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Joy doesn’t radiate only from human experiences…. So many of us live within unhappy relationships/experiences, yet will not take initiative to change those bad experiences…And we call it joy?
Bad experiences are designed to consider other options because we have been severely conditioned to feel that security is our well being or happiness….even if it’s bad security….we conform to what we believe is our own peace of mind, our very own virtual reality that we create, which is our privet protective plastic bubbles that we have created for ourselves.…but in reality, nothing is more damaging to the vital focal point of a man’s soul, when innocence and passion are laid aside and we fall into routine, we call that happiness…and when we live our lives according to the wishes and expectations of others (our families) we call that happiness…it is not happiness, it is conditioning and the foundation of societies idealistic beliefs…and anything or anyone who doesn’t go along with society, is an outcast, wrong and considered nuts. Well, this also holds true with religions….
The joy of life isn’t from conformity, but from our encounters with things that are not planned out.
How many of you, have taken a vacation without an itinerary? I went on one bus trip, once, in my lifetime, for a week, to Niagara Falls. Every second of that trip was so planned out, that upon arriving home, I was more exhausted then when I left. And I had to go to work the next day….back to more schedules. I was mortified, and will never ever again, take a vacation of mine, anywhere close to what that was.
On the other hand, how many of you, have gone to an island….without any computer, phone or TV? And just relaxed….and didn’t look at the clock once….I’m telling you, it is the ultimate commune with nature…to learn how to sit and relax, not to mention, the greatest mental stimulation….you actually feel like you’ve come home. I cannot explain the extreme joy which emanates and I’ve learned that I don’t need human interaction to experience joy/extreme happiness…actually, I am the happiest, when I’m alone.
It is the greatest opportunity to commune with self/life and all the elements around you. To actually get back to the basics of nature, and to realize the spiritual self, which gives you a feeling that God is right there inside….and I believe that is what it means when He said…when I knock, just open the door.
I’ve searched all my life…many different religions…and none of them gave me the joy as when I flew to an island all by myself, 3 times, and communed with everything….I mean the quiet is so…so…awesome. It is heaven.
And there before me, sank the sun, into this great placid azure sea...a cool summer breeze swam over the land....reached out, and took me in it's arms....and for the first time in my life...I came home....and I wept tears of joy....it was awesome, and I didn't want to come back to the states...ever....I wanted to live out of my elements...out of the safety and confines of my home in PA...the discovery was incomprehensible and I wanted or needed nothing but to live in that moment....
That was pure joy...that was pure nomadic horizons...and that was God...and I realized, He had placed joy in every living thing around us, that we normally don't even realize exists around us....that we don't really ever take the time to see...it was a kind of light, all around me, that made me realize, that life and God are much much more then traditional religions...much more..
You, actually, are very blessed--and your writing is positively eloquent. Thanks for sharing and giving me a whole bunch of things to think about and learn from...
Thank you for sharing and you're not nuts, you're appreciative to what you have and what's around you. If more people thought that way, the world would be an even better place. Not a day goes by that I don't feel very lucky for my experiences in life and how I turned out despite some hard times. I've taken many trips, big & small and just enjoyed nature and beauty. The fact that I can even do that, I'm appreciative and take nothing for granted. Hugs back to to you cremebrulee for all the hugs you spread on City-Data!
Solitude can have it's benefits, but so can having some companionship to share special Godly moments with. Humans are socially oriented, and I find that I'm happiest when I'm in the company of others, especially close family and friends. Being able to share some moments alone with God in a special place is wonderful, but God also exists when one is with their significant other, children or even a pet, and everything is harmonious. Being in special places and with certain people is how to share moments with God and create shared memories too. It's different for everyone I guess.
I'm happy that your happy, but as an old song once said, "Everybody needs somebody sometime...", even if it's just for room service!
I used to go the mountians by myself for 4 or 5 days, no radio, tv or phone, just camp by a creek and read a good book, I haven't been in a few years by myself. Vacations are road trips, no planning just point and go. I've never been to an Island.
What a beautiful post, Creme. I did that holiday just once in my life (the one on the island) and you are so absolutely right, it does make you feel like you're living in heaven on earth. Whenever things get really stressful, or I'm sad or depressed, I always try to stop and take a few minutes, close my eyes and take myself back in my mind to that place on the beach, feeling the warmth of the sunshine, and letting that pure innocent solitude wash all over me. What a feeling. Just thinking about it makes me want to go back!
Solitude can have it's benefits, but so can having some companionship to share special Godly moments with. Humans are socially oriented, and I find that I'm happiest when I'm in the company of others, especially close family and friends. Being able to share some moments alone with God in a special place is wonderful, but God also exists when one is with their significant other, children or even a pet, and everything is harmonious. Being in special places and with certain people is how to share moments with God and create shared memories too. It's different for everyone I guess.
I'm happy that your happy, but as an old song once said, "Everybody needs somebody sometime...", even if it's just for room service!
I believe you missed the entire premise of the post....
to have a decent and fulfilling relationship with others, one must have a relationship with self....to know who we are, and to trust our own intuition...and to not only stand by it, but stand up for it, even if that means, we need to stand alone once in a while, and not worry about loosing friends over it, b/c of our beliefs....
Man is social, b/c we are conditioned to be so..just as I was conditioned to believe I HAD to be married & have children to be successful in society's view. Society sets our beliefs...not ourselves...we even are told what religion and political views to believe in, and believe it or not, a lot of people are actually afraid to change or to think on their own, and ask question, going deeper into the issue, to come to their own decissions for fear of disloyalty to their family and friends.
