Stop and savour...

Today's focus in Day 7 of The Lotus and the Lily (pp. 37-40) is to look back at the first week and to savour, and give thanks for, all I've thought, learnt, experienced this week.

So it was just perfect that today's card is The Hermit - which could be a self-portrait of Leonardo in a quiet reflective mood...

I am mindful that this is my natural, my default, position - I'm always ready, and keen, to stop and reflect... Trouble is, it has its disadvantages, as I don't get an awful lot actually done - I think and reflect too much!!

And I know part of the reason is I'm fearful - I'm anxious, nervous of failing, of making a mess of anything I try to do - so often I think/reflect myself out of even trying...

Yesterday's chapter in TLATL was about fear, and I realized if I'm to experience Inner Peace, I need to Fear Less...

Last night, I watched this movie

I love James Franco, and he certainly looks remarkably like James Dean - swoon...*sigh*

I then watched a couple of Youtube interviews with James Franco. He is something of a Renaissance man - acting, writing (fiction, memoir, poetry), studying (he's doing a PhD at Yale), teaching, painting, drawing...

But his big thing is he does stuff he's interested in. As he says, he knows he's not THE best ever writer, poet, painter, but he's always trying to be the best HE can be, and he's not afraid to fail, as he's always learning and improving - practising his craft!!

And this is it, I think - the Inner Peace comes from trying, tasting, experimenting, keeping your interests alive... And then taking time out to look at, savour, reflect on all you've tried, failed at and learned from.

Fear paralyzes, but Peace frees.