Winter is not easy where I am from, and this one has been a particularly cold, long and trying one. It seems to have hit most only a few weeks ago and the conversation I hear everywhere - from friends, acquaintances and just jabber on the street - is how sick everyone is of winter.
I have been down also. Very down, I guess, having trouble holding things together. Instead of attacking things and finding solutions to problems, I have allowed myself to mire in dark thoughts and indulge myself in negative self-absorption.
Today I decided to try something: marvel at small things. Concentrate on everything I do, one task at a time and focus on the positive in everything. I don't know how long it will last but it's an experiment I invite everyone to try, particularly if you are feeling low as a result of the season or for any other reason.
The first thing I did was to peel a banana. I looked closely at the peel coming off, its texture, the way little cracks formed as the skin bent away from the fruit, the smell that came off and filled the space around me. I took a bite and instead of thinking of all the things I had to do, and all the things I was not doing and the figurative mountain I had to climb to get back to where I was and where I want to be, I thought of nothing but the taste and texture of the fruit in my mouth and what an incredible thing it was to be alive, standing here, ingesting a fruit grown by someone else, somewhere, tasting the banana on my tongue, being enthralled at the totality of all the things and events that had coalesced to allow me to be here biting into this delicious length of plant flesh.
I had a shower after, and instead of rushing through it with a million things on my mind, I lingered a little and felt the water on my scalp and shoulders, turned the knob to make it hotter just to feel the change on my flesh.
Now I am writing this little piece, struggling to concentrate and not let all the invading negative thoughts in that have of late assailed my mind, just to get some words down about this little experiment I am trying and as an invitation to all to try:
Be present in the moment, be enthralled with little things, don't let another preoccupied moment steal the time you have here on this fragile earthly plane.
Yes, I am telling you to stop and smell the flowers. I am going to try this today, and with these deliberate little baby steps, I hope i can turn my day around and make it a memorable one instead of just another dreary winter day I survived.
BE ENTHRALLED.
JBArk
PS if this post helps just one person have one pure moment that makes a difference in their day, I will be very happy!
I have been down also. Very down, I guess, having trouble holding things together. Instead of attacking things and finding solutions to problems, I have allowed myself to mire in dark thoughts and indulge myself in negative self-absorption.
Today I decided to try something: marvel at small things. Concentrate on everything I do, one task at a time and focus on the positive in everything. I don't know how long it will last but it's an experiment I invite everyone to try, particularly if you are feeling low as a result of the season or for any other reason.
The first thing I did was to peel a banana. I looked closely at the peel coming off, its texture, the way little cracks formed as the skin bent away from the fruit, the smell that came off and filled the space around me. I took a bite and instead of thinking of all the things I had to do, and all the things I was not doing and the figurative mountain I had to climb to get back to where I was and where I want to be, I thought of nothing but the taste and texture of the fruit in my mouth and what an incredible thing it was to be alive, standing here, ingesting a fruit grown by someone else, somewhere, tasting the banana on my tongue, being enthralled at the totality of all the things and events that had coalesced to allow me to be here biting into this delicious length of plant flesh.
I had a shower after, and instead of rushing through it with a million things on my mind, I lingered a little and felt the water on my scalp and shoulders, turned the knob to make it hotter just to feel the change on my flesh.
Now I am writing this little piece, struggling to concentrate and not let all the invading negative thoughts in that have of late assailed my mind, just to get some words down about this little experiment I am trying and as an invitation to all to try:
Be present in the moment, be enthralled with little things, don't let another preoccupied moment steal the time you have here on this fragile earthly plane.
Yes, I am telling you to stop and smell the flowers. I am going to try this today, and with these deliberate little baby steps, I hope i can turn my day around and make it a memorable one instead of just another dreary winter day I survived.
BE ENTHRALLED.
JBArk
PS if this post helps just one person have one pure moment that makes a difference in their day, I will be very happy!
