Unearthed during my spring cleaning binge - an ancient copy of 'Oldchurch' magazine. The theme was Times of Refreshment and it included a couple of
reviews by my goodself that as I read them took me straight back to those endless summer days spent dreaming my life away on a French campsite. There's more than a hint of the old rose-tinted glasses here, of course there is; with two teenagers around at the time, doubtless even our times of
calme et detente were relatively limited. Still - I remember going through a tremendous period of spiritual growth back then, and it's wonderful to return to experiences like this and reflect on just how far I've travelled since. The foundations for what was to come were being laid even then. Though I'm sure, like many of us, that I could usefully revisit some of the handy hints on living a balanced life that our then rector included in his introduction. Here are some of them:
- Be gentle with yourself
- Find a hermit spot. Use it daily
- Change your routine often and your tasks when you can.
- Be a resource to yourself. Get creative. Be an artist as well as a technician.
- Schedule 'withdraw' periods during the week. Limit interruptions.
- Say 'I choose' rather than 'I should.'
- If you never say 'No' what is your 'Yes' worth?
- Laugh and play!
