Sometimes
we forget that life is rich and full of blessings. We forget to pay attention
to the little things. And we do not always feel the abundance that surrounds
us.
Yesterday it rained hard all day. It was a dark grey day and I had jobs to
do in town. One of my jobs involved cycling 25 minutes in the downpour to get
to a class on the other side of town. It was okay – having lived 6 years in
Northern Spain I´ve learned to be prepared for any weather conditions and was
sporting my best waterproofs and the shiniest positive attitude I could muster.
But it still sucked. Until I saw a rainbow. Actually it was two rainbows. Giant
arcs of colour framing the misty mountains in the distance. I´m sure there are
a hundred and one quotes about rainbows and seeing the good, and it was a
classic moment of just that. The sight of those rainbows caused a great goofy
smile to form on my face. And for a moment I forgot the rain and my being wet
and uncomfortable. I carried on through the rain feeling like I´d been given a
gift to uplift me and see me through the day.
I have
learned that life is not perfect, nor will it ever be, and neither is it
necessary for us to strive for it to be. I have also learned that it is very
possible to be happy without seeking that perfection. It is about counting our blessings, making it a daily practice to engage in the art of delight. This
simple practice asks of us to pause, to notice, to pay attention, and reflect
on the simple things in our life that give us pleasure. A bird of prey swooping
overhead, the smell of roasting chestnuts on the street, a cheery hello from an
ageing neighbor, or an arc of light creating a rainbow in the sky. All of these
I recognise as blessings, as gifts, and looking out for them and acknowledging them as
such can fill each day with an abundance that is much sweeter than any
perfection I could imagine.
Millie Brereton is a certified yoga teacher, nutrition coach and general lover of life. She's currently living and working in Navarra, Northern Spain. She is the director of The Kula Centre of Learning and Personal Development and delights in Tantric philosophy and seeing the best in everyone who crosses her path. She can often be found in her kitchen blending juices and cooking up tasty treats from her organic farm, or bounding ecstatically through the mountains with her two dogs, Bonnie and Kin. For more information on any of the above, or to simply connect, contact her at thekulacentre@live.com or visit her webpage, www.thekulacentre.com
Well said! Today was my final chemo treatment ~ #16 of 16. Yayyyy. I brought treats and a thank you card for all the wonderful infusion nurses who take such good care of us and form a wonderful team of support and healing. I was blessed with each and every one of them, blessed by the healing elixir they put through my veins so many times, blessed to be facing this challenge without fear or anxiety. And truly blessed with the most wonderful extended family who constantly send me their LOVE from all over the world!
ReplyDeleteYour ability to count your blessings is truly inspiring, Em Bee! Congratulations on coming to the end of your chemo, with such grace and strength. Well done you!
ReplyDeleteSomething I've been working on of late is training myself not to dwell on imperfections - ones that you can't do anything about. It might suck, but in just not thinking about it so much and telling yourself that you'll handle it whatever happens, in a sense you're accepting and embracing it, rather than fighting against it. And life is so much more satisfying when you are accepting and handling those imperfections and you're still happy.
ReplyDeleteAndy Stelmmach
Also, noticing the small things around you as you described is a product of the kind of awareness you develop through yoga and/or meditation, in my opinion. At least, it's certainly heightened through these practices (I know you do alot of yoga) and it's a wonderful thing.
Nice piece of writing Millie, very thought provoking.
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ReplyDeleteThe first attempt wasn't perfect lmao.
DeleteActually life IS perfect. It is only our perceptions and the manner in which we interpret those perceptions, which affects the way we view our world, that is imperfect. We act and interact accordingly.
ReplyDeleteEverything that we do is perfect. In other words what we create is perfect. Unfortunately the outcome or the manifestation of what we create is begging of perfection.
"If you strive for perfection, all that you will perfect is your striving" ~ Jasper T. Nicoli