Firstly, I must apologise for the huge lapse in my blogging! It is something that I really enjoy doing and I love to share any thoughts that I feel might be of interest to my clients and others. But I made the decision earlier this year to take some time off from this and focus my energy and attention on my clinic work and my wedding. I am so glad that I did… Some times in life are so precious that it’s really important to let them take priority and not try to pack everything and more into less time. I realised that I couldn’t do it all! Anyway, after a beautiful preparation, two ceremonies and first of two honeymoons, I thought it was time that I opened my computer up again properly!
This weekend I went walking with my new husband. The forecast was not very good but we decided to go anyway lured by the promise of the lushness of Spring outside the city. We had planned a ten mile walk and to begin with it was cloudy and very muddy, but no rain. Half way through the walk, we got lost. We have done the walk twice before but both times with a map. This time, we thought we could find our way, but the different season made everything look unfamiliar with paths hidden in rich vegetation and views blurred by leaves. Then it started to rain. And rain.
Luckily, we were dressed in the appropriate clothing and as we walked down the gorgeous country lane, our faces and hands getting soaked, I was reminded of something that happened to me quite some years ago when I was in a different relationship with a very different kind of man. We were driving through London on a similarly rainy day on our way to our comfortable, warm flat and the promise of a good meal. People, undeterred by the rain, were out running around the park as we drove by.
‘ Look at those idiots’ my then-partner remarked. ‘What are they doing out in this?’
Fast forward a few years, in the Sussex countryside with my happy, positive husband and I realised – we were two of those idiots. And it felt WONDERFUL!
It can be so easy to stay in a comfort zone – in your work, your relationship, your hobbies – that warm familiarity of the known, the safe, the easy. It can be quite nice to start with but it can also make you start to feel sluggish and affect your ability to be creative and spontaneous.
I’m not suggesting that life should always be about challenging yourself. It can become both tiring and addictive when you are always looking for the next thing to stimulate you. But sometimes that little edge of effort, that place that you wouldn’t normally visit, be that physically or metaphorically, can invigorate, enliven and spark you to such a wonderful degree that you remember that THIS is being alive.
This weekend reminded me that usually it’s the ‘idiots’ having the fun regardless of what they look like to the outside world! So my invitation to you is to find a way this week or this month to do something just a little bit crazy – even if it just means walking in the rain, turning the shower to cold, climbing a tree or singing in the street. Why? Because it liberates you and makes you feel free and youthful and happy. For just a moment or an hour, you can let go of being a grown -up with your responsibilities and lists. The world can honestly wait for you for a little while. So go on… Be an idiot!
lornaclanseygairon 