Day 325, Monday, November 25, 2024

Day 325, Monday, November 25, 2024

Reflections

Inspiration

It is said that routine can jade you, even make you lethargic, but for me it is precisely the disciplined practice that keeps me awake and energized. However, I balance my daily practice with going out for walks and excursions and going away for travel.

When I walk in nature, the smell of freshly cut grass, mild scent of pine, a bunch of jasmine blossoms, the autumn leaves on tall grass, or the lilies floating on water, wake me from my slumber. I become silvery gems shimmering on the surface of a lake that I attentively behold.

You don’t need to be rich to be awestruck. Recite poetry while you are taking a tub bath, or light a candle or listen to music while taking a long shower – these are magnificent stimuli for feeling awe-some.

After having had rich experiences at an art museum, aviary, or conservatory, after you have danced with the external world, you’ll find you have begun to spill your own awe onto others. How does that happen? Having had so many awe-some experiences yourself, the fine feeling has entered you at a cellular level and has become an integral part of your physiology.

Don’t be afraid of designing your own experiences of awe and wonder. I know unsettling things happen to us all the time. You can try to protect yourself from feeling bad, from pain, from hurt and suffering. You will feel down when it happens. At times like those, go through whatever you are experiencing, but keep in mind that you have the power and capacity to feel joy and delight with equal intensity.

The playfulness of a child resides within us all. Let it out. Surrender to the fun it can provide. Laugh whenever you can. As it is famously said, a fit of laughter is good medicine. Don’t live on autopilot.

Journal Prompt

If you had to imagine an awesome and wonder-filled experience, what would it be?

Today’s Practice

Meditation: “Arriving Home”
Read, reflect, and journal.