Author: dwightvanm

Beautiful Palm Springs, California

Photo taken by the author

 

“True silence is the rest of the mind, and is to the spirit what sleep is to the body, nourishment and refreshment.”
– William Penn

“Many things – such as loving, going to sleep, or behaving unaffectedly – are done worst when we try hardest to do them.”
– C.S. Lewis

 

As the sun follows the moon in nature’s rhythmic pattern, just as each season follows the other during the calendar year, so also is sleep nature’s way of working in us as individual’s. This is so because in everything there is a natural restoration to the balance of all things created.

Sleep contributes in a large and powerful way to our bodies biological and circadian rhythm. And just what is meant by the term, circadian rhythm? Below are some descriptions of this term:

1. Our body’s rhythms are governed by a “master clock” located in a tiny region of the brain called the suprachiasmatic nucleus. It works much like a conductor, striking up one section of the body’s orchestra as another quiets down, taking its main cue from light signals in order to stay in sync with the 24-hour day. (1)
2. The circadian timing system (CTS) has been shown to be involved in the coordinated daily variation of almost every physiological and psychological system evaluated thus far. Maintaining synchronized circadian rhythms is important to health and well-being. (2)
3. Often referred to as the “body clock,” the circadian rhythm is the 24-hour cycle that tells our bodies when to sleep, rise, and eat—regulating many physiological processes. This internal body clock is affected by environmental cues, like sunlight and temperature, and determines whether one feels wide-awake and energized or tired and depleted at different times of the day. (3)
4. Your circadian rhythm is basically a 24-hour internal clock that is running in the background of your brain and cycles between sleepiness and alertness at regular intervals. It’s also known as your sleep/wake cycle. (4)

“A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor’s book.”
– Irish Proverb

I know for us in the West, the minimum eight hour sleep that is recommended by healthcare professionals, is often not always followed as we are surrounded by activities, of all kinds, that compete for our attention, which naturally results in our own lack of sleep. However, each of us knows by now, or is in the process of learning and discovering, what is the number of hours of sleep needed, in order for us to function well the following day and to maintain our optimal levels.

Like anything else in life, some people are better than other’s at falling to sleep, and staying asleep. For these people, their heads need only touch their pillow (or whatever they set their head on, horizontal or otherwise) and they are instantly out. Meanwhile, for the rest of us mortals, it can take a significant more amount of time for our eyelids to reach that shut-eye effect and for our brain’s to finally turn-off. The gift of sleep, as I am coming to discover, really is just that – a gift.

“I love to sleep. I’d sleep all day if I could.”
– Miley Cyrus

“There is a time for many words, and there is also a time for sleep.”
– Homer

Sources:

(1) https://www.webmd.com/balance/features/power-of-circadian-rhythms

(2) https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/892.html

(3) https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/basics/circadian-rhythm

(4) https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-topics/what-circadian-rhythm

Oceanside Dock Silhouette

Victoria, Vancouver Island, British Columbia

 

“A well-spent day brings happy sleep.”
– Leonardo da Vinci

“I love sleep. My life has the tendency to fall apart when I’m awake, you know?”
– Ernest Hemingway

 

This one thing is certain: we all crave a good night’s sleep.

Our bodies need it just as much as our minds and our own well-being do.

We will do almost anything to get it, even taking sleeping pills, to achieve this shut-eye effect.

It is a need, not a want; a requirement, not an extra – if time permits.

I have noticed that often the very first thing we ask those we live with in the morning is, “How did you sleep?” Isn’t this amazing? That the first words we utter, or struggle to get out to our loved ones, is not “Hey, what’s for dinner tonight?” or, “What are we doing this weekend?” or, “Do we want to go to Maui or Vancouver Island for our vacation this year?”

None of these important matters are mentioned when one’s feet touches the ground and our bodies somehow stumble into the kitchen to get the coffee maker doing what it does best. Instead, what we often ask or try to communicate to another is how one’s rest was the night before. Only then do we enter in and ask the more pertinent questions, if any words are spoken during one’s morning routine.

“Each night, when I go to sleep, I die. And the next morning, when I wake up, I am reborn.”

