“Men seek retreats for themselves, houses in the country, sea-shores, and mountains...but it is in your power whenever you shall choose to retire into yourself.”
- Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, Book 4.3
Theme of the Week: Self-Reflection
Hello everyone,
When I was living overseas I found myself a physical place where I could truly be with myself. A place no one would find me, no one knew me, and I could go to process what I was thinking, what I was feeling, who I truly was. A place that gave me true introspection of who I was and who I wanted to become.
Let me paint the scene...I would escape to this place once a week. It was about a 30 minute bike ride to get there. I was too broke to afford a car but it was kind of better that way because it made the destination so much better.
I biked along the coast in Belfast to this set of rocks beside an army base where I would sit by myself and listen to the waves crash. Or I would put my headphones in and play my favourite songs. Sometimes I would pray or practice gratitude, but most importantly it gave me access to my true emotional body. I was able to sit there with no distraction from the outside world and really feel what I was feeling. It gave me that weekly reset to allow myself the space to check in with myself.
To this day I do the same thing, my new favourite place is down at the Bluffs here in Scarborough along the water, sometimes I'll walk or other times I'll just stand there and look out to the water and be one with the waves and flow of things.
This practice is so important…distractions are everywhere, deadlines, work, social media and the rush of just day to day life.
Finding a place to escape to process my thoughts and feelings always leads to future positive thinking for me. The more I am able to sit and be one with my thoughts, the more I am able to work through problems, I can come up with new ideas and I also always have this new energy.
There is something about being one with nature.
Where is your space to escape to?
No one understands you as much as yourself. It is so important to find a place to process this and be true to who you are with no expectations. This will give you new found motivation, clarity, and awareness of who you are.
Stay strong, even when you are not. It’s okay, you are not alone.
With love always,
Michael Argyrides
