It's a Classical Life

  If you are anything like me, it is easy to get overtaken by bad news, devastating natural disasters, human crises, stories of abuse and heartache when we read the news, scroll through social media or watch news updates. It can also be overwhelming for our children who may be watching with us, or scrolling on their own devices. An important point to remember though, is that information is not thinking. Just because we are accessing this information, does not mean that we are critically thinking about it, assessing its worth, judging, valuing or comparing it with other, reliable information. Oftentimes, we are simply taking it in and this is where the danger lies. I love this quote by Anne Frank, in her Diary of a Young Girl. A girl in a position to be truly overwhelmed by the bad news around her, choosing instead to focus on the beauty that still remains. We have a lot more choice about our thoughts and what information we choose to invite into our lives than we oft...

  I am amazed that this is the first Bitesize Inspiration that I have taken from the Bible. There is so much wisdom to be found there, whether you are a Christian believer or not. Today's quote is a well-known one, perhaps you've heard it before or even heard it paraphrased. I did recently in a book written by the Dalai Lama ! He too said that what we focus our thoughts on, we become in our hearts. This was also a belief of the Stoics , from whom I have drawn inspiration many times. Epictetus said, if you want to do something, make a habit of it.   If we want to truthful, honourable, just, lovely, then we must make a habit out of these things. And the first step to form such a habit is to control our thoughts. The more time and energy we give to thoughts that are dark, negative or destructive, then that is the habit that we are cultivating. I need this timely reminder right now, so it's good that I'm writing this post today! My word for 2023 is Joy and this quote rem...

  Nonna Knows Best  - she knew it then and she knows it now! The summer continues to roll slowly along in our little corner of the world. The grass has died off, leaving funny brown patches and sporadic spots of vibrant green weeds. The tomatoes, zucchini and capsicum plants are all full of flowers. The potato plants are looking sad on top but are flourishing deep beneath the warm, brown soil. There is nothing better than potatoes for producing a rich, nutrient-dense soil. Every afternoon I give the chickens and the rabbits a cooling shower. I spray the trees above their enclosures so that drips of water continue to drop down on them long after the hose is turned off. In the cool mornings, we collect eggs, feed the chickens, water the plants and breath the summer air. By late morning we are inside, enjoying the slow days with board games, lego, movies, paper crafts and reading. The children want to play on their devices (of course) but we encourage as much creative play as we ...

  I hope you don't mind but January has taken on a bit of a "self-education" theme here on the blog (II'm not a fan of the word "self-improvement" but I am a big believer that improvement comes through education ). On Saturday I talked about getting moving with Jane Austen (you can see that article here if you're interested) and today I'm shifting to a more mental approach to better living.  I've seen several instances of TikTokers or other social media influencers performing random acts of kindness to strangers on the street, whilst recording it (often without permission), solely to promote how kind they are to their viewers. I really do NOT believe that this is what Carroll is referring to in today's quote. I don't believe that we should act in a way of generosity, kindness or charity to others to big-note ourselves or to seek praise. Nor do I believe that Carroll is saying that we should only think of others at the detriment of our own...

Last week I spoke about beginning the new year with a journey towards simplicity . One of the key points of which I spoke, was continuing with something that is good for you or that brings you benefit before starting something new. As many of us are looking to improve our health as a new year's resolution (myself included), I thought now would be a good time to consider a gentle way to get moving. Last year I was experiencing a lot of trouble with my back and shoulder, so I saw a physiotherapist. He gave me some simple stretches to do at home and began working on bringing some flexibility and movement to my otherwise stiff spine. I'm not alone. This sort of upper back stiffness is a by-product of the sedentary lifestyle that so many of us are living at the moment. Additionally, sitting or lying too much can contribute to other health problems such as obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular issues . Mental health issues are also linked to an over-sedentary lifestyle. Well, if this ...

  Welcome back to  It's a Classical Life,  and if this is your first time here, welcome! Each week I try and post a little quote which I call Bitesize Inspiration. Other posts are usually longer, but these ones I try to keep short but inspiring. The idea is to take what you will from the quote, without my waffling on! I take inspiration from a wide range of sources, from classic writers, musicians, poets, philosophers, historians and more. This week, I have some  Stoic inspiration for you. The Stoics are one of my favourite sources for inspiration, as their beliefs and values continue to remain relevant and timeless.  In today's quote Epictetus gives us some fairly common sensical advice. However, I believe that common sense is lacking in many people's lives these days, so perhaps we could all do with being reminded of it more often! Persist and resist. Have the courage and perseverance to keep moving toward what is good, and the self-control and...

Happy New Year! I hope you are starting this year rested and ready for a new start. Perhaps you have made some resolutions . Perhaps not. Perhaps 2022 was a great year for you and you hope for more of the same. However you are feeling today, I'm so glad you're here. I wanted to share with you some of my thoughts about the coming year and how I hope to approach it.  First of all, I am so excited for 2023! I woke up on Sunday morning smiling, that's how excited I was. I am so glad to put 2022 behind me and am more than ready for all the good things that I believe 2023 will be bringing my way. As some of you may know, last year I resigned from a teaching career that had spanned more than 17 years. I was more than ready for a change. I'm still unsure what that means for me and my family but I know that for the first time in a long time I feel like I have some control over what I am going to do with my time and my life, and a sense of delightful anticipation accompanies me ...