– Mahatma Gandhi

As we know, anything techy these days has a good ‘ole-fashioned restart button, which is mostly used when anything on our much-too-beloved devices goes wonky. Having said this, sleep is the natural restart button for us as human beings. It is the normal design for every part that makes us human: spirit, soul, and body. A good night’s rest does wonder’s to our inner core, including our beliefs and values, as well as to our mind, will, and emotions, and the physiological components we all share that makes us who we are.

Sleep, I believe, is designed to wake us up. Its natural calming effect is to do just that: namely, to calm our tri-sector beings while we rest at night and to give us the green light come the morning, in the wake of a new day.

Sleep is also like the delete button we are all so fond of when going through our emails, as a good night’s sleep deletes whatever was negative, unnecessary, or not-right from the day before; thereby, allowing us to enter our new day clear-headed and in a positive, level-headed, and well-balanced framework.

Life is better above the clouds

Photo taken by the author

 

“Autumn… the year’s last, loveliest smile.”
– William Cullen Bryant

“Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.”
– F. Scott Fitzgerald

Change, or any kind, big or small, is never easy for anyone to deal with or to go through. Even those who admit that change comes easier for them also struggle with it, even if only adopting its new arrival. This is because the very word ‘change’ gives evidence that something will soon be different, once again. In one way, the suddenness of a change requires learning new things and developing new habits and routines. The change itself is a time of letting go of what had previously existed and opening one’s mind to what inevitably is ahead.

For myself, I find change to be difficult and even unnerving, at times. It feels like just when I have become accustomed to something and have gained some familiarity with, I then find it ripped out suddenly from beneath my feet, whereby leaving my feet with seemingly nowhere to land. I seem to have a love-hate relationship with change. I enjoy seeing the new horizons that have opened up when going through a particular change as well as the momentum that is gained, even if only within myself. However, it’s the upstart I am not particularly fond of a new and decided upon change. Something I recently learned about myself is that I don’t like surprises, and a change feels like this: a big, sudden surprise. At first it catches me off-guard, until the apparent shock has worn off and the new change has had a chance to form its new course.

“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.”
– L.M. Montgomery

Of all places, nature seems to have the most consistent change amongst us; namely, in the changing of the seasons every year. A change in the seasons is evident here in YYC from summer to fall. I have been in the denial stage of this season’s change but have slowly moved myself to the acceptance stage with autumn’s approach. Recently I have begun to think about this change in a different light. Instead of thinking about all the fun times from the past summer months or the cold, damp weather that is soon to encamp around us, I have been thinking this change also means there are innumerable opportunities in this new season, that may not otherwise would have been presented to us.

So, instead of dreading the onslaught of (yet another) winter wonderland, let’s embrace this new change and take in the glorious season that fall distinctly offers: the beautiful array of colours as the leaves on the trees change from an emerald green to a strikingly yellow, vibrant orange, and crisp red. Let’s take time to remember the awesome, fun memories we made during this past season of summer, enjoy getting back into a routine, as well as having fun getting into ‘learning mode,’ as school is back in session, so we might as well learn something new for ourselves by creating our own classroom. As well, this season may just be an opportune time for you to begin or try a new sport or hobby that has held an interest with you for some time.

“How beautifully leaves grow old. How full of light and color are their last days.”
– John Burroughs

“Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree.”
– Emily Brontë

Of course, I would rather be where the sun is shining, the lush, pure colour of green is everywhere I look, and with the clear, blue sky prominently on display above. But, I am also looking forward to the many opportunities that are in anticipatory waiting to be fully discovered and realized. And who knows, this new mindset might even make up for the low quantities of Vitamin D I’ll be receiving!

Victoria Oceanfront
Photo taken by the author

“I remember the days of sitting at book signings, playing with my pen when no one would come, and still I even then thought I was living the dream, because I had a book out.”

Harlan Coben

 

“I loved travelling around the country and meeting people at book signings.”

Mike Gallagher

 

I’ll be having another book signing at Dalhousie Chapters on Saturday, September 1st, 2018 from 11 am – 3 pm.

