Have you ever paused to notice the changing light of the day?
How the sunlight dances and shimmers in the room before the shadows eventually begin to appear slowly on the walls?
Have you paused to notice the passing of time and the rituals that make this passing meaningful?
The holidays,
Birthdays,
The dinners,
The weddings,
The joy of a new life,
The sadness and closure of a life coming to an end.
Those times that bring loved ones together.
Have you ever noticed how important and significant these rituals truly are?
How deeply moving and meaningful.
How much richer life feels because of them.
Have you paused to notice how when we are young time feels truly limitless?
How days stretch before us with possibility.
How life is an exciting empty book to be filled with our hopes and our dreams.
Have you noticed how much bigger and bolder our dreams are when we are young?
Have you paused to notice that as we get older time seems to move more quickly?
The days,
The weeks,
The years.
How we tighten our grip and hold on to those moments that we know matter.
How we begin to realize the importance of being fully present.
Have you paused to notice the way that music can change the way we feel?
How it moves and shifts us,
Evoking memory and nostalgia and joy.
Have you paused to notice how good it feels to laugh,
To connect with others and to have a great big belly laugh.
That kind of laugh that is completely uncontrollable and doesn't seem to end.
That laugh that moves right through you and makes tears roll down your face before you even realize.
Have you noticed how healing and freeing it can feel to cry?
To just let go?
To not have to hold it all together?
To not have to control?
To just let those tears fall?
To surrender?
To accept?
To release?
Have you paused to notice how truly remarkable our human emotions are?
How they move through us,
Shifting and changing and helping us to experience life in all that it has to offer.
Have you noticed how our emotions allow us to connect with others through compassion and a desire to help or to share a moment of joy?
Have you noticed how it feels to show someone kindness and grace?
To give another person permission to be human,
To make mistakes,
To mess up,
To not be perfect?
To forgive,
To comfort,
To soothe with kind words,
With a hug,
To allow your heart to open to them all the same?
Have you noticed how it feels to do the same for yourself when you need it the most?
Have you paused to notice where you can find meaning in life?
Where you can find a glimpse of peace in chaos?
Where you can find solitude in a crowd?
Where if you look hard enough you can find meaning everywhere?
Have you paused to notice the changes in a garden,
In nature?
The cycles,
The rhythm,
The periods of bloom,
Of rest,
Of regeneration,
Of empty,
Of abundance,
Of overflow,
Of drab,
Of colour,
Of common,
Of unique,
Of everything having its place?
The weeds,
The foliage,
The buds,
The flowers,
Everything in complete synchronicity?
Have you paused to notice the kindness and love and trust of an animal?
A loved pet perhaps?
The utter adoration and trust that you will care for them as they reward you with nothing more than unconditional love?
And an innate knowing that that is more than enough?
Have you noticed how much they have to teach us?
How much we have to learn?
About presence and being in the moment?
About devotion and about love?
Have you paused to notice the difference between striving and acceptance?
Just letting things be exactly as they are?
The difference between resistance and flow?
Flowing with whatever is happening in life,
Instead of trying to change it and control it with all of your might?
Accepting,
Allowing,
Flowing?
Have you paused to notice that opportunities for connection are all around us?
That everyone is yearning for true and deep and authentic connection,
Even if they hide it really well behind a mask?
Have you noticed how good it feels to do for others?
To be of service?
To think of others and what we can do to help?
To ease suffering?
Have you paused to notice how important it is to remember to do things for ourselves as well?
To not give every last drop of our care and compassion and energy to others,
But to make sure that we keep some for ourselves as well?
Have you paused to notice how very many things there are to be grateful for?
Have you paused to notice that most people are doing the very best that they can in this very strange and wonderful and sometimes challenging experience that we call life?
Have you paused to notice that you are as well?
Have you paused to notice your inhale,
Your exhale,
The rhythm of your breath,
Your heartbeat?
Have you paused to notice this moment?
Pause to notice this moment,
Pause to notice this moment,
This inhale,
This exhale,
This emotion,
This pause,
This space to just be.
Have you paused to notice how many things there are to be grateful for?
