Let me tell you of a really neat thing that happened to me this evening as I walked.
I love to walk and try to do several times a week. Most times my dog is my sidekick, and he gets as happy as a clam to come with me. But then there are those times I need to decompress and just walk. Today, was one of those times. I use walks as my calming time, mindfulness time to practice just being in the moment, physical exercise and the proverbial truth of enjoying the smallest of moments.
2 minutes into the walk while I was noticing how the sun was warming my face and my body, I was loving that feeling and soaking it in especially after we just experienced many cloudy days.
It sparked thankfulness which I then started verbalizing. Mostly in my head so I don’t freak too many people out talking to myself.
That quickly after verbalizing my thankfulness, a butterfly thought flew in.
It was a memory that flew in my mind of a particular not so good season of my life. At this very moment in the walk, I realized how protected I was during that time in my life. We don’t always see clearly through the seasons and bad times especially when we concentrate on the questions “why me?”, “why now?”, or just plain “why”? An alternative question, “what can I learn from this?”, is not always one we start with and especially leave ourselves open to when we are hurting.
The season was rough. It was in my survival mode time of life where I was just surviving. I was living life, doing what I needed to do, enjoying life at times as well, but I wasn’t quite living my authentic life. I realize that it was due to me protecting myself and circumstances I was in that forced me to go “through the motions” more than living authentically.
But in this butterfly moment, I was realizing how much I was protected and that I have never understood that key point before. A wave of thankfulness and gratitude came over me. The sun was not the only thing warming me, but now it was an overwhelming sense of peace and an understanding that became mine. This feeling, in return, sparked more gratitude. Reflecting back on the now past season, I knew that it was for my protection that certain doors closed, some windows slammed and some paths that I was contemplating on taking, didn’t quite pan out for me.
Let me tell you some simple truths in life that I was reminded today in my butterfly thought. Gratitude sparks gratitude. Thankfulness sparks more thankfulness. And positivity breeds more positivity. That’s a whole lot of truth in 3 short sentences and something we can all learn and probably be reminded of in our life multiple times.
Let me repeat that in a different way. If we concentrate on positive things, verbalize them and surround ourselves with more positivity and with people and surroundings of what kind of atmosphere we desire, it really does breeds more of the same.
That is exactly what happened during my first 6 minutes of the walk.
Through the eyes of understanding, we see so much more than what we normally do. Why do eyes of understanding open? Or better yet, when do they open? I am not quite sure. I don’t think we can just open them up and boom, revelations upon revelations pour out. It could, but more often, there is a little more to it.
Eyes of understanding come with time, age, experiences, and under some conditions like whether we are open to different perspectives or want more understanding. Are our hearts open to that? Do we seek it? Do we calm the clamor in our minds long enough to get a different perspective? Do we WANT different perspectives? Do we have the patience to wait when we must? All these questions play factors in our journey of life and opening up the doors to more understanding.
Peace came and remained on me through my walk and beyond. What a beautiful feeling true peace is and when you get it, it is a feeling that you begin to desire more.
Does that happen every time I walk? That is a resounding NO! Sometimes I am too busy on my walks complaining about what I have coined “the butt burning hill” and how it is affecting me, how tired I am, and oh the burn.
Now I question, what if started off my walk with no noise, and a conscious decision to thank God for 2 things I have in my life right now that come to my mind and think on them? Would it breed more positive thoughts? Would it bring to my mind another thing to be thankful for?
I believe it would. It does take practice. There is no doubt of that fact either. The power of choice in our life is so powerful that it can be transforming, however, it not only takes practice but conscious decisions and commitment as well. I will go on the record of saying the power of choice, and conscious, committed decisions are very needed to allow for the eyes of understanding to be opened.
Think on good things.
If I concentrate and allow myself to complain about my butt burning hill or things in my life that make me feel uncomfortable, negative, or require me to do some mental, emotional or physical work, the likelihood of more complaints and negative feelings is very possible. Highly likely.
How many times are we steered into a direction that we think is horrible, won’t work, and feel forced to deal with a closed door or a slammed window. How about a blocked path that just doesn’t seem to open for us? More than likely, we cry unfairness.
Could it be protection?
Could it be that your best life is around a completely different corner?
Could it be that you are on a journey discovering your authentic self?
Could it be that conscious, committed decisions that feel uncomfortable need to be made?
Could it be that your eyes of understanding haven’t opened yet for a particular situation?
It happened to me so it could happen to you.
I will leave you with 3 words. One short sentence. Could it be? You fill in the rest.
With Love,
Kelly Savage
Your Life Coach