Deep Life Reflections: Friday Five
Issue 79 - Look Back: Part 3
Welcome to Issue 79 of Deep Life Reflections.
I’m in the final stretch of my journey through Spain, spending a few days in the coastal town of Estepona after several days in the beautiful city of Seville. Over 2,200 years old, Seville is Spain’s fourth-largest city and is said to have been founded by Hercules himself. Earlier this week, I visited the magnificent Royal Alcázar of Seville, a residence of Spanish royalty for over a thousand years, which is also the featured image for this week. This is one of the oldest palaces still in use in Europe, and the very place where Christopher Columbus received his commission to journey to the New World.
As I continue my travels, this is my third and final reflection on key themes from past issues, giving you a chance to revisit earlier insights or discover something new. I hope you’ve enjoyed this look back over the past few weeks.
Join me as we look back in this week’s Friday Five.
Expression - Issue 29, September 8, 2023
In this edition, I explored the theme of art and its essential role in human expression and community. I reflected on the work of Mark Rothko, famous for his large-scale abstract paintings, which are celebrated for their bold, brilliant fusion of colours and psychological meaning. I also revisited The 400 Blows by François Truffaut, a key film of the French New Wave cinema, capturing the harsh realities of adolescence in a gritty 1950s Paris.
That week’s reflection also touched on the role of AI in art. While AI can mimic human patterns and styles, it can never truly replicate the authentic human touch. This is a topic that will continue to remain relevant in our age of misinformation. The quote that week comes from George Bernard Shaw, and there’s an intriguing question for you to consider.
Silence - Issue 36, October 27, 2023
In this edition, I focused on the vital role of independent thinking. I highlighted two works that emphasise its importance: George Orwell’s classic fable Animal Farm, perhaps the greatest artistic portrayal of the abuse of power, and the powerful film The Lives of Others, which explores surveillance and scandal in East Berlin in 1984. It’s a film that lingers long after watching.
That week, I reflected on what it means to cultivate independent thinking and how we can apply this mindset more intentionally in our daily lives. The quote came from the great Russian writer and dissident Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, and the issue was inspired by my travels to Gori, Georgia—the birthplace of Joseph Stalin.
I hope you enjoyed this third look back through Deep Life Reflections. As with previous reflections, perhaps these are topics that have some current relevance to your own life and are worth revisiting. Thanks as always for reading and being part of the Deep Life Journey community. Have a great weekend.
James
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