My sister said, I’ll send you an exercise to write something short, just three minutes, about nature. But she never did. So I wrote something short about nature for three minutes anyway, and I’m glad I did. Writing is great, short it good. Here it is: – “This snow, amazing how peaceful it makes us.”Continue reading “The Snow and the Fish”
Category Archives: Notes from Ben
Fun in Times of Pandemic
A cool day in the Casa de Campo wild parkland west of Madrid. A huge pool from recent rains, the reflection of a dead tree. The kids throw in some sticks – ripples! Click! … Rotate 180 degrees, the tree is upright again! Take it home, have fun with photoshop. Over the top colours, overContinue reading “Fun in Times of Pandemic”
Depth of Place
There’s something special about going to a certain landscape again, and again. In all seasons, in all weathers. Finding all its paths, all its secrets. This landscape, above and below, is up in Madrid’s Sierra, a spot I return to over and over. There’s a wildness to it that connects with something deep inside me.Continue reading “Depth of Place”
A Deeper Life
As mentioned in a recent newsletter, I’ve been listening to Cal Newport’s Deep Questions podcast. When I want to make changes in my life, I find appropriate allies, and he is a good one right now. His focus is on living and working more deeply, and he’s very good at articulating the value and methodologyContinue reading “A Deeper Life”
Being Happiness Here
I have moved several hundred posts from my previous blog, Being Happiness, here to Notes from Ben, and deactivated Beinghappiness.com. Most of the writing from Being Happiness focuses on the themes that I’m developing here – depth in life, creativity, and present moment happiness. These imported posts all predate the writing I’ve done here, soContinue reading “Being Happiness Here”
10 Rules for A Quiet Life
I’ve been feeling overwhelmed and overloaded since the end of the summer. A lot of it is unavoidable – getting several appliances fixed in the house, work, the start of the kid’s school after six months – normal life is busy. I’ve really noticed how I’m feeling overwhelmed by the endless choice of media toContinue reading “10 Rules for A Quiet Life”
This is, Now
When I walked up to the top of a mountain pass recently, and sat looking out over incredible views of distant sierras, with birds breaking the silence occasionally on either side, I thought about what we can really know. And I came to the conclusion that the only thing we can be sure of isContinue reading “This is, Now”
Eagles, Kites and Freedom
I asked my friend Mike, ‘What do you call it when you have a blog and you think you should be writing it regularly but aren’t and you feel bad about it?’ And he replied, ‘I think that’s just called being a blogger these days’. Hmmmm. This post is in rebellion to my inactivity andContinue reading “Eagles, Kites and Freedom”
Starting something new… Now!
My wife Marina and I started a new podcast last week for our Spanish-teaching website Notes in Spanish. It’s called “3 Words for Ascuas“. We made episode 1 and put it out into the world the next day. She said, “Let’s record a few more before we put the first one out, it’s good toContinue reading “Starting something new… Now!”
Grasses
A few mornings ago I cycled up to the top of the Madrid’s Casa de Campo wild parkland, to a quiet spot between two great oak trees. I found myself looking at the parched grasses moving gently in the wind. They stand there quietly, in peace, free from worries and concerns, and when the timeContinue reading “Grasses”
