I have walked the equivalent of every day for 9 months. Realizing that from September 2014 till June 2015 my ass has been dragged out, sometimes literally, into the cold, rain, wind, snow, and heat for the sole purpose of staying mellow can be mystifying. Oh yeah, I wanted to see some pounds wander off but it wasn't the focus. There has been a few things I have learned over the last 6 decades and one of them, the caged animal, surfaces damn quickly in me. Repetitive tasks can speedboat that feeling. Every work day I take 3 walks which over 9 months adds up to a walk everyday. A little obsessive? Nope, sanity!
Today as I headed off, totally plugged into Ceremony by James Hood, I was transported to my beloved Zen space.
Feeling the warm summer sun on my back, the light cool breeze gracing my face, I glided down the busy street grooving to my tunes. Like every day prior I turned the corner heading directly into the hot sun. In that moment as the breeze disappeared I realized for 9 months I had relished each turn that relieved me of the elements ~ wind, cold, rain, snow, heat and placed them squarely at my back. Ah I could breath only to find once again I had turned and faced exactly what I found to be difficult and challenging. Laughing out loud, a little startling to passers-by when you are totally plugged in, I began to reflect.
How many times over the last 6 decades have I turned away from comfort only to face a challenge? What drew me to make that turn? Was the comfort the motivator or was it the call of the adventure? How many times had I turned in my normal stride to leave the challenge behind? And who was it that decided I needed to turn?
What challenge did I take in stride only to discover I had turned away and into the ease of the journey?
Each one of us will find ourselves turning, turning, and turning again. Back into a challenge, back into comfort, back and back again, a constant rhythmical journey that can seem easy and hard at the same time. Over time we develop skills to meet the challenges and comforts of our life. But do we really reflect upon the beauty in each turn? Yes, most of us take the time to learn the lesson of the challenge. I think that we miss the beauty.
Taking the time to understand and relish the beauty of the challenge brings us to understanding the rhythm of our journey. I know some of us experience incredible challenges. I am not talking about minimizing them. I know that even in those challenges there is beauty to be discovered. Many of my life challenges have shed a light on the depth of love and beauty hidden deep within the emotions and pain. I could not see what I see now without those challenges. Even the painful heart holds a rare and unique beauty as witnessed by the rose and its thorns.
Imagine for a moment with challenge & comfort no longer in our vocabulary, a day filled with discovery. Sensing each turn as just the next leg of the adventure, could you pause and recognize the beauty? Beauty stands before us begging for a true glance of our bashful eyes. It asks for one moment of recognition that Beauty is only a reflection of our true self. The pelting rain upon my face when seen as a washing away of the tension brings giggles followed by relaxation. The 95 degree sun pulsing early in the season forces me to close my tired eyes, granting a pause before the realization of warmed bones long overdue. Leaning in against the raging wind brings a kindred understanding of our feathered friends world. Bundled against the cold forces me to slow down and just be. Turning into the challenge awakens the spark, the hidden reality of the depth of natural abilities to move in grace often disguised as limitations. Glancing swiftly within settles the distress, brings into the open an awareness that cannot be denied of ingenious abilities we have ....
And then turn ....
I challenge you to discover the beauty in your turns. Seek the natural rhythm of your journey and allow it to show you how turns along the path are gracious and reflective of your inner beauty. Discover the dance.
Traveling on .....
The Soul Traveler xoxo