Sepi Sekali

My last week of June passed without any writing. I don't know why, but lack of time to be away from my routines, to be alone for a reflection for a while, may have been the cause.

Writing is a reflection activity. Writing is the reflection (no matter how deep of simply shallow it is) of what observed, captured, and digested. How could you expect an output of reflection without really doing the reflection?

"Steal your time for writing", says a writing guru. I would add, "steal your time for reflection."

You may say reflection can be any where and any time. When you let your thought wandering as you are waiting at the traffic light, you are indeed doing reflection. When you take some 10 minutes away from your table at work, you may be invoved in that mental activity. There is nothing wrong about that kind of reflection. It is simply that it would not lead you to writing.

Reflection can be triggered. This is the good news. Take your book. Read your chapter. Make sure you are not in a hurry. This is the best time for reflection. When you arrive at a certain paragraph, or sentence, or phrase, or word, all of sudden you realize your mind is flying out of yourself. The adventure begins. Pick your writing pad and start pouring out your thoughts.

People say, provide yourself some 1 hour a day for reading .. reading for pelasure. I think all should listen to this advice. Reading for pelasure! Once you get accustomed with this special one hour to find inspirations to take on to your reflection adventure, that Sepi Sekali will never come again.