back to basics

"Three days in silence!? You ARE joking! How could I go for three entire days without speaking?"

...Is exactly what went through my mind when I was told that I was supposed to spend the retreat I attended last weekend in silence.

I pretty much gave up on the idea of going for three days without speaking before even thinking of attempting it, but it was not until my friend Asun (who was in charge of running the retreat) looked me in the eye and said "give it a go, what do you have to lose?".
But in fact it was definitely not what I expected, after about one hour of not speaking that awkward feeling I anticipated was nothing but a memory.
I think i would go as far as saying the silence was what made those three days so powerful!!!

Let's try it...

 Think about the last time you stopped and analysed your life?
Think about the last time you sat quietly with yourself and just thought of, well, nothing?...
"I don't have time to do that" you may be thinking; i don't blame you, that is exactly what I thought when I was asked to go on this retreat.

 Often the time we think we do not have is spent worrying about not having time! 

(confused?...Let me explain) 

It is so essential, living with all the technological distractions and constant reminders that we could be doing something ELSE,  that we go back to basics.

 Take a step back and think about what our aspirations, our goals and our achievements are.

 It is moments like these that have become increasingly rare as age progresses but by simply going back-in our minds to the days when things were perhaps less complicated we can not only clear our minds and be able to continue moving forward confidently in life, but we enable ourselves to look at life through a different perspective.

 Going on retreat was like escaping from all the worries and pressures life throws at us. It felt as if I was in a totally different country (even though it was only about 40 minuets down the M25).
That feeling of tranquillity and self confidence was something that is very hard to grasp on a daily basis as we get caught up in the days activities.

But you do not need to travel anywhere or take a 3 day break to achieve this sense of calm. It is simple...

Find a quiet area where you can sit and relax.

Talk to yourself as if you are God reviewing your life from his eyes, pointing out the good and bad aspects:
Aspects you may want to change, aspects you are proud of.

Remember to talk to God!

That is what he is there for...(well it is not the only reason he is there, but that is a totally different conversation)!

 It is hard to believe that something so simple and easy to do, can have such incredibly effective results!

 The retreat left me with a renewed self esteem and a positive attitude towards life. I came home worried about having to face the stresses I escaped from but soon realised that many of my personal concerns were only psychological worries I had stirred up and overrated in my mind.

 One thing i definitely learnt was to Never underestimate the power of the human mind!
It can completely change your outlook on life.

For me the weekend was a step away from confusion and into simplicity and clarification.

World youth day is the perfect opportunity to do just this!

To escape for a while and even though peace and quiet is not guaranteed, what is guaranteed is a new beginning...But only if you let it happen!

 The best way to go to world youth day is with an open mind, with an optimistic approach to your faith and an interest to become more involved in our faith!

 So...As Asun said,"give it a go, what do you have to lose?"

 An open mind is sometimes all you need, to look to the future, strip back all the complication and stress in life and go back to basics!