Where is everyone hiding?

During the common holiday periods, there tends to be a bit of a downturn in activity, and the Christmas and new year season is pretty slooooow. I guess it is because people are spending their time doing other things, but sometimes I wonder, why not reflect on these good times here? Or just take the opportunity to be a bit more casual, a bit more personal perhaps.

No one is forced.

Over the years, I have often been trying to get people to write more on Hive, though it doesn't really matter if it is here or not. I believe that if everyone would consistently spend time each day or even every few days reflecting on their experiences and thoughts in this life, the world would be a far better place. The process of writing can take us on many journeys through our minds and can uncover what we might not find otherwise.

I think that in the fast-paced world, where endless streams of content is vying for our attention, it is even more important for us to take opportunities to carve out space to spend on our experiences. I also think that a side-effect of doing so, is that one can also become more sensitive to the experiences themselves, where the "little things" stand out, take on more weight, and are less likely to be missed as time flies by.

On top of this, there is the opportunity for improvement in the process also, where we can reflect on what we have done and maybe question why we did it, rather than just moving on blindly, to repeat the same actions again. Habits are formed out of repetition, and if we are repeating the wrong ways over and over again, that becomes who we become.

A lot of people say they "don't have time" to write consistently, or they don't have "anything to write about", but that in itself is something to reflect on, isn't it? Why don't I have time? Why don't I have anything to write about? These should raise some important questions in me as to how I am living my life. Is it true that I don't have time, or am I spending my time poorly? Is it true there is nothing to write about, or is it that I am not paying attention? Or perhaps, it is because I am spending my time poorly.

Take a break?

Perhaps if I were to reflect on my own life, what I would discover is that I need a break. Not a break from work, but a break from the things that are getting in my way, the excuses that I have as to why I don't have the time and energy to do things. And when I have reflected on these things over the years, I have indeed found that a lot of what I was doing was just a waste of my time and effort - giving nothing of real value in return. Value isn't monetary alone of course, but if money is needed by so many, why are they spending their time doing so much that doesn't bring them any monetary value, or even a chance of it?

Be honest.

It doesn't all have to appear on a blockchain, but when reflecting on your experience, be honest with yourself. Really dive into your mind, your emotions, but don't dwell on them, but investigate them. Emotions are far less important than people seem to believe, but why we are feeling them can be incredibly important. The problem these days is, that people are told to feel their emotions, but not explore why they are feeling them, this leaves us trapped in an emotional bubble, constantly feeling, but not being able to change our reactions.

The best advice.

The best advice I think I have ever been given, and it was a passing slice of a something I read, was;

Lock yourself in a room with a pad and pen, and don't come out until you have discovered your purpose.

What I have discovered is that purpose and meaning of life changes based on context and experience, but the process of writing is a brilliant way to continually investigate and shift perspectives in order to initiate change. It brings a level of conversation that leads to clarity that I don't think can be found very easily in other ways, and all one has to do is spend a little time each day.

For me at least, Hive is the room I visit daily. And while it might not always seem reflective, or it might not seem very important at all, each article has a little slice of mirror, a piece that has come from a much larger, shattered pane of glass. The thing is though, the shards can't cut, they are just words, even if at times to reach them, there is pain.

Most people think that they should do more for themselves. I think the first thing they should do is find out why they believe what they do. It isn't hard, just start writing, and don't stop until all of life's mysteries are revealed.

There is no time like now.

Taraz
[ Gen1: Hive ]