I began to think about “spaces” this morning after reading a post by Laurie, one of my favorite bloggers. She is blessed with an abundance of courage and enthusiasm for life. She and her husband recently picked up and moved from the Midwest to Boise, ID. This is a popular and growing trend among boomer retirees.
Laurie continues to entertain her followers with her adventures and today she announced that she has a new temporary home in Boise, in a lovely carriage house. Her enthusiasm was palpable but it carried with something ore than simply living in an interesting place. The “something more” was captured in these words: “My writing space is phenomenal!….this gorgeous view has triggered a spurt of fiction writing.”
There is something powerful about spaces, both the ones we live and work in, and the ones that show up unexpectedly in a quiet moment, or between activities. Our homes are more than an artistic expression of who we are, though they are that. They are filled with energy. Sometimes this energy is positive and creativity inducing, sometimes the opposite is true. Too often we choose to ignore our sense of this energy, if we even notice it at all. Instead, we choose spaces out of necessity, circumstances, budget constraints, practicality, thinking perhaps we have no choice, opting not to notice.
Does your living space inspire you, energize you, invite you to expand yourself, your creativity, your life?
As a highly sensitive person I have lived more by the sensory field around me than by my brains. (My husband will testify to that!) It has not always been the case. I tried for many years to do what “everybody” thought I should do, and/or what was good for everybody else. Be practical. Be responsible. Be normal. Buy a house with enough room for the kids and the aging parents. Make sure it’s in a good location, good school district, and with good resale value. Above all, it must be affordable.
What about the feel of the house?
The spaces that dot are days, those moments when nothing is demanding our attention, either from the inside or the outside, are an opportunity to discover our interior space. Our interior space will not demand our attention, but it is there waiting and always present. It too is a source of powerful energy. It is the place where our truest self resides, our creative, soul self. In just the same way we often block these spaces from our conscious awareness. We override them with activity and to-do- lists. We stuff them down with food or mind numbing activity.
What is lost when we avoid our interior space?
Tuning in to the “spaces” in our lives, both on the inside and the outside, is an essential practice when engaging in the transformation process. Every thing we need to know exists within us. We simply have to choose to pay attention to the signals and clues that are already present and waiting for us.
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Dorothy — you’ve asked some exceptionally important questions in this post. Even though we reside in our physical package, that package has to reside somewhere, too. The energy of the space around us (typically the place we call home) will either recharge our personal batteries, or deplete them.
Thank you for the delicious food for thought. Thank you, too, for sharing a link to my post. I appreciate YOU!
My space must always include a view. Very calming post – just what I need right now!
Spaces mean more than ever to me now, at age 66. I am sitting next to the window in my writing space, watching a Hereford cow graze on the abundant, green grass of the meadow that joins our back yard. Hanging above me are two pieces of stained glass, gifts of my Goshen College colleagues, from my days of being professor and then president of that place. I like to be surrounded by intimate space that opens into wide-open vistas. I feel so grateful to have this space, and I join you in appreciation for Laurie and her blog. I look forward to it every Tuesday.
I’m also glad to be back here, Dorothy. I think I’ve connected occasionally in the past. Love what you are doing.
I’m always amazed by how the exterior space I’m in when I write or edit affects how my interior space feels. I’ve been househunting this summer, and I’m reminded again that the feel of a house is every bit as important as the more tangible factors we consider important, like the number of bedrooms and the price. I listen to those feelings, as I’ve learned that to ignore them is to ignore the essence of what gives me happiness and fulfillment in my life.
We searched for over a year before we found a house with the right interior and exterior spaces that heal, feed my spirit, and support connection within the family and among visiting friends. I find it easier to visit the “inside” when the “outside” is supportive, comforting, and intriguing.
Thank you to Laurie for connecting me here!
Kathleen