Design and create

I went for a walk along the beach tonight; A favourite way to clear my head. There's something cleansing about the salty air and being in close contact with the planet. It brings me to a more central position within myself when life's pressures have perhaps forced me one way or the other.

Faith and I walked in silence mostly but chatted about small things too. We were seeking a baseline or neutral point, and to reside there for a time, not to discuss the complexities of daily life. I have a very active mind which rarely shuts off but this evening I found peace and solitude.

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"A while ago, during a time of extreme difficulty in my life, finding inner-peace seemed impossible."

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I'd just exited a very stressful, life-changing time and, whilst I emerged intact, still felt conflicted. It was at that time a friend hijacked me and forced me to go hunting with him.

We headed to the Flinders Ranges, South Australia, a massive private property there, and camped. We would rise early, hike and hunt for most of the day, then arrive at camp exhausted and ready for some food around the campfire, a chat and our respective sleeping bags. A simple routine. A basic existence.

We did more mountain climbing than hunting.

With rifles slung on our backs we'd use hands and feet to scale mountains seeking the summit, hike rocky trails and occasionally shoot; The trip was about being away emotionally and physically and the routine of navigate, climb, hike, navigate, climb, shoot, hike brought an inner-peace difficult to find in a city and with others around.

Around the middle of the week-long trip, I found myself on a rocky ledge near the top of one of the peaks. We stood silently in awe of the view and with no words spoken decided this spot was too good to pass by. We sat and ate a basic lunch, legs dangling off the edge, bodies soaking up the winter sun. Few words passed between us, but that wasn't unusual; Words aren't always required.

The sky was vivid blue, a couple of puffy clouds floated by, the valley far below a camouflage of greens, beige, ochre and brown and the breeze brought fresh crisp air in counterpoint to a day warmed nicely by the sun.

That's when the eagle drifted into view at about the same height as we were, some 700 metres above the valley floor below. It simply rode from thermal to thermal rising off the mountain-side and with barely any effort scoured the valley for prey, or simply flew for the pleasure of it; I know not. In my mind it was there because it could be and it chose to be.

"I found it an incredibly powerful moment and I felt small as I watched this magnificent creature fully-engaged with its life, flying free and unfettered."

The world stretched out before me and it seemed that nothing much mattered but that single moment and, in truth, it didn't. It was just me and the world...A little like that eagle...I realised I had the power to choose my direction...And I did. I came back from that trip a little more together and much more planted.

Years later that moment, and it benefits, are with me still.

I've had many moments like that in life; Defining moments, clarity of thought or emotion and self-awareness; Most often at times during, or after, stressful or pressured situations but also at times when I've needed to assuage a feeling of ill-content within myself. These defining moments of clarity have culminated in my life-ethos, the one I end my posts with.

My design and create ethos is a concept I hold very close to my heart and whilst life is impossible to control I seek to influence it through ownership, the right attitude and by taking responsibility for it.

I'm not one to put much faith or credence into imaginary icons, however I firmly believe in one's own ability to impact life positively through self-connection. Being one with the planet helps to clear the mind for that connection in my opinion.

This is what I did that day on the ledge and tonight at the beach. I created a bubble around myself and my wife and we connected with each other and ourselves. We emerged the same, but better, more able to design and create our ideal lives and leave default-living for others. We became a little more enlightened.

I know many are stressed and concerned about the recent events here at steem; Concern that may be even more prevalent since Mr. Sun's recent nine-part Twitter comment about the [voted-by-us] witnesses being hackers...I wonder, through all of this, are you doing anything to mitigate that stress and any pressure you're feeling? I'd be interested to know how you may be doing this if, indeed, you are.

Tomorrow isn't promised - Design and create your ideal life, don't live it by default
_{An original post written by a human
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