A Present. . .
How many of us are present enough to notice the beauty that surrounds us? Not just the spectacular sunset on a tropical beach holiday, but the everyday beauty that exists in mundane situations such as on our journey to work. How many of us stop to smell the roses?
For many years of my life, my daily commute to work consisted of several hours of commuting to various job sites. I found that cultivating a sense of presence was my only solace, a state of mind which seemed to spare my sanity!
I was always astounded to noticed how few (if any) of the other commuters on their journey would stop to notice the natural beauty outside the windows. The vast herds of cows that lingered in the same place most days, the sunsets in the city and the ever changing leaves and plants that followed the changing seasons.
Most people were too busy buried in newspapers or phones to notice these things even existed. Yet these seemingly small things, became my saving grace – that shifted me out of a state of mundane boredom to a sense of immense appreciation and wonderment at the beauty of life.
Each year I would notice more and more subtle nuances like the transitions of plants throughout the seasons or the ongoing progress of buildings and spaces in the city. Although commuting was never my favorite past time, by cultivating gratitude for the world around me, I learned to make peace with it, and enjoy it.
The key to all of this was quite simple and in fact a play a on words – all I did was give myself the present of presence.
Peace and Love, Jim
#gifts #thedailybuddha
Buy Me A Coffee – A Easy Way To support The Daily Buddha!
