Sometime back in the summer I noticed a photograph on the front of a newspaper. It had been a very warm day and the picture showed the Henry Moore marble sculpture in the front square of Trinity College, Dublin. Reflected in the marble was the figure of a young woman lying out in the sun reading. 

I had been giving a tour of the campus that day and was speaking about the monks who were buried in that plot of ground. As I looked at the different layers within the photo it reminded me that the ideal tour guiding experience is all about layers too. Discovering the history, the personal story, the significance of a name. Looking at the style of architecture, the little details and memories made. These are all layers built one upon the other, hidden inside and occasionally appearing through. It got me thinking about how this idea isn’t just consigned to the past, as much of our lives are made up of layers too.

We build up our cities and country on actual bricks and mortar but we build our lives on what we have done and the wisdom gained from our mistakes and our successes. As this happens, we accumulate layers, whether for good or bad. Layers of experience or layers of prejudice. Perhaps we might deliberately add on layers by wearing a different mask for each of the various situations we meet in life.

Adding a layer that enriches our life

Like everything else in life, the layers we add to our life can have their good and not-so-good sides. When we tell a story, we layer it with jokes, exaggeration, and drama. If we give a class or deliver a talk we layer it with anecdotes, facts, and personal experiences. All so the listener can enjoy.

Layers can help us to help others more. They can add a sparkle to the day, to the conversation we’re having or whatever work we have to do. We can add a layer that improves our lives and cements our relationships, like good humour and a smile for the sake of the other, even when we feel down.

But can our layers also poison us?

There can be times however when adding a layer to our conversations means we cover up and are not completely sincere or truthful. We could accumulate layers of ill feelings and resentments against our family and friends without realising it. 

Or perhaps in our relationships and dealings with others, we have hidden layers that when uncovered, might reveal surprising prejudices or judgements.

We might add a layer on that exaggerates our estimation of ourselves - someone once wrote it would be ideal to sell someone for what they think they are worth and buy them back again for what they are actually worth!

Sometimes our layers need to be stripped away to get to the truth - the raw reality that lies underneath.

What helps us to thrive?

When we recognise the power that a layer can have in our life, then we can strip it of any potential poison and use it more constructively to flourish instead. 

One thing I find helpful is writing a gratitude diary and drawing up a list of all the good things from my day. It helps me to generate positive feelings which can attract other people to us and in turn, we end up inspiring and helping others in the day.

Also, we can build on the present moment that we have and give it our best instead of allowing ourselves to become paralysed by negativity or tiredness. 

A sense of gratitude and some positivity … definitely layers worth keeping.