How’s your 2022 shaping up? I haven’t seen its best face, so far. Not by a long shot.
Even so, there’s always a sense of serenity to be found, in a Scarborough beach sunrise. Australia is blessed with a multitude of beaches. They’re a perfect place for contemplation – the rhythmic waves drowning out the city sounds: a soothing poultice for troubling thoughts that tumble chaotically in the vortex of life.
Whether you’re seeking respite from boisterous children, noisy neighbours, barking dogs, a family crisis, unemployment, the ‘rona,’ or other sounds of city/life that might grate on one’ nerves, it’s the desire for peace and tranquillity that propels many of us to search for peace, physically and/or emotionally, somewhere we can feel calm and untroubled – a state called serenity.
Serenity – a welcome internal state brought about, in part, by external forces.
If a sandy beach is not your thing, taking a walk in nature is an excellent way to eliminate stress. Forest trails invite you to explore, to exercise, to breathe deeply and it is possible to find a sense of serenity to those who seek it.
The Nakasendo Way is an ancient walking trail connecting post-towns between Tokyo and Kyoto. This section, located in the mountains in Hakone, Japan, is a place where even the most anxious person might find serenity.
Zen Gardens
Zen Gardens are synonymous with serenity. They are minimalist-designed gardens adorned with certain elements and a lot of open space, intended to help the viewer erase the stresses of everyday life by providing him with emptiness and openness.
DIY Zen Gardens
If you don’t have a zen garden nearby, you could make your own version with stones, versions, dollar store miniature tools and a few rocks and cactus – this was a school project which certainly attracted a lot of attention from the school students.
Friendly Friday Challenge Prompt – Searching for Serenity
For the Friendly Friday Challenge, show me in photographs, or using words, write about somewhere that imparts a feeling of serenity – a favourite walking trail; a comfortable chair; a place where you craft or work; or home with loved ones.
A poem, a story, a report, a photograph, all are welcome contributions to Friendly Friday.
How to Join Friendly Friday Blog Challenge
- Make a post relating to the prompt, “Searching for serenity,” and include the tag Friendly Friday as well as a ping back to this post.
- Furthermore, please be sure to leave a comment here along with your published URL, so I can find you and read your post. (ping backs can fail more often than you realise).
- Note that links to a homepage will not issue a ping back, so please copy and past your post’s url.
- If you wish, you can include the Friendly Friday Challenge logo in your post. Download it here.
- You are encouraged to visit other Friendly Friday entries by following their links in the comments below. It’s inspirational and you will find some cool people.
- Follow the host blogs to be informed of future Friendly Friday Challenges
[More Friendly Friday instructions]
This challenge runs for two weeks from today, after which Sandy will post a new Friendly Friday prompt at The Sandy Chronicles.
2022 Friendly Friday Prompt Release Dates
February 25 – Sandy – The Sandy Chronicles
March 11th – Sofia – Guest Host Photographias – EXCITING!!!
March 25th – Sarah – Travel with Me
Remember to follow the Friendly Friday Challenge Team Blogs above to get email notifications/updates in your reader.
We are what our name says: Friendly!
If you do decide to join our challenge: we look forward to meeting you!
Something to Ponder About 
I love the subject here, Amanda! I’m going to keep it for future reference. On the road right now to retrieve my personal belongings and staying with a friend. The room is serene and I’m absorbing it’s essence. I’ve always thought that serenity was a state of mind you could chose. Even when chaos is all around, you can take your focus off and find that spot in your mind to bring you back.Of course, idyllic surroundings are very helpful, though we can’t always get to them. You have given me a great deal of food for thought.
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Lovely to hear Marlene that you could find some food for thought in my challenge post. You know I am not good at finding serenity when things are chaotic. It is very difficult for me to choose that as a state of mind unless I practise some meditation. Yet the paradox is that serenity is most needed in those chaotic times.
When things are more stable, I can visit that serene place in my mind very easily. Enjoy your mini holiday and visiting your friend.
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I loved how you spoke of the beach, “a soothing poultice for troubling thoughts that tumble chaotically in the vortex of life.” Beautiful words and lovely pictures.
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Thank you so much for that kind comment. It does indeed feel like that and in that I am blessed that a beach is easily accessible to me. Although I am not in walking distance to my favourite beach, it is just just a short drive.
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Enjoyed your peaceful images. Here is mine for this week. https://heavenssunshine.blog/the-calmest-place/
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