Quite time to think

Listen to this postI was fortunate to visit Versailles Palace in France many years ago. After the guided tour we were given free time to walk through the place gardens. The gardens were beautiful and a simple walk through them would reduce your blood pressed by at least 10 mmHg. At the start of my walk I noticed an elderly couple setting on a long chair watching the beautiful view in front of them. They were about one meter a part (3 feet) from each other. I continued my walk around and came back to the same spot after 20 minutes and set down on a single chair and notice that the couple still at their same silence and still looking at the beautiful view ahead. I thought that what they were doing was boring and they might have reached the age were nothing matters anymore. So I sat and started enjoying the view and get lost in my thoughts. Before I knew it, I spent more than an hour of complete silence, similar to what the elderly couple were doing, and it was wonderful!

A distant family member in his 70’s used to set in his wheelchair for hours watching the sea. When we pass-by and greet him he sometimes replay to us and sometimes he just ignore us as if we do not exist. He seems lost in his thoughts and living his past by just watching the sea. Few years after that gentleman pass away I went to the Maldives islands. I use to set in the balcony of my bungalow after the tiresome deep water dives. Each time I set I get lost in my thoughts and spend hours relaxing and enjoying the ocean’s calm waters.
Lately, I do not have the luxury of traveling to these nice places but I still set alone in quite places for at least 30 minutes 3 times every week. I lay down or set without watching TV, listening to music or reading a book. I just relax and let my thoughts flow slowly and reflect on the things I have done or the problems I face. After about 30 minutes I would have good thoughts and practical solutions to whatever challenges I have. Just by simply setting alone and thinking. No TV, no music, no reading or writing, just plain simple thinking. My best ideas and most important decisions were the results of those quite sessions. The sad thing that many people live their lives without setting once in a quite session like that, and they miss the opportunity to clear up their minds and generate wonderful ideas. Go ahead, please try it for half an hour and you will start generating wonderful thoughts and ideas after you pass the 30 minutes mark, trust me!

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Sunflowers in The Least Expected Places

Listen to this postFew years ago I use to have spare time to click some pictures here and there. I was keeping the camera in the car when I was driving to a remote area. That’s when I noticed three rows of  sunflower plants on the backyard of an old shack. The place was used by labors and mechanics as a tea room. One of them had extra sunflower seeds few months before and decided to plant them in the backyard. When I stopped, the mechanics thought something was wrong because a car suddenly stopped and somebody went to the backyard taking pictures. They were happy to know that I was admiring their followers and wanted to take the pictures since the weather was beautiful and the sun was shining. I gave a large print of this picture to the mechanic who planted it as an appreciation for his beautiful work. I went next year to the same place but there was now flowers at all because the mechanics were relocated to another contract.

Sun Flowers

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My last trip to Washington DC

Snow in DC

Snow in Washington DC (December 2009)

My last trip to Washington DC was successful except for the unexpected snow that recorded the highest snowfall in the 140 years record. I chose Qatar airways as the choice carrier and was glad that I did so. They have friendly, professional, and dedicated staff serving you in a well maintained new aircrafts. Some of you are wandering about the price; well… it is 50% less that United Airline for the same flight.

Dulles airport closed the night before my return flight but was luckily opened 12 hours before my boarding time.

Best things in …

The best things in life are free. Waking up to a beautiful view like this unwind the person even if his past day was difficult. I found that appreciating the simple and beautiful things are rewarding more than the expensive therapeutic sessions. Enjoy life!

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