It's a Classical Life

  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 ...

  November and December are my favourite times of year, and yet I find myself starting to worry about the year ahead. I ask questions like - should I keep working in the job that I am in? Are we making the right decision about such-and-such? Will we be alright financially? What about emotionally? I tend to ruin this favourite time of year with all of my worries, most of which are pointless and as Epictetus points out, everything that happens will be good and useful for me.   This is such a wonderful quote to remember when our fears for the future are starting to run away from us. It reminds us to focus on the present and accept what comes as being the best possible thing for us (as hard as that may be to believe sometimes). Epictetus reminds us that some concern for the future is fine, we should plan and be prepared, but by being overly concerned or worrying unnecessarily then we are missing out on the best parts of today.  It also helps us to face our future wi...

  This week I've been reading Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet and there is so much wisdom in this book that we can draw from to find fulfilment in our modern lives. Although written in 1923 and set in the fictional, island town of Orphalese, the prophet Al Mustafa is addressing the people of the island, with whom he has lived for some 12 years. The advice that the people ask him to share before he leaves them, is timeless and inspiring to us even today.  I love the quote above that reminds us to consider what exactly we use our homes for, and how we view them. Of course, we want them to be places of comfort, but more importantly than that they should offer us peace, the warm memories of time spent well together and the beautiful steps to a more fulfilling life, outside of material possessions.  In our age of home decor and all that that encompasses (think shops with ever-changing decor options, shows that tell us how to decorate, not to mention the apps and social ...

  Solon was an Ancient Greek poet, lawmaker and statesman. He overhauled many of Athens' laws in the 6th century BC, often in favour of the poor and the vulnerable. Although he has many critics - Aristotle amongst them - he did, at times show insight and compassion into the plight of others that had, up until that time, been overlooked as insignificant or irrelevant to the law-making Athenian aristocracy.  Despite criticism, this quote still rings true today. Every time I watch the world news I am reminded of how blessed I am, and that as an educated female in a first world country, how many opportunities have been afforded to me that so many miss out on. Closer to home, I don't live on a flood plain, or in an area prone to blizzards, cyclones or earthquakes. We can have extreme heat in summer, storms that produce hail, heavy winds, and the threat of bushfire, but we have access to emergency services, running water and the ability to stock up our pantry to be prepared for...

  Home is definitely one of our favourite topics around here, and in continuing with my inspiration from Victorian England Literature, I couldn't go past this quote from Elizabeth Gaskell. We have spent the better part of ten years renovating our home, and all of those little personal changes that we have made add to the charm of our home. My daughter's friend called it "vintage," which I took as a compliment. Another friend said that our house it neater than either of her two homes (her parents have divorced and she lives equally between the two homes). This isn't a question of pride, or feeling better than other people about our homes. It's looking at the things that you do to your home - and in your home that add to its charm. Even if you don't love your house and wish you lived somewhere else, can you find at least one thing about it that charms you? I hope so. Thanks for stopping by. We've been having so much rain here that I am mostly indoors en...

Gladys Taber was a North American writer, born in 1899 and who lived through most of the twentieth century. She wrote a variety of fiction, prose and non-fiction works. It is her reflections from her time at her country Connecticut home, Stillmeadow that has been the most enjoyable for me. So much of what she shares from that time resonates with me and my own quest for simple living. For me, living well means living simply. Read on for some simple, classic tips from Gladys Taber and her reveries at Stillmeadow.  Have faith and hope Taber poignantly reminds us that we all have hard times in our life, and that we should always have faith and hope that good times will return. "It is very important, in winter, to remember that spring is coming along...In the spring of the heart, too, we have gardening to do, planting seeds of goodwill, helpfulness and  faith."  She makes a beautiful comparison between gardening - the planning, purchasing of seeds, careful planting, and ...