Sometimes, when I am caught up in the immediacy of the garbage life can be full of, I become narrow sighted. My vision is set upon the trash. All I see are the problems. The troubles. The things that I can't fix. The things that are wrong. I have learned a trick that is now so much a part of me that I don't do it consciously anymore. It's just there. And it blesses me deeply. However, I will warn you that it's not easy to start with. It's downright hard. It's painful. But, in the end, for me, it has become a blessing.
My life was difficult from early on. There was so much that really needed to change. Yet, I was a child...powerless. So, somewhere I began learning to see the beauty around me. The sunrises and sunsets. The colors of the sky. The smiles on people's faces. I learned to LOOK. Really look. To see the happiness in a child. To see the beauty of the snowflakes. To appreciate....truly and deeply....an act of kindness from a friend. I learned it well. Not a day goes by anymore that I don't see the good. The excellent. The things worthy of praise. And though my life circumstances can be downright ugly, unendingly painful, and often without answers, the simple truths that I learned help to carry me through. Because no matter how bad things are, there is always good. There is always beauty. There are always things to smile about. And even laugh about. So, I choose to take notice of those things. It's part of what gets me the title of "easily amused." I am. Proudly so. It doesn't take a great act or something spectacular to draw my praise. I see good in the pink of the morning clouds. In looking for shapes in the clouds. I see good and appreciate it when I gaze at the snow covered peaks in the distance or admire the calves in the fields. I appreciate how the cows don't seem to mind the weather but eat and live as contentedly on a 15 degree day as they do on a 50 degree day. I look in the eyes of the clerks who help me and actually hear what they are saying. I love oil paintings. I look at them and marvel at the beauty. I enjoy fires in the fireplace. Coffee curled up in my chair. I love having a computer to write on. I see and am thankful for a thousand things and maybe more. Because I have chosen to be. Not because they are any different than what anyone else sees in any given day. I love to people watch. To enjoy the interactions. The tender moments.
Taking notice is an art form. It's easy to get caught up in your own dramas. Easy to think that the world is a bad place. That nothing is working out for you. I've felt it. I get it. I've lived it. But I don't let it define me. Instead, I do as I'm doing today. I look out at the blowing snow and sigh contentedly. I clean off the cars and sweep the walk with thankfulness that I am able to do so. I touch pieces of jewelry that have been gifted to me and I smile at how kind it was. I see kindness I see those who are doing good. I see beauty. Because I CHOOSE to. That's how I want to live my life. It seems rather simple minded to some. That it can't possibly be that easy to make changes. Frankly, nothing else has changed. Only me. What I choose to focus my attention on.
I'm not oblivious. I know the pain in my life. I don't sugarcoat it. But I don't make my meals of it either. I feed on what is good. And I do what is necessary to deal with the crap. Everyone has crap. Everyone has pain. Everyone has hard things. Not the same. Not necessary to compare. I just know that for myself, I want to see and do the good. I don't want to miss out on all of the beauty because I'm waiting for the bad to end. The bad might never end. But that cannot steal my choice, my ability to see the good. To see beauty. To breathe in life. To truly enjoy. It's possible. I'm living proof. Try it. You might find that it becomes a lifestyle you like too.
grace to you.
My life was difficult from early on. There was so much that really needed to change. Yet, I was a child...powerless. So, somewhere I began learning to see the beauty around me. The sunrises and sunsets. The colors of the sky. The smiles on people's faces. I learned to LOOK. Really look. To see the happiness in a child. To see the beauty of the snowflakes. To appreciate....truly and deeply....an act of kindness from a friend. I learned it well. Not a day goes by anymore that I don't see the good. The excellent. The things worthy of praise. And though my life circumstances can be downright ugly, unendingly painful, and often without answers, the simple truths that I learned help to carry me through. Because no matter how bad things are, there is always good. There is always beauty. There are always things to smile about. And even laugh about. So, I choose to take notice of those things. It's part of what gets me the title of "easily amused." I am. Proudly so. It doesn't take a great act or something spectacular to draw my praise. I see good in the pink of the morning clouds. In looking for shapes in the clouds. I see good and appreciate it when I gaze at the snow covered peaks in the distance or admire the calves in the fields. I appreciate how the cows don't seem to mind the weather but eat and live as contentedly on a 15 degree day as they do on a 50 degree day. I look in the eyes of the clerks who help me and actually hear what they are saying. I love oil paintings. I look at them and marvel at the beauty. I enjoy fires in the fireplace. Coffee curled up in my chair. I love having a computer to write on. I see and am thankful for a thousand things and maybe more. Because I have chosen to be. Not because they are any different than what anyone else sees in any given day. I love to people watch. To enjoy the interactions. The tender moments.
Taking notice is an art form. It's easy to get caught up in your own dramas. Easy to think that the world is a bad place. That nothing is working out for you. I've felt it. I get it. I've lived it. But I don't let it define me. Instead, I do as I'm doing today. I look out at the blowing snow and sigh contentedly. I clean off the cars and sweep the walk with thankfulness that I am able to do so. I touch pieces of jewelry that have been gifted to me and I smile at how kind it was. I see kindness I see those who are doing good. I see beauty. Because I CHOOSE to. That's how I want to live my life. It seems rather simple minded to some. That it can't possibly be that easy to make changes. Frankly, nothing else has changed. Only me. What I choose to focus my attention on.
I'm not oblivious. I know the pain in my life. I don't sugarcoat it. But I don't make my meals of it either. I feed on what is good. And I do what is necessary to deal with the crap. Everyone has crap. Everyone has pain. Everyone has hard things. Not the same. Not necessary to compare. I just know that for myself, I want to see and do the good. I don't want to miss out on all of the beauty because I'm waiting for the bad to end. The bad might never end. But that cannot steal my choice, my ability to see the good. To see beauty. To breathe in life. To truly enjoy. It's possible. I'm living proof. Try it. You might find that it becomes a lifestyle you like too.
grace to you.
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