"Holding the mystery, step into the river and feel eternity. As the sun will rise and the rain will fall, may I begin each day with gratitude and awe."
~Lisa Ferrero & Erika Luckett
Oh my, this is fun! Every day is like a treasure hunt for inspiration and blessing, and like the adage says, seek and ye shall find. When I take my camera with me during the day, I find I am more alert and aware of life around me; I pay closer attention and focus in on things I might pass by otherwise without a second look. This gratitude journey is like that—I find I pay attention to precious pearls of insight that I might not notice if I weren't on the lookout for them.
I am reminded of a song by the musical duo Ruby, called "Awe" (the quote above is from that song). There's another line in the song that I think about frequently: "Inside every one of us contained in each square inch of blood there are 75 billion cells functioning on our behalf so that we may simply be...I think of that as a conspiracy, a conspiracy of life." A repeated refrain is: "If we're not in awe we're not paying attention." Wow. Doesn't that say it all!
How much attention do we focus on what is wrong—with us, with our relationships, with the world—yet, how much air time do we give in our thinking and in our conversations to what is RIGHT, to what is going well, to the miracles all around us?! Like the miracle of 75 billion cells functioning on our behalf, the power of our bodies to heal and grow and transform. The miracle of a single cell becoming two and then multiplying to form into a little human being. The miracle of a caterpillar making the journey of transformation into a butterfly—weaving a cocoon, turning into 'goo' for a time when it is neither caterpillar nor butterfly, and emerging in time a totally different creature...one that flies and pollinates the flowers and brings transcendent beauty into the world. And we all, my friends, have that potential, don't we?!
What transformations might we experience in our lives if we focused on what we are grateful for, on the beauty, the good, the joy, no matter how elusive it might feel at the moment. We can always find something, if we are looking for it.
So many opportunities to feel gratitude and awe! May you discover a precious gem today.
~Joanne
Dear Joanne,
ReplyDeleteI just read all your postings. You write so beautifully. I found so many things that resinated with me. I try to start or end my day by bringing to mind things that I'm grateful for. You remind me I can do so much more. Thank you for sharing your journey. Hope to see you tomorrow. Mary