My 1st Chapters book signing at Crowfoot was a great launch. This next signing will launch us into the next splendid season of fall (which I am still in denial of), over the last long weekend of the summer.

I’ll be there, rain or shine, so come stop by & get your signed copy of “The Search For Life,” & get geared up for your fall reading.

I look forward to seeing you there.

D

A Walk in Nature

Photo taken by the author

“Laughter is timeless. Imagination has no age. And dreams are forever.”
– Walt Disney

“None are so old as those who have outlived enthusiasm.”
– Henry David Thoreau

Birthday’s remind us that we are indeed special and that we do matter in this world. The marking of a new year added reaffirms our confidence and our place in this world. We are reminded that this world is a better place because we are living here. Who we are as a person reinforces our place in this world as well as our influence in the heart’s and mind’s of those we have had the good fortune of interacting with. It is always a good thing to be reminded we are here for a reason and that there is a purpose for our existence, even if that purpose may not yet be fully known at this time. Birthday’s are God’s reminder to us that He has not forgotten about us either and that he has created us with a specific purpose and intent in mind, overall, and for lots of mini-purposes along the way. Birthday’s reveal that we are part of a grand design, one that is designed by a grand Designer. If you think about it, this thought alone can bring peace to our heart’s knowing that Somebody is thinking of us, whether we are aware of it or not.

“In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.”

– Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States of America

Birthday’s also reveal that time is a very real concept and that it is one of the few guarantees in life. What this means is that time is always moving in our world in the same way as there is always movement in the human race; that is, in the coming’s and going’s of our daily lives. Birthday’s, as a celebratory reminder, serve as an expression that time is continuous and is always moving forward, one second at a time, until eventually this addition of time culminates into another year passing, leading up to one’s birthday. In speaking of time, birthday’s also reveal our existence on planet Earth, whereby gently and kindly informing us that our time may be up one day, with there being no more time left in our Earthly pilgrimage. Thus, each passing of time serves as a timestamp as part of our mortal condition. In this way, time serves as a useful tool in showing us where we’ve come from as well as all of the great adventures that are still ahead for us. Time helps us to re-organize our priorities and determine what area’s of our life are most important in this next year – one’s that we are most passionate about as well as freeing us to discontinue other area’s as they no longer hold a value of importance for us.

“The longer I live the more beautiful life becomes.”

– Frank Lloyd Wright

All in all, birthday’s are a very special and important time in a person’s life. While they serve many different kinds of purpose’s, the greatest among them is that they reveal to the birthday holder that we are important, we do matter, and we do hold significance along this peculiar journey called life. As John Lennon once sang:

Another year over / And a new one just begun

“You don’t get older, you get better.”

– Shirley Bassey

A Golfer’s Paradise

“Let us never know what old age is. Let us know the happiness time brings, not count the years.”
– Ausonius

Birthday’s are those once-in-a-year times where time just kind of lingers and seems to stand still for a brief moment in time. It’s in these times where a person gets to reflect on what the past year held for them, whereby creating an internal survey of what went well and what could be done better, as well as those events we are glad are over and those one’s that were truly sensational for us. It’s these memories that are worth going through, in reflection, as we realize just how much and all that has transpired for us in the past year, leading up to the official day of our day of birth. We remember all the ups and downs, and sideways one’s too, and are amazed and grateful for each experience as they taught us a little bit more about ourselves and our place in this grand narrative that we call life – all in a year’s time.

At the same time, we are glancing ahead towards the next year, a brand “new one,” as Lennon sings about, and what it may bring for us. It’s like there is a brand new canvas in front of us. It’s just white, with no colour’s or writing’s or event’s or description’s or revealing’s – just a blank sheet of an artist board waiting for new life, and all the assortment of colour’s, to be splashed upon its blank sheet. This dry canvas waits for what it is to be revealed in the coming days, weeks, and months ahead. Then, exactly one year from now the subject for whom this painting was commissioned for can again reflect on and draw upon everything that this upcoming year had in store.

