Last year I decided to give up alcohol. I was drinking for the wrong reasons and it had spiralled out of control and was causing significant problems. There was an obvious risk of life descending into something ugly which I didn't like the look of, so I stopped and am happy that I did. It has been a year and I notice my mind has settled. There is a greater sense of clarity and stillness and an increasingly intense appreciation of all things subtle and beautiful. A space has been created and I believe some of these changes are portrayed in my photography.
I am often drawn to thinking about life and humanity. How poverty, violence and suffering could be decreased or ended and the world changed for the better. We share a common humanity, yet our societies continually take the lower road of exploitation and conflict. Obviously there are no simple answers, this has all been going on for a very long time. When I think over these issues my mind always comes back to the same theme. No grand solution, definitely nothing glamorous, no quick fix and not even a really slow fix. To me the solution simply lies with some of us, every day making a point of doing things better than the day before. Stretching our minds and behaviour further within the myriad of interactions we are involved in every day, day after day. Tiny things; exercising patience at everyday irritations, not reacting to perceived slights or hurts, refraining from judgement, giving a few minutes of time to listen, making a real effort to understand why someone behaves the way they do, smiling, containing anger and the urge to gossip or criticise, checking thoughts and assumptions before acting, being kind to annoying people, rising above thoughts of unfairness or self pity and practicing appreciation for all we have on a daily basis. All easier said than done.............at least for me..............but it seems logical that even if the best we can manage is three steps forward and two back the effect on the world and our fellow human beings has to be enormous. We have to clean up our own act before we can expect the world to change. A small change in attitude and behaviour on a single day affects everyone you come into contact with and then everyone they come into contact with and so on. It seems to me this is the only way to change the world.
My resolution for this year is to practice this idea, with a focus on being grateful and appreciative for what I have. I often fall into negative thinking where I see things in my life as unfair, perceptions skew and my focus goes to the dark and unhappy which of course perpetuates and intensifies. It is something I want to stop because it doesn't help anything, brings me and those around me down and is a waste of precious energy. The shift is needs to occur within my mind, is not easily measured and will require patience and persistence.
So, 2015 is the year for me to see the good, to be grateful for all I have been given in life, to appreciate the diverse and inspiring people I share it with and to persistently expand my limitations and reach beyond my current perceptions.
To my daughter, my husband, my family, my dog and all the wonderful people and creatures that shared my life in 2014, thankyou!! I learned so much in what was without question, the most difficult, the most wonderful and the most enlightening year of my life!!
