It was Oscar Wilde that declared 'the basis of optimism is sheer terror' and though I feel that is maybe a slight exaggeration there is truth in it. If I lived my daily life rooted in reality or (more so) pessimism, I surely wouldn't last long. Dark thoughts are a constant part of my mental illness and something within me is wired to believe that everything I do is going to result in failure, that the future is unsure and intimidating, that happiness is fleeting.
However, being stubbornly optimistic - determined, in spite of myself, to believe that there is hope and moments of joy are out there to be encountered. I choose Ecotherapy (alongside my medication) as my coping mechanism for this rough and tough world.
For myself, it comes in a few basic forms and though not a panacea, it does help a little at the very least, everyday day...
1. Photography - a life long passion which brings me closer to the wondrous details of often overlooked beauty and enables me to record my good days. Combining photography with the mask of a blog makes communicating with others so much easier by allowing me to speak more openly. It also has the added benefit of making the world smaller by bringing amazing people into my generally isolated world.
2. Travel - an integral part of my life; opening my eyes and heart to the beauty and wonders of the world, experiencing other cultures and landscapes never ceases to excite myself or my husband.
3. Hiking - a challenge I like though it is exhausting. It gives us goals as a couple, gets us out in stunningly isolated places here in our home country and opens an easy, structured, lifetime of adventure.
4. Gardening - We have just completed our first 10 years of working on our allotment plot and I have written about this experience in a blog 'Grow Our Own' since it started. It's been a wonderful journey of planning, nurturing and reaping the rewards, but boy, is it a struggle too with all the darn pests, diseases and other nasties we've encountered along the way.
Lastly, I return again to the wit and wisdom of Oscar Wilde, a person whom like the rest of us, had a complex and many faceted view of life but whom also had the brilliance of getting his thoughts down on paper. This quote encapsulates the reason why I enjoy writing a blog and why Ecotherapy is the greatest topic - 'The desire for beauty is merely a heightened form of the desire for life'.
Love
Carrie
However, being stubbornly optimistic - determined, in spite of myself, to believe that there is hope and moments of joy are out there to be encountered. I choose Ecotherapy (alongside my medication) as my coping mechanism for this rough and tough world.
For myself, it comes in a few basic forms and though not a panacea, it does help a little at the very least, everyday day...
1. Photography - a life long passion which brings me closer to the wondrous details of often overlooked beauty and enables me to record my good days. Combining photography with the mask of a blog makes communicating with others so much easier by allowing me to speak more openly. It also has the added benefit of making the world smaller by bringing amazing people into my generally isolated world.
2. Travel - an integral part of my life; opening my eyes and heart to the beauty and wonders of the world, experiencing other cultures and landscapes never ceases to excite myself or my husband.
3. Hiking - a challenge I like though it is exhausting. It gives us goals as a couple, gets us out in stunningly isolated places here in our home country and opens an easy, structured, lifetime of adventure.
4. Gardening - We have just completed our first 10 years of working on our allotment plot and I have written about this experience in a blog 'Grow Our Own' since it started. It's been a wonderful journey of planning, nurturing and reaping the rewards, but boy, is it a struggle too with all the darn pests, diseases and other nasties we've encountered along the way.
Lastly, I return again to the wit and wisdom of Oscar Wilde, a person whom like the rest of us, had a complex and many faceted view of life but whom also had the brilliance of getting his thoughts down on paper. This quote encapsulates the reason why I enjoy writing a blog and why Ecotherapy is the greatest topic - 'The desire for beauty is merely a heightened form of the desire for life'.
Love
Carrie
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please leave a little nugget of happiness in the form of a comment - don't forget to put your name at the end if using 'anonymous' setting x