“God gave us the gift of life; it is up to us to give ourselves the gift of living well.”
– Voltaire

It is in this phase of forward-looking where we often have high hopes for what the next year may bring as well as those dreams and desires in our heart’s that we would like to see a completion stamp marked on them. It’s like the last few day’s of a school year when we were in Middle School. Everyone knows those last few “mandatory” school days require attendance, yet at the same time, not much that is productive in teaching or learning will really get done. Then, the last day of school arrives and it is always a blast waking up the next day knowing that summer vacation has finally arrived and will be in full swing for the next two entire months!

“This book is about my life experiences to date around the idea of searching, and the various ways that search has looked and unfolded for me. These words were written for myself initially, in an effort to write out these experiences using my own writing style as I reflected upon each one of them. Then, it was designed to share and pass on these experiences for others to enjoy and benefit from, especially those coming after me, the next generation.”

– Author’s quote, taken from the Introduction

After an exhilarating few year’s journey, I am thrilled & excited to announce that I have written, published, and released my first book! This writing project has been quite the adventure, an incredible milestone achieved, and a dream of mine fulfilled.

Now, for a little bit about this book:

The title is called, “The Search For Life,” and it’s about searching for the meaning of life. I have written 13 chapters that talk about different ways a person may search for and find meaning in their own life. The book you are reading is comprised of a number of sub-themes, which all branch out from the larger theme of searching. The context for these sub-themes is how they relate to a person’s life. Essentially, this book is the personal story of one young man’s journey in life, mine, who is, and has been, on a search for some of the most important areas life has to offer. It is an attempt to bring out into the open both world’s of darkness and light that a human being goes through as they navigate their way through life.

You can order your own copy from Amazon using the links below.

Paperback:

 

e-book:

 

Here is an excerpt from my book taken from Chapter 1: In Search Of Adventure:

“It seems to me that adventure is what the human heart desires the most, and it can come in different ways for different people. For me, I find adventure in the things that are new such as  travelling and sports, including skiing during the winter months and slalom skiing in the summers, as well as golfing, road biking, and roller-blading.

In the book Wild at Heart, John Eldredge explains that there are three core desires to a man’s heart: a battle to fight, an adventure to live, and a beauty to rescue. I sincerely believe he is both accurate and correct in this assessment of how men are wired. In this chapter I want to focus on that second key desire: the theme of adventure.

Adventure’s in Europe 

Travelling is one of the areas where I experience a heightened level of adventure. I have been fortunate to travel to two different continents over the last three years: Europe and Africa. As it would be, I set foot on both lands for six weeks each, and travelled by myself for the majority of each trip.

I’ll start with Europe. I went there in 2012 after completing six years of post-secondary education, coming out with a Business degree and an Information Technology diploma. I knew it was time to travel and see the world. I travelled with a tour group on my own and got to see 19 countries in five weeks. I then stayed in London for an extra week. Looking back, the whole trip was a wild and grand adventure for me. I really enjoyed the whirlwind experience in seeing the vast majority of the countries in Western Europe. I took the greatest amount of pictures I have ever taken on a single trip to date, totalling more than 7,000.

Here are some of the highlights of this adventurous voyage:

Paris – Just being in this iconic city felt incredible. I climbed to the top level of the Eiffel Tower and saw the amazing, panoramic view of the city; explored the limitless works of art in the long-stretching wings of the glass pyramid at the Louvre; and watched our bus driver just go for it and merge across eight lanes of traffic at an uncontrolled, hectic traffic circle at the Arc de Triumphe, which was an exciting adrenaline rush! Paris taught me to enjoy the artistic side of humanity and to develop an appreciation for romance.

Rome – I thoroughly enjoyed touring both the Roman Forums and Colisseum. This portion of the trip was complete with an amazing tour guide who was extremely passionate about Roman history and made Rome come to life. Eating Europe’s famed gelato ice cream while visiting the Spanish Steps followed this tour. Other memorable events included tossing a coin into Trevi Fountain and seeing the main attractions of the Vatican City: The Vatican museums, St. Peter’s Basillica, and the Sistine Chapel, all of which were breathtaking to the natural eye. In Rome I learned about a civilization that existed long before I ever did. Hearing stories of what took place in these places and standing at the epicenter of these historic places taught me about the brevity of life and gave me a glimpse into how powerful the Roman Empire really was in its day.

