Visualise

Out of the darkness

It is a midsummer's night and you are sitting in a rocking chair on a wooden veranda at the back of a large old house. The house is set at the top of a hill with wide views of the countryside for miles around. The air is slightly cool but you are well wrapped up. In front of you, a lawned garden slopes away into shadows. The waxing moon is more than half full but the landscape is reduced to an assortment of dull shapes in the semi darkness. Down in the valley, you have watched the lights in the cottages go out one by one until the dwellings have become virtually invisible. The headlights of motor vehicles on the winding country roads have likewise disappeared. The world is sleeping, except for you ....... and maybe a few more solitary creatures. In the distance, an owl hoots as if to reassure you that you are not entirely alone. Not that you feel lonely. On the contrary, you are really enjoying the peace and quiet of the night.

During busy days, it is often difficult to find a place or time to truly relax but it is no problem now that the world is resting from it's hectic schedule. At this time of the night, you are not expected to go anywhere or do anything. You have no timetables, quotas or deadlines to meet. No one is calling on you to fulfil any obligations. You can simply be yourself and act as you wish when you wish ..... or not, if you prefer. Right now, you are precisely where you want to be, rocking gently backwards and forwards in your chair, observing the progress of the moon through the night sky. A multitude of stars is spread out above you like glittering jewels scattered on a dark velvet backdrop. The night has a special beauty all of it's own which you feel privileged to share. You are perfectly at peace here and the whole universe seems to be following suit.

The procession of stars follows it's long established course as the night grows older and colder. You pull a thick, colourful blanket around your shoulders, still relaxed and happy to remain in your chair.

Time passes, the earth rotates and the stars begin to lose their sparkle. The moon is fading and shadows are beginning to move, creeping furtively away as if in fear of the approach of morning. For you, fear does not exist. You are equally at home in the day or night. You appreciate what each has to offer and welcome change.

The earliest risers in the bird kingdom are emerging from their nests and waking their sleepy neighbours with uplifting songs. Far away, the horizon has just made itself visible and is gradually coming into focus. A faint orange glow rises slowly above it. Shortly afterwards, the sun lifts it's head. The colour of the sky is diluted from dark to mid blue, growing lighter and lighter as the sun climbs higher and higher. The countryside begins to reveal it's true shape and nature. On either side of the garden, a variety of trees stand tall, ready to show their colours.

You let the blanket slip from your shoulders as the air becomes noticeably warmer. The hedge at the foot of the slope is now in view. An artistic gardener has cut it into the shape of birds so that it resembles a gaggle of green geese separating the bottom of the garden from the fields beyond. And the real birds chorus their approval. The surrounding trees are filled with their chirping. Each species has their own individual song to sing, yet all blend together in joyful harmony. All around, there is activity and growth. It is at times such as this that the spirit of creation is most evident, painting a multifaceted, multicoloured picture of the diverse splendour of nature. The whole world could be encapsulated in a single flower which is opening itself to the warm embrace of the sun. You feel yourself opening up, not only to the sun's rays but to everything and everyone under the sun.

A new day has dawned and a new you is born, hungry for experience. You are ready to receive all that is coming your way. And, you are also ready to give. Time, energy and love; you have all in abundance and you are ready to share with the others who think of this world as home, whether they be human, animal or whatever. All life is valued. All life deserves to be respected and cherished. Everything on the earth is a part of the wonder of creation and you are a co-creator. You have the power to influence your environment for better or worse. Go forward and create something you can be proud of, something that will benefit others as well as yourself and make your world a happier place to be. Today is a new beginning for you and the future is growing brighter with every passing minute.