I think that being gentle is something that most people think that they don’t have the time to do. It’s easier to just barrel through life without thinking too hard about anything. My philosophy is that – far from not having the time to be gentle, people don’t have the time not to do it. I guess that there’s some ’silver lining’ to having the diseases that I do … I am forced to take time out and reflect on life and how I live it and what I think about things
To me, being gentle can mean many things. It’s a life philosophy, really. Being gentle, for me, includes:
… and more.
My favourite gentleness role model is Susan Ariel Rainbow Kennedy aka SARK. She has a fantastic website at Planet SARK which is bright and colourful and full of gentle goodness (although unfortunately not friendly to blind users). SARK has written several books, almost all of which I own – I regularly give copies of them to friends as well. You can get all of the books, as well as cards, posters, blankets, magnets, e-books and lots more at the Planet SARK e-shop. Highly recommended!
Live Simple is an e-book that I stumbled across on the web one day. I had nothing to do with its writing but I feel that it fits well with the spirit what’s on of this page. Just read it. It’s radical, so read it slowly. Digest it slowly. You won’t like or be able to use all of what’s there, but if you even use a little bit I suspect your life will be a nicer place to be in.
I have some Snippets Of This And That which are nourishing to my soul, and I think might be to yours too.These are the pieces of writing which make my spirit want to get up and dance!
My Manifesto contains stuff I am trying to learn to believe about myself and my rights/responsibilities to myself.
In my naturopath’s office a while ago, I spotted a lovely certificate hanging on the wall. When I asked if I could have one, he photocopied it for me, but it wasn’t quite right so I typed it into the computer and amended it so that it felt better to me. So why not award yourself a Certificate of the Right to Play!
You may be interested in participating in International Buy Nothing Day, which is held at the end of November every year. The idea of the day is to, "provide a period of respite and a pause for reflection from the rigors of the consumption economy, which is the main thing that dominates the media and perhaps a few too many of our daily life choices and aspirations."
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