Greek Islands – We parked our tour bus and jumped on a cruise ship to five Greek islands: Mykonos, Rhodes, Santorini, Crete, and Patmos. We also made a stop in Kusadesi, Turkey, where I got to see the ancient Biblical city, Ephesus. Seeing its immense amphitheatres, the city’s original library, and walking the same street as the Apostle Paul did was truly incredible. My favourite island was Santorini with its renowned white-washed, blue-domed architecture set amidst in the Aegean Sea. I would love to go back there. One of the biggest take-away’s from this experience was appreciating the impact ancient history still has on our world today.

Another was re-discovering the importance of being able to sit still and relax while taking in the mesmerizing beauty before me, though both land and ocean.

London – In one week I got to see more than 25 of the top sites London has to offer such as Ben Ben, Churchill Museum, Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, St. Paul’s Cathedral, and Westminster Bridge, to name a few. I loved exploring this historic city all by myself, and it was a thrilling and highly productive week. Through my time here, London gave me a glimpse of how old our world really is. As a Canadian, our country just celebrated its 150th anniversary, and to contrast that with London having been founded in 50 AD (not to mention that some of its building’s are hundreds of years old), was quite a history lesson.

This trip meant a lot to me because my dad had gone to Europe after he completed High School, and I wanted to follow in his footsteps. I always loved hearing the stories he would tell me about his European travels, and I wanted to be able to have similar stories to share with my children one day.

It was an adventure because this trip was the first time I had visited a different continent outside of North America. It was a very exciting time for me, especially with all the planning and preparation that went in beforehand and then being able to live it and see it unfold before my eyes.”

Get your copy today!

Golfing in Phoenix – photo taken by the author

“Today you are you! That is truer than true! There is no one alive who is you-er than you!”
– Dr. Seuss

John Lennon writes in his song, “Happy Christmas”:

Another year over / And a new one just begun

This is true for me, as in this case it relates to my birthday. I am a spring-baby and April is my birthday month. This month in particular brings with it the reassuring promise that winter is coming (emphasis on ‘finally’) to a close and the much-needed season’s of spring and summer are right around the corner. April is a month that very clearly distinguishes seasons; that is, it is marked by the end of one season and the arrival of another of nature’s finest. Of course, my birthday follows The Master’s, which being the greatest golf tournament of the year, is played at the same course every year at Augusta National GC, in Augusta, Georgia. I love the time of the year and the month that I was born.

The anticipation of a birthday can be quite profound as well. This is what it’s been like for me all along. It’s always been a teeter-totter experience between the feeling’s of excitement & nervousness. On one hand it’s exciting because of everything that a birthday resembles. On the other hand, it’s a nervous kind of feeling as I don’t really know exactly what to expect. And so the countdown begins about a month or so before my actual birthday, and then a few weeks out, followed by that one week to go, and then the coming days leading up to the night before my special day. I really can’t explain this except that it seems to occur every year.

After all, I had no control of my entry into this world and I certainly could not have picked the day of my arrival. However, the day seems to get packed with all the wonderful, heart-warming, and very cool cards, texts, Facebook birthday wishes, phone calls, etc I may receive on this particular day. It’s a very anticipatory and expectant time, even if I don’t know what I’m expectant of. It’s kind of like Christmas Day as a kid growing up. When the day does finally arrive you’re besides yourself, after hardly sleeping the night before, and full of anticipation of what the day might bring; of course, this moment may be understated, but I digress.

“Concision in style, precision in thought, decision in life.”
– Victor Hugo

In this piece, I’d like to offer my reader’s a practical and useful tool to readily have on hand when facing a decision, of any kind. Many times during our week we’ll be facing a situation, or a choice of some sort, which we may not really know how to handle or even know where to begin. At this point I have found it helpful to ask myself the following question: “What’s the next step for me to do?” I have used this question many times and have found it helps me focus on the next thing to be done.

