It's a Classical Life

Schopenhauer said, "A constant flow of thoughts expressed by other people can staunch and deaden your own thoughts and your initiative." Do you ever feel that way? That the compelling words available to us now, 24/7 are often taking over our own thoughts and initiatives? There is so much information available to us now that we must grow in our ability to be discerning and critical thinkers.  Instead of stopping reading (or listening) altogether, I highly recommend demonstrating a level of discernment when it comes to choosing which information to allow into your mind. Are you focusing on the words of a classicist that still ring true today or are the words the long-winded ramblings of someone who speaks without thinking? As we all know, there are many people online who are more than happy to share their opinions and ideas, and what we take on as our own ideas requires a high level of discernment and critical thinking before appropriation. Sometimes we can get caught up with ...

  If you have not read Mary Shelley's classic novel, Frankenstein , let me assure you that it touches on some of those most important issues of our time - even though it was first published in 1818. Ethics, morality, human suffering, the importance of nature - all of these are addressed in a meaningful way and can contribute to the way we view our own lives today.  This quote demonstrates something that we have talked about quite a lot here on the blog, and that is the idea of how we choose to spend our time. In understanding ourselves, what is best for our minds and bodies, how to use our time wisely, then we are already steps ahead in enjoying a life of contentment and overall satisfaction. It is easy to 'study' the lives of others, make comparisons, waste time, criticise or judge, and generally work to 'destroy your taste for the simple pleasures,' - in fact our society makes it really easy for us! We have the choice to decide who we study, who we go to for inspi...

  Harper Lee's classic novel, To Kill a Mockingbird , is one of my favourite novels. Lee's writing is moving and thought-provoking and this quote is one of many that I have highlighted in my copy of the book. Conscience, moral behaviour, ethics and so on are all important themes highlighted throughout the book, but are just as relevant and important to our modern lives. There are so many things in the world that are wanting to distract us from who we are, what we value and how we wish to live our lives. By being in touch with these things, reflecting on them often, truly knowing ourselves deep down, we know that despite "majority rule" we can live in a way that satisfies our conscience and brings us true joy. If we are living in a way that doesn't sit well with our conscience, it is (in my opinion) near impossible to find joy and peace in our lives and in our selves.  Sometimes we need to understand what we need to let go of, what we need to hold onto and what we ...

  Hello and welcome back to It's a Classical Life. I've had a lovely break over January - we went away to the beach for a holiday, visited family, played games, read, then returned for the new year of school, work and studies. It's been a good mix of busy and relaxing! I hope the new year has started gently for you too.  I have been giving a lot of thought as to how I would like to continue with the blog this year. One small change that I was thinking of introducing was including more quotes from classic books as part of my Bitesize Inspiration posts. I constantly take note of quotes that I love and have so many that I would love to share them with you. Today's quote comes from a short story by Agatha Christie called The Problem at Pollensea Bay and was said by her famous character Mr. Parker Pyne.  The reason I loved this quote and took note of it was because we often seem to live in a world of  perpetual youth. Pyne was actually directing this to a woman, a mo...

  Happy New Year! As we kick-start 2024 (or gently roll into it if you prefer a slower pace, like me!) I think the best plan we can make is to really get to know ourselves. Knowing who we are and being true to ourselves is a recurring theme here and I am speaking as much to myself as to others! Before tackling the big resolutions and goals for the coming year, why not take some time to get to know yourself. It's really very simple. Take a piece of paper (or your fresh journal) and a pen. Find a quiet place to sit where you will be inspired but not disturbed. For me this is of an early morning on the quiet, cool deck. These journal topics come from Caroline Jones' book An Authentic Life: Finding Meaning and Spirituality in Everyday Life. You can choose to write to all of these prompts, or perhaps just one or two. You may want to come back to them throughout January and February and reflect on some others.  What do you love to do? What are the underlying themes? What gives...

  Last week I resigned from my teaching job. I didn't just resign from this particular job, I resigned from teaching altogether. It was a decision that I have been toying with for over two years, and the timing felt right. I will see out the year, until Christmas, and then I will be starting a whole new chapter in my life in 2023. The truth is, I am excited about not knowing what lies in ahead. I know it's a very risky time to be leaving a steady job with a good income, but I feel - after much discernment - that this is the right thing for me.  You may be wondering how this week's quote by Tolstoy aligns with my thoughts above. I'd like to explain. When I began teaching, I had that noble hope to "light candles" and "illuminate the hearts" of my students. I had a passion in me to share what I knew about History and Languages - a passion that had been placed there by other, amazing teachers. However, recently I have been losing that passion to pass on ...

