”Follow your instincts. That’s where true wisdom manifests itself.”
~ Oprah Winfrey
What a beautiful morning here today. Tropical Storm Dorian is passing just to our North, sending us a cleansing line of showers late yesterday afternoon. The air feels so fresh, with a light lofty breeze. And look at those still waters in the photo … It’s like a lake out there! A perfect day for my villa guests, who are going scuba diving this morning 🙂
So yesterday, I had one of those experiences that gives you goose bumps. I was in the midst of cleaning, when I had a very strong sense that a friend needed me to contact them. I came over to my computer to see if she was on Facebook. Turns out, she had been listening to a song for the past half hour, and thinking very intently on me. She posted the song – for me – right as I logged in here. She had been more or less meditating for the past hour, love flowing. Wow!! Did I feel that or what !!!
Mindfulness – The Chinese character 念 is composed of two parts, the top 今 meaning “now; this” and bottom 心 signifying “heart; mind.”
“Mindfulness is the quality and power of mind that is aware of what’s happening — without judgment and without interference. It is like a mirror that simply reflects whatever comes before it. It serves us in the humblest ways, keeping us connected to brushing our teeth or having a cup of tea. It keeps us connected to the people around us, so that we’re not simply rushing by them in the busyness of our lives.
“You can’t cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water.”
~ Rabindranath Tagore
This morning I woke up thinking about choice. From the moment that I am conscious, it feels that almost every second I am confronted with it. From the moment I decide to get out of bed (or not) …. What prompts me to rise each morning really?
Last year, I happened to read “The Big Book”, looking to understand the addiction of an acquaintance. To an outsider, drinking may seem like a choice. Either you do, or you don’t. Even for myself, having a glass (or two or three) of wine after work, has been a lifelong “choice”. I’ve spent much of this week watching that choice, as I decided to take a break from that habit. Sure enough, at 4:00ish, there is a steady pull, and a struggle that my mind goes through. As long as I feed my mind something – and this week it’s been a club soda or a fruit flavored aqua fresco – mind forgets about the cocktail. It’s been a great practice in mindfulness, because I’m seeing clearly that 90 seconds is about the amount of time that it takes for that “thought bubble” as I like to call it (along with all the associated emotions) to arise and fall.
“When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world.”
~ John Muir
Hardly a minute goes by these days, without my realizing that life is a river of change and inter-connectedness. As I watched this beautiful sky, I rubbed my eyes for five seconds to wake up, and in those few seconds, the skies changed from this brilliant red, to a goldenrod yellow. I’m simply amazed by all the factors that are going on behind the scenes to make that happen.
“In order to change, we must be sick and tired of being sick and tired.”
~ Unknown
What a beautiful still morning it is here today. But I almost missed it. I’d been awake, but lying in bed for some time before my alarm went off, took up my normal seat, but my mind was elsewhere. Where? I can’t say. Just not “present.”
When I finally realized I was off in la-la land, instead of being in the now, I realized that I am tired. It was a long, hot day yesterday, and it zapped me of my energy.