This methodology can be applied for big or small decisions you may be facing. It’s essentially designed to help get the ball rolling for a person to prioritize what needs to get done. We as human beings seem to like and work best when we have a checklist-of-sort as we work through an issue or an idea. Having this list also gives us a sense of accomplishment as we work our way towards a certain goal, as well as when that goal is completed. Life is essentially a series of steps, once broken down, that can be actionized through this next step process.

Think about this the next time you’re feeling stuck about a particular matter and ask yourself, “What’s the next step for me to do?” and then go do it.

Flying High Above the Clouds
Photo taken by the author

Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent. – Victor Hugo

Music is probably the only real magic I have encountered in my life. There’s not some trick involved with it. It’s pure and it’s real. It moves, it heals, it communicates and does all these incredible things.
– Tom Petty

Music, it appears, speaks to me in loud, yet quiet ways – all at once. Certain types of songs seem to have this profound effect on me. Ordinary World, written by Green Day’s frontman, Billie Joe Armstrong, is one of these song’s. The songwriter takes us through ordinary experiences in life that we all encounter. Armstrong talks about how the simplest form of being in love, with two people just being together, is “more than enough.” There’s no mention of having bigger or grander of anything; just two ordinary people, a guy and a gal, who are together. And apparently, as ordinary as that sounds, it’s more than enough.

Throughout this song, Billie Joe talks about other commonplace occurrences. He ponders where he can find this “city of shining light.” It’s as if he is trying to find some spiritual meaning to make sense of all the mundaneness around him. Like most of us at some point in our lives, he is searching for something, or someone, that is higher than himself, and can provide answer’s to the tough question’s about life. I also believe he is wanting to find and experience a place within himself that has real and lasting peace.

He then talks about wanting to leave a “buried treasure behind.” My interpretation of this line is he wants to leave a legacy after he has left this world. He wants to know that what he has given his life for, will not only be remembered, but will have left an impact and imprint on this world. What he speaks of is every man’s, and woman’s, greatest search for significance. He wants to leave a buried treasure behind in hopes of someone finding his lifetime legacy of treasure long after he is gone.

He next turns to the issue of birthday’s. These annual, celebratory reminder’s of our birth-date, which represents the day we officially entered this world. He mentions how “the days into years roll by” which alludes to as we live out our days, each day at a time, it is like a snowball rolling down a steep toboggan hill, quickly gaining momentum. That is, the days become weeks, which become months, which over time accumulate into year’s, then decades, and finally, into a lifetime. And it’s these “days” where each of us “live until [we] die.” This can be a sobering thought, but I think of it more as a linear approach to living. It’s just like this as this is how the world and our lives work.

Where words fail, music speaks.
– Hans Christian Andersen

The “shooting star” he speaks of are the dreams and desires we each hold deep down in our heart’s. They become what we would “wish” for if we “saw a shooting star.” It is these hopes that add vivid colour to our lives as they give life to us by making our world un-ordinary. It’s not only the wishing that counts, but it’s even more so when a certain wish is granted where all the majestic display of colours come bursting into our world. It is these ultra-cool moments that make living in an ordinary world bearable. It’s like hitting the sweet spot on your driver just that one time during a round of golf. All those other drive’s were just okay, or ordinary, but that one drive that really popped off the centre of the club face is that one extraordinary shot that instantly sends us back to the golf course in hopes of attaining this elusive, driver-sensation, yet again.

He then says, “I’ve walked to the end of the earth and afar.” What he means is, he’s been everywhere. He’s travelled to the four corner’s of the earth, and even a bit beyond, and has seen all there is to offer on the earth. He’s also speaking to each of us in this lyrical line for this is why we travel and go places. This helps explain our innate, and often unfulfilled, desires of each travelling place we venture to. At the end of each excursion there is only one conclusive certainty that remains: we realize that we must travel again – and so, the relentless preparation’s start all over again.

One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain.
– Bob Marley

This song for me reveals a rich lyrical meaning because what is written is something I can relate to. This song makes sense of living and speaks of how I spend the majority of my days, as well as containing those vivid dreams of mine, which for me are those extraordinary, remarkable, and special moments – splendid gifts – that life offers along the way.