Noticing beauty

Woods 44

Sometimes I can take things or people for granted and everything becomes part of the “normal everydayness.”  At times like this I can drift from one moment to another, doing the best to fit into this place called life. And because of this I can get lost and lose heart. We all can lose each other. It can take reminders to make us step back and realize what a blessing it is to be immersed in a life that is just full of meaning. As de Chardin said “Nothing here is profane for those who know how to see”.

Beauty surrounds us,
but usually we need to be walking
in a garden to know it.

Rumi, Story Water

Our approach

PoppyClose

What you encounter, recognize or discover depends to a large degree on the quality of your approach. Many of the ancient cultures practiced careful rituals of approach. An encounter of depth and spirit was preceded by careful preparation. When we approach with reverence, great things decide to approach us. Our real life comes to the surface and its light awakens the concealed beauty in things. When we walk on the earth with reverence, beauty will decide to trust us. The rushed heart and arrogant mind lack the gentleness and patience to enter that embrace

John O’Donohue, Beauty: The Invisible Embrace

A new month: The greatest gift

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Will you ever bring a better gift for the world
than the breathing respect that you carry
wherever you go right now.

William Stafford, You Reading this, Be Ready

photo: niranjan ramesh

Being pulled away

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In our world we are constantly pulled away from our innermost self

and encouraged to look for answers,

instead of listening to the questions.

Henri Nouwen, Reaching out: the Three movements of the Spiritual Life

Keeping space between

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When we watch football, we don’t watch it from the field. We are in the stands watching from a distance.

The players are running around but we are stable; there is a space between us and the game.

Similarly, at a concert, we watch the band from our seats. We do not take the stage. There is a distance between us and the performance. We are merely the watcher.

This is how we should watch our feelings – from a distance.

We should not slip down and cling to them

Ajahn Pramote, To See the Truth

What changes

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Awakening does not mean a change in difficulty,

it means a change in how those difficulties are met

Marl Epstein, The Trauma of Everyday Life

photo chris gunns