Today's Quotation:

I shall open my eyes and ears.  Once every day I shall simply stare at a tree, a flower, a cloud, or a person.  I shall not then be concerned at all to ask what they are but simply be glad that they are.  I shall joyfully allow them their "divine, magical, and ecstatic" existence.

Clyde S. Kilby

Today's Meditation:

This is a nice plan to help our awareness grow.  It isn't often that most of us stop what we're doing just to look at something and notice it clearly and fully.  Because we don't do this very often, we don't tend to have a very clear idea of exactly what all of the things and who all of the people are that we share this world with.

I've stopped to stare at trees, and I can tell you that I've noticed many things about them when I stop that I don't notice when I'm moving quickly.  I've learned a lot about how trees change from season to season, about how many animals and insects make their homes in trees (or at least use them as a stopover very often), about the shapes and sizes of leaves and branches.  The more I stop and really look at trees, the easier it becomes for me to notice when trees are sick or unhealthy.

But more than noticing, I like Clyde's non-judgmental approach to awareness.  He wants to "simply be glad that they are."  He doesn't need to come up with explanations for them or justification for their being.  Those other things are here, and so are we.  As inhabitants of this planet, don't you think that our lives will be richer when we're more aware of the other inhabitants?  The more aware we are of all that we share our world with, the more we realize just how blessed we are and just how many gifts are available to us.

Questions to ponder:

1.  When was the last time that you stopped to notice something in depth and detail?

2.  Why do we tend not to take the few minutes necessary to notice something more deeply?

3.  Can we truly make our lives richer just by noticing things?  How?

For further thought:

If I were to prescribe one process in the training of people which is fundamental to success in any direction, it would be thorough ongoing training in the habit of accurate observation.  It is a habit which every one of us should be seeking evermore to perfect.

Eugene G. Grace

more thoughts and ideas on awareness

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