I love learning. · The Somatic Academy by Soma+IQ

I love learning.

Because I'm serious about making our world a bit happier and more peaceful - by reducing stress and helping people to be happier and more peaceful, I have to be serious about making spiritual progress and growing in wisdom myself.

This is one reason why I try to read books by people who I can see have more knowledge / wisdom than I have. I always have a book on the go and I like to listen to inspiring podcasts.

I mentioned in replying to the post about Gratitude, that this week I was listening to Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor (a Harvard-trained brain scientist who experienced a stroke in the left hemisphere of her brain and spent 8 years recovering, She is best known for her viral TED Talk “My Stroke of Insight” and is the bestselling author of books including Whole Brain Living.)

One thing that struck me about the insights she gained into the brain, as she recovered from her stroke, was the way we have four 'characters' in our brain. One of these is playfulness. I can relate to that. I love snowball fights. They make me laugh and laugh. Another thing I love, which takes me out of the 'serious' side of my brain, is spending time in nature - and especially climbing in the hills - which I haven't done for two years. So before returning from the monthly family visit which I make between workshops, I drove north to Dovedale and climbed Thorpe Cloud. This is one of my favourite 'happy places.'

I reached the top of Thorpe Cloud just as the sun set. I was taking photos and found myself thinking, 'I wish there was someone who could photograph me up here.' but it was dusk. Nobody would be climbing up here now. Standing right on the very top of the craggy corner of the summit I noticed some tiny figures about half way up. I assumed that they were on the way down - but not long afterwords on young man came into view. I was surprised and delighted and asked if he would mind to take my photo. And as he was doing that, his friends reached the top.

We got chatting and it transpired that they had driven up from Birmingham but one of them had to return to London that evening. He had planned to take a coach back from Birmingham but I offered him a ride. He was delighted and I was pleased because driving is a lot more fun when you have a passenger and can chat together rather than just driving on your own.

As we approached London I asked where he lived. London is such a vast city. I would need to take the M25 and circle around to go into London on the right side. He was living in Shepherd's Bush - which is less than five miles from my home! How neat was that? I don't believe in coincidences, so my response was Gratitude.

As we approached Shepherd's Bush, I asked if he was hungry. I know a nice restaurant in Shepherd's Bush. My hubby and I would always eat there in past years and I still go there every few months, when I want to give myself a treat. He said he knows most of the restaurants in Shepherd's Bush so I told him the name of the restaurant - Lahori. He was shocked. HE WORKS THERE! So we stopped and went in and he treated me to my favourite meal.

Sometimes I feel as if 'The Universe' was giving me a smile.

There is only one word - GRATITUDE

7 comments