The pen is mightier than the sword, so I’ve heard …
I wonder what is mightier than the screen? Hopefully, our innate, intelligent wisdom of the soul can help us bring the screen and the pen, our eyes and ears, hearts, mouths, microphones, cameras mobile phones and keyboards to good use for the good of the world.
Oooof what crazy times we’re living in – with all the shocks and disappointments and reactive fears running around it can be hard to get a clear enough head to write anything that feels coherent. But here I am – in the midst of it all – breaking through ..
Blending screen and paper with a vid about books, two to read, one to write in. I wanted to introduce you one to draw in – my Daily Doodle too – but that is going to have to wait till another time.
The two to read are:
- The Four Agreements – A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom, by Don Miguel Ruiz and
- The Highly Sensitive Person- How to Thrive When the World Overwhelms You, by Elaine N. Aron
The Four Agreements is a wonderful wee book of wisdom, written in a very accessible style. If you’re feeling weighed down with struggle and grappling with your relationship with yourself and the wider world, dip your head, heart and soul into The Four Agreements for some insight into how you can relate to it all differently – and more happily and healthily.
If you have ever been called a fuss-pot or a likened to the Princess and The Pea, the I also recommend The Highly Sensitive Person. Elaine Aron writes about the 15-20 per cent of the population whose central nervous systems are more sensitive than the general population. This brings benefits and challenges – the benefits including being highly intuitive and more aware of subtle nuances that other people might miss. The challenges include being highly sensitive to – and needing to take more breaks from – things like noise, bright lights, “busyness”, extreme climates, changes to sleep patterns, lack of sleep…
It can be all to easy to see these features as a bit of a disability in that, on the surface, they don’t fit well with the “pushy”, outgoing cultural demands of the western world.
However, on deeper examination, the HSP’s have much to offer the world if only we can learn to accept, understand and appreciate ourselves better.
The first edition of this book was published way back in 1999 and how I wish I had come across it then. Unfortunately I only heard about it a year or so ago and I have only now just read it. If you recognise yourself if any of the descriptors I’ve noted above, I urge you to read this now – don’t wait!
And just to be clear, I don’t any kind of affiliate fee for recommending these books – it’s purely a matter of resources that I have found helpful and I want to share with you.
The one to write in is a little diary that I use specifically as Gratitude Diary – where I record 3-4 little bullet points every night (okay I do occasionally get distracted and forget – I am human) so let’s say most nights – of things I appreciate /am grateful for.
Could be something as simple as I got a seat on the bus – or one thing got cancelled which made space for something else or I saw a beautiful blue sky, the sun came out – I heard a bird singing a beautiful song, a child smiled – had some gorgeous chocolate, spotted some beautiful and sensuously scented flowers, that thing I need to buy is on offer … Anything that can help to shift a rotten day into something not so bad after all – and an okay day into an excellent one. Nuggets.
The one to draw in is my Daily Doodle – but more on that another time ….
Meanwhile sending you love and best wishes and Permission to be YOU.
ThankYou!
Annie