  George Eliot, born Mary Ann Evans, knows all about change and identity. If you look at her life , Mary Ann (or Marian, or George) went through many different identities during her lifetime. If anyone is equipped to give us this advice, I think she is. Sometimes, it is easy to forget that our favourite novels and poems were written by actual people, people just like us. Sometimes, we forget the creators in place of the creations. But when we look at the authors, the poets, the creators, we can see so much of ourselves in them, which is often what endears them to us in their books and creations! I saw recently on IG a meme that said, "go be your favourite self," not your "best" self, but your favourite  self. I like that and I think old George would have too.  It may never be too late to be what - or who you might have been - but that doesn't imply ease. Change can be hard. If you feel stuck, if you feel like you are not living an authentic life then i...

My daughter was recently given an Inquiry Task for school on leaders. She had to identify a leader, examine their life, and then evaluate what made them a good leader.   This and recent articles I have seen on Queen Elizabeth's Jubilee year celebrations got me thinking. Who are some of our favourite lady leaders in classic British Literature? What makes a good leader? How were women leaders in a time when they weren't necessarily expected to be? As we approach International Women's Day (March 8), why not share your own favourite fictional lady leader - British or otherwise?  I have chosen my top five, and here they are in no particular order. 1. Miss Marple  How could I not begin with this wonderful creation of Agatha Christie's? She is quintessentially English, with her Victorian lace, twinkling China-blue eyes, classic manners and keen, British wit. Yet despite her deceptive appearance, even Sir Henry Clithering ex-Commisioner of Scotland Yard had "come to think ...

We have loved A.A. Milne's Winnie the Pooh  for many years. We have loved it in its classic novel form, in sweet abridged versions for little hands and big dreamers, in movies and in movie adaptations. At the end of last year I also read a book by Benjamin Hoff (1982) called The Tao of Pooh  which brought all of the wisdom of Milne's beloved character (and his friends) together in one eye-opening experience.  Hoff does a great job linking the wisdom of Pooh to the ancient Chinese philosophy of Tao Te Ching (the Tao Virtue Book) so I won't attempt to re-create that here. I highly recommend reading the book if you are interested in Eastern philosophies (with a modern, western twist). What I will discuss here, however, are some of the important lessons gleamed from both on how to live well. You may be surprised at how much wisdom and insight our favourite Pooh Bear can show in this area! Lesson #1 - When you know yourself, everything else falls into place I think that this i...

Have you heard the saying, New Year, New You? I have to say, I really don't like it. First of all, I don't like the idea of one day of the year pressuring us to think negatively about ourselves and consider all the ways in which we would like to be different (usually this has to do with physical appearance). For me, self-improvement goes hand in hand with self-education and should be a lifelong process , not a one day goal. Secondly, having resolutions hanging over our heads takes away the joy and gladness of this time of year. We have made it through another year! We have so much to look forward to! Why spoil that with goals that perhaps don't inspire us but force us to feel bad about who we are? Whilst researching this article, I came across an interesting article comparing New Year's resolutions from 1947 to the most common ones made today. Here you can see how we have changed in the things we want for ourselves in the coming year. Resolutions From 1947 - Gallup Po...

Yesterday afternoon, after a lovely picnic with my family in the backyard, I sat down and watched The Sound of Music  with my daughter. It was her first time watching this classic, award-winning film from 1965, and the amused and slightly awed look on her face throughout the movie was precious. She said, several times, "this is such a good movie!" I have to agree with her! Do you agree? Perhaps you saw it many years ago, or like my daughter, you've never seen it. Either way, here are a few ways we can draw inspiration from this classic movie.  Have a sanctuary in nature The film begins with Julie Andrews' character, Sister Maria, high in the Swiss Alps singing freely. The hills are, quite simply, her sanctuary. She sings:  I go to the hills when my heart is lonely I know I will hear what I've heard before My heart will be blessed with the sound of music And I'll sing once more I've spoken here on the blog about the importance of having a sanctuary and I s...