Day 324, Sunday, November 24, 2024
Reflections
Ordinary as extraordinary; Seeing something for the first time; Beginner’s Mind
Inspiration
Everyone can and must experience awe and wonder. Why? Because awe heals, sensitizes you to the finer things in life, breaks your heart open, showers you with goodness.
Begin by knowing something new about yourself every day. What is unique about what you think and what you say? What original things do you do? How differently do you process life from run-of-the-mill thinking? When you take responsibility for what you think, say, and do, new pathways open for you to tread upon.
One characteristic of awe is encountering the unknown. It begins with little things – talking to strangers when you travel, getting to know a bit more about the people who come to clean your house, mow your lawn, serve you at restaurants, or meet you as tour guides or drivers. In them, you experience “other.”
The ordinary rises to this higher nuance. Awareness about the people surrounding you elevates. Encountering the unknown makes you come alive. This is why travel is one of the ways to experience awe.
“We don’t travel to move around… we travel to be moved,” writes Pico Iyer. “Travel puts blood back into your veins,” claims National Geographic documentary host Jason Silva. “It jolts you back into being awake.”
Journal Prompt
What or who is the “other” for you? How has travel changed you for the better? If you have not traveled within the country or around the world, what would have you missed?
Today’s Practice
Meditation: “Arriving Home”
Read, reflect, and journal.
Jenn Diamond
Good morning, Madhu! I love this quote you provided; “We don’t travel to move around… we travel to be moved,” writes Pico Iyer.
I feel fortunate to have grown up in a family who loved to travel. Growing up in a small town in Western Pennsylvania, I didn’t realize that many families in our area didn’t have the means for vacations—my parents scraped and saved all year long so that we could travel at least once per year. Sometimes we went without in other parts of our lives… such as NOT getting the designer clothes my peers were wearing… then, I felt left out, but now I’m grateful my parents taught me how to prioritize! Namaste
Lorraine
I’ve witnessed many incredible places and now I’m learning to look at and appreciate every day items and surroundings. Ted Kooser poems and the walking poem project helps me with this.
Madhu B. Wangu
Namaste, Jenn!
That’s a lovely reminiscence about how what our parents do for us kids is for our own benefit which we do not realize at the time they make those decisions that make us uncomfortable or unhappy. Thanks for sharing!
Madhu B. Wangu
Namaste Lorraine,
Kathie will be happy to read this as was I. Enjoy the rest of your day!