Hidden Art of Practice

It's best to keep our boss/employee relationship private. In a world where everyone shares everything, the ancient Zen philosophy of practicing in secret becomes revolutionary. It's not about fraud or deceit but humbly focusing on personal growth. It's a journey where the road traveled matters more than the accolades received at the destination.

Crafting the Future Self

The payoff of following the boss's admonitions is shaping oneself for a better tomorrow. Every act of compassion, every stride in mental fitness, every stumble, and every victory is a brushstroke on the canvas of the future self. Through love, compassion, and moments of clarity, we design the blueprint for our forthcoming days.

Secrets within Secrets

These tools, secrets whispered down the ages, beckoning us toward a life of greater mindfulness. They emphasize not grand gestures but daily habits, not ostentatious displays but silent perseverance.

How about trying this for a week and sharing your experiences in the comments? I'm curious to hear if you've felt a connection, a stirring, or even a hint of recognition.

Prize Nuance over Novelty

Finding Depth in the Subtle Echoes

Subtle Profundity

In moments of quiet introspection, I've often found myself captivated by the shimmer of novelty. Yet, as the wisdom of Emerson, Montaigne, and Thoreau guides me, I wonder: Is there something more profound hidden beneath the surface of the new and the now?

Delving into Neophilia

It's in our very fabric, this innate thirst for the unfamiliar. Neophilia, or the love for the new, pulses within us, urging us to seek out novel experiences and landscapes. But is this endless pursuit, this constant horizon-chasing, truly fulfilling?

[Montaigne once mused, "The greatest thing in the world is to know how to belong to oneself." Are we truly belonging to ourselves in chasing novelty or simply running after fleeting shadows?]

The Deep Allure of Nuance

Perhaps, rather than sprinting towards the next big thing, it's worth pausing. To listen, to feel, and most importantly, to observe. One doesn’t always need grand spectacles or transformative events to appreciate life truly. Sometimes, the intricate patterns in a leaf, the fleeting emotion in someone's eyes, or the barely audible sigh of the wind brings profound joy and understanding. ★★Insert phrase and Link to https://www.kestrelcreek.com/wooden-zen/footprints-on-familiar-gravel.★★ Honing our senses to recognize these subtleties, life becomes an endless adventure, filled with layers waiting to be discovered. Each day promises a discovery even in its repetitiveness.

The intricate dance of awareness

The art of attuning oneself to life's subtleties is akin to refining one's senses to the whispers of the universe. The challenge is to weave our existence with richer threads of meaning gleaned from the soft murmurs of the everyday.

Six tips for developing a 'nuance muscle.'

  1. Cultivate Mindfulness
  2. Embrace Stillness
  3. Keep a Nuance Journal
  4. Engage All Your Senses
  5. Seek Solitude in Nature
  6. Engage in Deep Conversations

In this journey of life

We share the collective quest for meaning, for joy, for discovery. Novelty's allure is undeniable. The real treasures lie in the quiet moments, the gentle tug of the familiar, and the subtle whispers of the everyday. And as we reflect, may we find the courage to look beyond the horizon and discover the beauty in the nuances.

Echoes of Ambient Belonging

Environmental self-regulation is the whisper of a feeling that surroundings, circumstances, or a place are somehow an extension of you. Physical spaces around us subtly impart cues, helping us comfortably slip into our roles and guiding us toward our objectives.

At the heart of such experiences lies the term ambient belonging. Defined as your connection with the physical space. It's about finding oneself amidst the inanimate. Like seeing a familiar face in a crowd, it’s that feeling of familiarity in unfamiliar territories.

Wouldn't it be wondrous if every place we stepped into held a story, a lesson, or a reflection of our inner selves? If every corner, every gust of the wind carried a fragment of our identity?

Our narratives—the stories, experiences, and memories we carry—profoundly shape our perceptions of spaces. These narratives influence not just how we perceive spaces but also how we behave within them, and they extend, touch, and interweave with the spaces we inhabit. This isn't only about spaces; our narrative holds the echoes of ambitions, dreams, and essence. Spaces can serve as the base of our narratives.

Spaces resonate differently for each of us, drawing out varied emotions and memories. When you have this experience of ambient belonging, reflect on how it makes you feel, the stories it evokes, the parts of you it mirrors. For in these quiet introspections, we often find the loudest revelations.