Modern day communications don't give us much time to stop and think. We are bombarded with color, sound and sight, objects that flash, words that pack. The hoped-for effect is to excit. But that kind of excitement is short lived, and leaves much to be desired.
Reflecting on the context of our lives can seem difficult and challenging, but it offers rich rewards! Like true freedom and authentic relaxation. Think of how many sunsets we miss because we are buried in work or engrossed in our preparations for the next meeting, the next proposal, the next event. Think of the real cost we pay because we are unwillingness to reflect. Often that includes the loss of experiencing that which is awesome, mystical, and inspiring in life.
I learned to appreciate reflecting not in a monastery cloister walk, but on my early morning walks in the park. I started going to exercise, but ended up using the walk for reflection. That was because the time spent proved powerful. I went very early, before anyone else ventured out. At first I had to fight the temptation to listen to my favorite podcast as I walked. I feared being "bored". But as time went on, I wasn't even tempted, because I experienced awesome moments of nature. As I walked in silence, taking in nature around me, thoughts would flood my mind, and I would reflect. There were wonderful sights and sounds I could never have imagined, such as the morning I saw deer feeding on a meadow dense with fog. The sight was worthy of a painting. But I saw it for real. Another morning I witnessed a fire that caught the clouds as the sun rose and spread it across the entire sky, filling it with every shade of red imaginable. Recently, I experienced a deeply mystical walk along the Delaware River. The fog hung heavy in the air, cloaking trees, grasses, river and the geese flying low over it. The scene took on eerie and mythical proportions. As I walked, the sights fed my soul, and I came away so enriched I am still on a high from it all.
Reflect on the context of the meaning. If we could but simplify our lives, we would see better, hear more, suffer less.
It's worth a try.
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