and some profound reflections…

It was Boxing Day, the day after a very festive Christmas, spent in the company of many close and distant relatives and friends. It was a typical December day – cold and a little breezy with light rain showers. No sign of snow yet. The location – Folkestone beach, a place in the UK that I’ve never been to before. In the company of family, I walked along the coastline, taking deep breaths of fresh air brought in by the ocean waves.

Flowing water such as this has a powerful and calming effect on us, and I was able to experience this as I walked and observed the natural scenery around. Being there also reminded me of my hometown Bourgas (Bulgaria) and the Black Sea by which it is located. Seagulls were singing their usual glorious songs that made the atmosphere ever so pleasant and wonderful.

A sea, an ocean or a flowing river – these are all great sources of finding peace and tranquillity both outside and inside ourselves.

A few other families, groups of friends, people walking their dogs and some mothers or fathers with their children passed by and also looked across the distance to experience the calming effects of the English channel waters.

The sun was beginning to slowly come through from behind the clouds, making the harbour and all the boats within it brighten up with colour.

In the distance I caught a glimpse of a rainbow. ‘After every storm there comes a rainbow’ someone said.

After walking for a while we stopped briefly to enjoy a warming crab soup freshly made by the locals. What wonderful moment that was, ‘one of those simple pleasures in life’ I thought.

I was so in peace with myself and everything around me and felt as if time has stopped, or at least it was going a lot slower than normal. I also felt a great sense of gratitude to have my family with me and to know the many other people who love me and support me and who I love and care about too. The period between Christmas and New Year is often a time of reflection. We reflect about our family, friends and loved ones, we reflect about us as individuals and life in general. How far we have come in the past year, how many achievements or mistakes we have made and what do we look forward to change or improve in the next year.  And that is exactly what was going through my mind in those moments and in the past few days. Being in such a calm state of mind I was able to think with more clarity. What matters to me the most is to be kind to my family, friends and even complete strangers and to live a life that is as balanced as possible, for the benefit of my own well-being and that of others. To be able to inspire and help other people means to me to be not only knowledgeable but also at peace with myself – something that it is not easily achieved and requires some practice.

If you have a busy and hectic lifestyle I would highly recommend getting away from the busy city once in a while to visit a natural park, a coastline town or village, or simply a place with flowing water (such as a river) – it does wonders to your mental as well as physical well-being. Take a few moments just for yourself and listen to the sounds of the water. Let it calm your nerves and relax you. Take a few deep breaths. Recharging your batteries in this way will bring more clarity to whatever feels heavy or uneasy on your mind and will undoubtedly make you feel more refreshed and alive!