Now that I “have the time” and fewer material distractions I try to seek joy in simple things. Things that I might have missed before because I didn’t have the undistracted presence to notice. A simple act of kindness, a warm smile or the elegant beauties of small things in nature were all things that I often overlooked because I didn’t possess the mindfulness to notice.
Being mindful requires hard effort and concentration but I am working on it. Sometimes that work is rewarded with a memory such as this one – a simple spider’s web covered with dew tucked deep in a foggy valley in remote Chiapas. How many things did I miss before because I allowed seemingly urgent or persistent things to distract me from what was important? How many things do I still miss because I didn’t start practicing earlier?
It starts with being mindful of each breath…. By acknowledging the sun on your skin, bird on the wing, wind singing in your ear, etc…… Just stop…… take notice and give a thankful breath.
I remember when I first felt what you are expressing above. It was the “first” time I was laid off by big blue.
I was laying in a hammock looking past my costly manicured toes to the sun setting into the blue sea, on an little island off the coast of Belize.
My belly was filled with a home made meal, my heart was filled with the warmth and love of some amazing people, (who only met me a day before) – but still, invited me into their humble home and shared with me what they had, what they had learned to honor and treasure the most. A meal with their family and friends.
I lay there, moved and honored,…… and for the first time, in a long time, I felt what it was like to have people want ONLY one thing from me….. to be my friend.
They gave me the BEST they had, “food with family and friends”….
Right then, in that hammock it struck me for the first time…. and planted a seed deep.
I was giving the best of ME – the best of what I had to give….. to corporate america. And my soul desperately wanted to give the “best of me” to wonderful people like this… to the people at home in my life. To everyone I met going forward.
So the journey began….
But it was not untill the second time big blue spit me back out…. 6 years later…… that I REALLY began to live this dream.
Now this is my “BLISS” – sharing my time, love, resources, talent & Joy… with anyone who is willing to receive it really :-)… esp in developing nations where the circle of this kind of love is realized.
This is my BLISS friends…… This is my BLISS
Blessings in abundance – Karen