Refuge-a condition of being safe or sheltered from pursuit, danger, or trouble.

One of the advantages of growing up and living in a place like Maine is the connection you develop to the locations you come in contact with, which provide you with a relationship to nature and a link to who you are and what your life stands for. There are many unique places I have connected with over the years, and to go there, spend time, and think that brings back my history and the events of my life. These places provide me with a refuge. safe to develop who I am and help me piece together how I fit into this world. All thinking, people have places they go to strip away the junk the world heaps on a person as life rolls on and sometimes over us. Being able to think and put things into the proper perspective for ourselves is the purpose of developing a place that provides you with refuge and, hopefully, peace.

A Connection to Nature

Some of the best places for refuge I have found have been in spots where there is a natural connection. I again am fortunate to live in an area with many opportunities like this to take advantage of. There are lakes, rivers, and the ocean readily available and waiting for you to reflect on them. There is a powerful feeling of awe when you can sit and look into something that has been there for thousands of years, and you know you are just one of a million passing visitors. The problems we are facing today always seem a bit smaller when we visit something that existed long before we were born and will be there long after we have left this life. It provides a perspective that generates gratitude. A shadow of my thoughts and feelings will be left there to touch some other visitor at another time. I often feel if I close my eyes and listen hard, I can hear the thoughts of those that have come before me. All have a burden, hope, and dreams to share, even if nature is the only one who hears.

I know I often get weighed down by the events I experience daily and need to let them go, and a bit of time in one of these places of refuge allows me to focus, relax, and reaffirm my priorities about what is truly important to me. We all have down moments in life where our negative emotions get us, and usually when we get our priorities mixed up, putting ourselves at the center of our focus. Visits to nature give me the chance to put the focus where it should be, outside of myself. Remember that the things we are leaving behind are small in the end, and it is the kindness we show to others and the love we give to them that will matter. I learned this lesson in places of natural refuge.

Refuge of Creativity

Rather than a physical place, one of the best places I have found peace and recovery is through the power of creativity. For me, it is in writing. There is a connection between my heart and mind that can come out in the process of writing, and I could not be very balanced without it. Often I write about the things I am working on to clarify it to myself, and sometimes it is to say to the world, “This is what I am feeling, how about you?”  No matter the purpose, creativity allows me to take a negative mood and turn it into more positive energy.

I have written all sorts of things and have gotten into writing something on most days. A refuge that sometimes I take for granted. Then I remember what it was like before I had this outlet, and I feel both grateful for my expressions and hopeful that other people will find their place of creative expression. Even if your feelings are just for yourself, let them happen because they are a part of you. Your emotions come out in artistic creation, and you feel better about everything. Create and find the refuge your mind crafts for you. Bringing something into existence from the recesses of your thought is a powerful and beautiful gift, and it makes all of the world a better place.

Everyday Refuge

Each day we find the places and activities which allow us to be our best selves. For me, I find refuge in the gym and working out. It keeps me centered emotionally and will enable me to keep myself feeling good physically. I also have a refuge at Panera Bread, where I have been coming to write for years. It has people, if you want that, food, but most of all, it has an energy that is welcoming and gives you a great place to think unencumbered. These two things do it for me, but I am sure that if you look at your life, there are everyday places and activities you participate in that allow you to be the best you can be.

I often wonder what great places I will discover in the future to think great thoughts or learn about life. Each moment is an opportunity to figure it all out and move forward in your existence with a plan that will bring you all the money, fame, and success you dream of. That is why we imagine. Places of refuge allow us the chance to build the momentum of thought and action to bring it all into reality.

Our Dreams

To dream about the things you want to create and experience is the essence of life. What has ever been made of value that was first not just a dream in someone’s head? All things ever were built this way. A person is in a situation where something is lacking, and they create a thought to make it better. It could be a drawing, a business idea, a new invention, a plan to build the world’s most giant ball of twine. Whatever the dream, it provides us with a secure refuge from the world’s terrors.

Those people who never dream or, worse yet, discourage all others from giving up their dreams are the worst kind of reality. Society will tell you to give up, put your feet firmly on the ground and forget about those dreams. They are all a lot of hot air about nothing. But in reality, they are the springboard to your greatness—the elevator to the top of your desires. I hope you are the best tomorrow. Anyone who would discourage this or try to destroy it needs to be avoided. Surround yourself with people who believe in you and encourage you to dream. All of your dreams may not work out in the way you plan, but your life will be better for taking refuge in them, if only for a moment. Dream about it and take action to make it all happen in reality. You never know what magic you can accomplish by taking your refuge snugly and entirely inside your dreams.

So take a moment today and look at the places and things that provide you the condition of being safe or sheltered from the world’s dangers. Please take a moment and be grateful for these beautiful places and things because they allow you to be the best. If you choose to move to a different location, and all of your current safe places are taken away, one of the first things you should do is find new ones. I think for all of us to be our best person. We need to have our places and things that allow us to express ourselves. What provides you with a refuge? Do you appreciate it? It all starts with the thoughts you are safe to think because of your sanctuary. The words you consciously choose will explain your place, and the actions taken will be the truth of the situation. Be safe and find your refuge today.

“The game of basketball has been everything to me. My place of refuge, a place I’ve always gone where I needed comfort and peace. It’s been the site of intense pain and the most intense feelings of joy and satisfaction. It’s a relationship that has evolved over time, given me the greatest respect and love for the game.”-Michael Jordan 

“A true friend encourages us, comforts us, supports us like a big easy chair, offering us a safe refuge from the world.”- H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

“My dreams were all my own; I accounted for them to nobody; they were my refuge when annoyed – my dearest pleasure when free.”- Mary Shelley