Wednesday, September 27, 2006
A chance to refresh
This past weekend I did something I have had on my life list for at least five years. I spent a weekend at a monastery on the Central Coast.
Mt. Calvary is a small, beautiful guest house high in the foothills overlooking the coast. A feeling of serenity and acceptance suffuse the very walls. I spent the days hiking, meditating, praying, reading, napping, and having fascinating conversations with the monks and others on retreat. For three days I was able to put aside all the stress and worry that has been my constant companions.
I had hoped that during my stay I would come up with my next writing project. It didn't happen, but I had such a great experience that I wasn't too disappointed. But then, a few days after I returned to "the real world", a remark someone had made during my stay resurfaced and the more I examined it, I realized I had the seed for a new writing project! It was a wonderful reminder that sometimes, the best thing to do in our creative life is to let go, do something else, and just give our creative energy its own time to bloom.
Mt. Calvary is a small, beautiful guest house high in the foothills overlooking the coast. A feeling of serenity and acceptance suffuse the very walls. I spent the days hiking, meditating, praying, reading, napping, and having fascinating conversations with the monks and others on retreat. For three days I was able to put aside all the stress and worry that has been my constant companions.
I had hoped that during my stay I would come up with my next writing project. It didn't happen, but I had such a great experience that I wasn't too disappointed. But then, a few days after I returned to "the real world", a remark someone had made during my stay resurfaced and the more I examined it, I realized I had the seed for a new writing project! It was a wonderful reminder that sometimes, the best thing to do in our creative life is to let go, do something else, and just give our creative energy its own time to bloom.
