Digging for white gold (80 x 100 cm) , by Erik Pevernagie, oil on canvas.

Let us dig for the white gold of happiness. Let us disobey the petrification of our mind before toxic thoughts transform our life into a matrix of numbers and columns and kill the bounciness of our drives, catching our future off guard.

Let us loosen our grip sometimes, open up and break free from the corroded mechanism of our life, and let us thereby indulge in living by the seat-of-the-pants, allowing unclouded and eye-opening rides.

Happiness may be a hardwired obsession in our brains. First and foremost, we should learn to foster an upright quest for unvarnished well-being and, above all, not give in to vain temptations of displaying counterfeit contentment and fake smiling.

Nature is a raw material and teaches us to be unfeigned and straightforward. It does not allow dubiousness.

Nature lovers are key players in the white gold adventure. They have taken possession of the snowscapes and have inflamed people's passion and imagination. They must, however, respect nature's spirit and its rituals.

Let us not neglect rituals. They can be the watchdogs for the survival of our mental health, warning us when a well-oiled functioning of our life story is about to disrupt. Rituals can be safeguards hindering us from stumbling into the abyss of nothingness. Rituals can be anchor points providing guidance on our potholed path for the future.

Rituals can be reliable safeguards, but plot twists in the theatre of our life should not freak us out. If we are willing to transform ourselves and confront our inner self with the rites of our inner world,  we can allow a dialogue within ourselves. In our existential challenge, faltering can give us a choice between ignoring, accepting, or integrating the plot twists on our path.

Phenomenon: Ski and the white gold

Factual starting point: Person on ski