The post is about getting right with oneself and being confident by spending quality time alone....sheding all the weight of society's expectations that have been implemented on us since we were born. Does't mean yoiu have to abandon society...if you don't want to....
Oh, and the post wasn't at all intrusive of your life, telling you what to do, or trying to rip you from your comfort zone....it was though, simply expressing my joys and experiences....
What a beautiful post, Creme. I did that holiday just once in my life (the one on the island) and you are so absolutely right, it does make you feel like you're living in heaven on earth. Whenever things get really stressful, or I'm sad or depressed, I always try to stop and take a few minutes, close my eyes and take myself back in my mind to that place on the beach, feeling the warmth of the sunshine, and letting that pure innocent solitude wash all over me. What a feeling. Just thinking about it makes me want to go back!
I'm so happy you know what I'm referring to...some people are so distraught when you take them away from society....they don't know what to do...and it overwhelms them....but cha know, I think my experience was a start in realizing, the expectations/stress other people put on you, without even realizing it...we have been so conditioned to live our lives like our parents did, that we fear going outside of our comfort zone and being ourselves...doing something completely on our own, completely for us....I don't believe many people would even know how to do a vacation on their own, they'd be afraid. I mean, just look at some spouces who don't know how to allow their better half time alone, and take that as an attack against them..? They don't understand the concept that people sometimes need some down time, with no thoughts at all....
when you have no thoughts at all in your mind, the mind I believe is, well....healthy...
I used to also feel like that when I rode my horse....but then, someone came by one day, and said, "You always ride alone....why don't you join us" So I did, to be polite, but quickly found, you have to talk to them when they talk to you, and go where they want to go, and start when they want to start and finish when they want to finish, otherwise, they might take offense.
That is the same reason why I would hate a cruise. Your sitting there, on your vacation...that you paid for, and people around you are getting drunk, noisy and they come and sit beside you, and now, you've got to get your nose out of your book, otherwise your considered rude...b/c you simply don't want conversation....no thank you.
People do not know how to respect the quiet and peace of another person's space.
I was in the doctors office yesterday, and was amazed at the woman who were talking very very loud, and actually screaming above one another....it make me so uneasy, I had to get out of there....and was so happy, to escape in my book, coming back on the train. People do not know how to be quiet....and to sit quiet...and if they do, they have to pull out their cell phones and talk to someone...not that the call is always important, they just have to talk to someone, and they don't realize or care how it really offends my space, my quiet time....alone, away from stress and work....sometimes, I really hate the fact that people, just don't realize...cuz when they are talking on their phones, it's really difficult to consentrate and escape from the stress and noise.
I remember as a child, being in a doctors office...or being in any public place, even a resturant...and we always taught to whisper and respect other people's quiet time. I didn't understand it then, but certainly understand it now, b/c we had respect for the privet space of others....today, nobody seens to care...or even understand that maybe people want to sit and listen to the quiet.....and that being made to sit and listen to the privet conversations of others, really causes more stress.....and if you say, shhhhh, please....they get offended.
What happened to parents teaching kids, it isn't polite to do that? What is wrong for sitting there quietly for an hour or so....? Why do people have to intrude on other people's personal space, with their long phone calls, when you have no other choice but to sit there and listen to them? That really offends me....it is so rude and unfair to my time off....it takes away my ability to just sit and relax and forget all things for a while....and escape in my book..and think about no thing else.
But anyway, I"m getting way off topic here...my mind is always going deeper...I apologize for my rant, but this is part of what I mean...people don't seem to have escapes anymore...it's seems we're not allowed to have personal space, unless we go to our homes....and even then, it's interrupted by someone's very loud radio, that you can hear coming from 8 blocks away and it actually sometimes, vibrates your windows?
This is all stress realated, which eventually, can cause, a lot of health problems.
People need time off...quiet time...to commune with themselves...
Last edited by cremebrulee; 10-20-2007 at 05:09 AM..
I used to go the mountians by myself for 4 or 5 days, no radio, tv or phone, just camp by a creek and read a good book, I haven't been in a few years by myself. Vacations are road trips, no planning just point and go. I've never been to an Island.
yes, indeed they are....you need to plan another...go...you deserve it...
I'm going over Christmas...and I cannot wait to get away...I've rented a beach cottage, with the ocean just a few feet away. Love to take some books with me...I'm doing a prime rib on the grill...I will wrap myself up in a blanket and sit there and just listen to the quiet of early morning, with a cup of coffee, then walks on the beach...and I love to treat myself and go out to a resturant for dinner, by myself...and I'm not at all uncomfortable...and I love it.
I'm a people watcher....and I've sat in resturants, many times....and watched older couples together...and they never talk or say a word to each other, they're just there with one another...as if the other isnt' there...seems to me, they're there b/c they feel like they have to be. And I think, how sad....but I never ever want to be them....
and to, there are a lot of joyful couples, whom I've met and sat and talked to...some have even invited me to go with them for dinner...and we're still in contact today....some people are magnificant. And on my journey's alone...I've run into problems and you'd be surprised how helpful and kind people can be. This one couple, sat beside me, on a bench watching the huge boats flow in and out on the inlet into the sea....some commerical fishing boats, some magnifcent opulent yahts...some just regular fishing boats of people from towns far away that have come down to the shore to fish...some from far away exotic places....one boat had the name Eleuthera painted on it...which is my favorite get away island, but this one couple told me the fantastic story of how they met, and were indeed happy...both of them were tickled pink with each other...and as they walked away, they held hands and gave each other a peck....my oh my, what joy they have known...and I realized the joy of life are in those moments...that I wouldn't have know, if I hadn't gone there by myself....
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