Deafening silence !

Don’t you often wish that all the noise from around you, as well as from inside of you, would stop for a moment? That you could be in harmony with yourself. To just have nothing on your mind for a minute. Is there such a thing?

For one, psychology indicates that this works differently for woman than it does for man. But I know that man can wholeheartedly enjoy it. However, a certain ambiance is an absolute must. It is not possible to achieve such a ‘state of silence’ at your workplace, at the coffee-corner, or at similar locations. In ordinary life it is all too much about you, there are simply too many incentives, and what to think of the wide range of responsibilities...

Living the Benedictine way

Two weeks ago on a Saturday night I was on my way home. In Stellenbosch I received a call informing me that my flight to Amsterdam was cancelled.  Fortunately they immediately booked me on another flight via Johannesburg and then onto Amsterdam, however this was 24 hrs later. On the one hand this was a big disappointment - especially for those at home - but soon the bright side of it all became apparent. Again one more day in this beautiful environment. There was nothing I could change and so I could easily accept it and turn it into a positive experience. This was not difficult at all. It gave me the opportunity to consciously experience this day without any obligations as a true gift.

In my daily life I actually experience every day as a new gift. In the morning I start with a ritual - a short meditation - to greet the day with silence and contemplation. At the end of each day I usually close off with listening to a short version of a Celtic compline - each night a different one - and an evening prayer. A good start and a worthy closure. In between those two moments my day unfolds with a lot of variety. A healthy rhythm gives structure to my daily life and helps me to stay on top of the hectic realities. I do not always succeed, but it surely does help.