I came across this photo today. It made me feel quiet and at peace just looking at it. I find myself craving that right now. It seems the natural rhythms of things this time of year would include a bit of hibernation. The snow blankets everything in quiet and offers a soft light at night. What I wouldn’t give to sit curled up in a comfy chair with a hot cup of tea and a view like this out my window. I could sit and stare for hours. It’s when I have moments like those that inspiration comes. Ideas for projects and paintings float into my mind as gently as the snow floating down from the night sky.

I’m reminded today of the importance of quiet. I’m reminded that I don’t make that a priority.  I wonder why it is we can know that we need to do certain things yet we still chose to do something else, or sometimes, nothing at all? I think it usually leads back to some fear we hold. Fear is exhausting. Sometimes we are so used to living this way that the fear becomes like a program running in the background, draining our energy. We’re not even aware of it until our battery dies.

I think about how I can choose differently. It’s easy to say “I can’t” and to come up with a million excuses that resolve me the responsibility of choice. But when it comes right down to it, if I want it badly enough, I can make it happen. I can make that choice. It seems strange to think of a choice that would benefit me and my health as being scary but we all know on some level that choosing to do one thing often means we sacrifice another. It means change. Change that ripples out in a million different waves affecting not only us, but those around us. And it’s so easy to stay the same, it’s a comfortable level of pain.  Until it isn’t.

This winter I hope we can all find a bit of quiet, some time to reflect and recharge. Take the time to “clear the cache” of your life and “delete those cookies”. For me, I will continue to make choices that move me forward. And take the time to sit and stare even if it is only for a little while.

Photo Credit: http://akcollectionzzz.blogspot.com/2014/09/winter-is-lovely.html