Tag: orkney

  • How phases in life can echo the seasons …

    ... be wise to the season
    you’ve welcomed in
    and know it will 
    and can change ...

    I love the fact that I live in the UK where we do still have seasons.  Talking about the weather is a national pastime isn’t it?  The constantly shifting conditions keep us on our toes, and I like that.  Having a weekend away? Pack for every eventuality.  Organising a family BBQ?  Have a back up plan.  Our weather encourages forward thinking and flexibility, a habit worth cultivating. 

    The fact that the seasons herald change reminds me that change is constant in other aspects of my life.  I am lucky in that I’m not prone to depression and do not suffer from SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder).  I grew up in Lancashire, where it rained a lot.  It never stopped me doing anything.  You just grabbed your cagoule and out you went.  But I know that for some, SAD is real and often debilitating.  

    There have been times when I’ve felt that I’m stuck in winter, irrespective of the time of year.  At times, when my workload felt overwhelming, it was as if a cloud was hanging over me, blocking out the sun.  

    When you are stuck like that, a change of scenery can sometimes help.  I was in Orkney a few years ago, feeling exhausted and work-weary.  Watching the landscape relax into autumn helped me let go of some of my stress.  When you think about it, nature has so much to teach us.  We humans are not designed to be on the go the whole time.  We need spurts of growth yes, but equally we must honour fallow times, when we can gather our energy for the next thing.  We can’t carry everything with us but must learn to let go of aspects of life that no longer serve us.  Only then, I think, can we welcome new growth.  The trees know this but it seems that we’ve forgotten.  

    Early morning mist over a field with winter trees.

    Lots of us may feel stuck in a situation or a mindset that we feel we can’t escape.  But we can.  We can’t control the weather or influence the cycle of the seasons (let’s not get into the climate change debate … that’s a whole other story) but we can adapt.  Equally, we can’t always control the situations in which we might feel stuck, but we can always change how we respond.  

    If ever in doubt … just get outside and be in nature.  It might just help. 

    landscapeDownload

  • Lessons from the sea …

    "... there’s a rhythm 
    to all this
    life’s moods
    as cyclical as the moon
    I’m minded that
    when life feels tough
    this too will pass ..."

    In my experience, you can’t beat a trip to the sea to recover your sense of perspective.  There’s something about the constancy of lapping waves that reminds me that, despite all the things I may worry about, nature carries on doing its thing.  

    I regularly fall into the trap of thinking I have some control over my life.  Yes, yes, there are some things I can control to some degree.  I do my best to eat healthy, stay fit, live within my means etc.  But you only have to look back to the Covid years to remember that none of us can ever predict what might be round the next corner.  There’s a balance to be found somewhere between taking responsibility for aspects of your life and accepting that, actually, most of it is beyond your control.  I’ve never managed to find that balance and have to admit to being a bit of a control freak.

    It often seems to happen that when I think I’m in control, life has a way of reminding me that I’m not.  Sometimes this is a welcome lesson, other times less so; usually it’s a bit of both.  

    My busy working life felt more manageable when I made to-do-lists.  I managed my work calendar with dedicated blocks of time for various tasks, and home life followed suite.  It was exhausting and often quite stressful.  But I didn’t dare let go of the little control I thought I had, because I feared it would all come crashing down around me.  The only time I truly allowed myself time to relax was on holiday.  

    This poem was written in the Orkneys when, at last, I slowed my pace to match that of island life.  I watched the breaking waves, spellbound by the rhythms and the sounds of the sea. My inner spirit soaring with the many seabirds, my skin free of make up, my hair knotted and wild.  I found out on that holiday that I hadn’t even made it through the paper sift for a promotion (yes, ashamedly, I checked my inbox).  It was a disappointment, but also a relief, which was a lesson in itself.  

    Coastline cliffs with crashing waves below.

    I had the sea to remind me that life goes on, promotion or no promotion.  I can choose to accept it or not.  I choose to fully embrace life as best I can. Some days that’s easy, some days not so easy.  But it’s always worth the effort. 

    seascapeDownload