Dear Reader,
I am sitting in my office here in Shetland, looking out across Lerwick Harbor toward the island of Bressay. I am watching the play of clouds and short, driven bursts of rain that whip the water and keep the ducks from settling too long in any one spot. And I am enjoying writing again.
If you are a regular reader, you may have noticed that I haven’t posted on my blog since last month, and it has been a much needed break for me. Louise and I paid a short visit to The States, and on our return I took some extra time to refocus before starting new projects.
Most importantly, this time away from writing has allowed me to clear out old thoughts, expectations and patterns – all without knowing what new ideas would come in to fill the void. To be honest, I did not intend at first to take a break – but the break took me. It was one of those times where my spirit insisted, so I listened. I know, I know, that might not be the best approach for my blog’s SEO, traffic, etc. I suppose I could have stockpiled posts and scheduled them to go out while I was away – maybe someday I will do that – but I do love sitting down, starting to write in the present moment, from exactly where I am, and hitting “publish” when I am done.
Maybe I’ll work on that.
I do know that “creating a vacuum” by not writing has been cleansing for my mind and rejuvenating for my soul, and that’s good enough for me. Creating a vacuum is an important part of any spiritual journey and is best to be honored. The practice is referred to in many different ways, but this term comes from Catherine Ponder, a brilliant New Thought writer. The idea, simply, is to clean out the old to make way for the new.
I’m sure most of you have done this practice once or many times in your life. Your thoughts, your possessions, your behavior, your relationships – all are fair game for creating a vacuum.
Now I am watching a tugboat cruise slowly past my window, coming from the North Sea and heading to the inner harbor.
I know I feel better for having created this vacuum over the past month, and I am already surprised by the depth of discovery I am experiencing as a result.
How about you, dear reader? Is this a time to create a vacuum in some aspect of your life? To toss out something that is holding you back or weighing you down, either literally or metaphorically? Maybe now, in advance of the holidays, or closer to the end of the year to get ready for 2013? You decide.
Either way, listen to your spirit for guidance; you can’t go wrong.
I’ve missed you, and I’m happy to be posting again!
I honor your loving heart,
John
Love this post… welcome back, John. One of my core beliefs is that I have the power to create my day… But that to change my life, I may have to change my choices… And to change my choices, I may have to change the way I think, certain assumptions, the way I perceive certain things. The vacuum is necessary in these instance. Thanks… and thank you for witing “in the moment”.
Thanks John, it’s good to be back and good to hear from you! Well said, and I agree 100% with your core belief. It is often said that you can’t change the circumstances of your life with the same thinking that created those circumstances in the first place. You are very right that creating a vacuum is necessary to shift your thinking, and it may help us all to remember that a vacuum can be created by a week of cleaning closets, by an instant of sitting quietly, or by taking a long walk in nature. It’s different for everyone at different times of life and in different circumstances.