Day 329, Friday, November 29, 2024
Reflections
Inspiration
Today, think about a flower growing in your garden, or a bright orange and yellow and bronze leaf that is falling to the ground, or a painting in a museum. As you did yesterday with a favorite book, today consider this item you may have seen ten or a hundred times, but approach it with a beginner’s mind. What do you notice first? What makes you smile? When you are free, when you are listening and seeing with your heart, when you are not restricted, you enjoy looking or listening differently.
Know the difference between analytical learning and aesthetic delight. The former is knowledge, the latter insight. Awe and wonder can lead you on a new path, but the trail will become visible if you allow yourself the freedom to walk. Give yourself permission today to walk on a path that is not yet visible.
You just planted a seed. From now on, your job is to water and nurture it.
Journal Prompt
Can you make it a habit to take one single thing and “see it for the first time”? The next morning, journal about how you felt doing it.
Today’s Practice
Meditation: “Arriving Home”
Read, reflect, and journal.
Lorraine
Looking and listening differently… that’s my goal these days. I’m enjoying the process and rewards of re-seeing things for the ‘first’ time.
Madhu B. Wangu
Good for you, Lorraine! Have a day sprinkled with zen moments!
Jenn Diamond
Good afternoon, Madhu! Aesthetic delight = insight! How wonderful! I need to slow down because over the last two days (and for the next several days) I have various family/author obligations to fulfill. While I enjoy all of it, I have been rushing through the preparations! Time to take a break and look anew!!!
Madhu B. Wangu
Good afternoon, Jenn! I’ve myself rushed through holiday seasons. Wish someone had suggested to pause after each or couple of hours to focus on my breath. I’d still have to do all the things on my list but with the changed attitude stress level would have reduced. And I’d have enjoyed the tasks I was hurrying to finish.