We miss out on so much of life when we avoid the unpleasant or the inconvenient. Winter can be harsh and unpleasant at times but  that can be ameliorated by embracing the pleasures it also provides. The exhilaration of skating in the outdoors on a winter's evening  is quite something. Granted that is now a memory for me but a very pleasant one nevertheless. Somehow it is infinitely more pleasant than skating in an indoor heated facility where one cannot see the stars in a clear winter sky or feel the fresh breezes as you glide across a frozen surface which nature has provided for your use.

The image above is of the Rideau Canal in Ottawa, our nation's capital. The Rideau in winter becomes the longest natural skating rink in the world.  Visible from Parliament Hill  and a beautiful sight. Seeing Canadians enjoying  what nature has provided right in the midst of our capital city makes one realize that we do have the means to shed our worries and conflicts and simply enjoy life, if only for an hour or so. All it takes is the willingness to do so and a zest for living.

Just for a minute, think how much happier we would all be if we applied that same attitude to life itself. Yes, there are problems and serious matters to be addressed, never more than now, but taking a break to just enjoy the moment refreshes and energizes so one can approach those problems with a clearer head and a more positive outlook. Burying one's head in sand doesn't do it, running away isn't an option, but taking a break to simply enjoy life does give a renewed sense of purpose when one returns to confronting  what needs to be addressed.  You may not have the luxury of skating outdoors, you may, either due to physical or geographical circumstance need to find other ways to relieve the pressures of every day life but there are ways. It only takes  the will to find them.

It might be reading a really good book or even just taking time to count blessings or talk to a child and really listen, but it is soul restoring. There is absolutely nothing short of stopping breathing which can defeat you if you determine that you will not allow it to win. Certainly there are times when things seem hopeless and beyond your power to control but much as this sounds like a cliché, tomorrow is another day and we can make it  better. Perhaps it cannot be done by yourself alone and you may need to seek the help of others but there will be a way.

When was the last time you watched kids at play enjoying their youthful exuberance and laughter, or listened to the rain, followed a butterfly's erratic flight, or watched the wonder of a beautiful sunset as you listened to the sound of waves as they gently drift onto a sandy beach, having spent their strength on their journey toward the shore, sounding  like a multitude of soft whispers from heaven in the still of the night. Or simply walked in your garden listening to the birds singing as if their joy in life was boundless ? If you haven't done so in a while. I recommend it. You will be amazed at how much better you feel for having taken the time to do so.

Yes, I know I sound like Pollyanna, but if life has taught me anything it's to savour the little things which we so often take for granted  and ignore as we get caught up in the day to day worries and challenges we all face from time to time. Taking the time to really see the world around us makes our day to day struggles and worries seem less monumental and perhaps even manageable. Never more than now have we needed  that perspective. Very little has the power to defeat us if we approach it with the right mindset. I truly believe this.