Just about everyday this past week we have been on the move. First heading south, then west, then south again, driving for almost 2,000 miles. We were struck by the vast, the rural, and the beauty. Even arriving in the sprawl of Austin, Texas, all three of these qualities existed.
Tag Archives: blogging
Get Conversational
Eli Wiesel wrote, “The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference.” It took a while for that to seep when I first heard it. I was young, and passionate, and not in the least bit resigned, or living in fear, or surrounded by ignorance. I hadn’t even learned to keep my mouth shut very well. But, over the years, I slipped into that gray area, where I argued less about issues, about rights, about ideals. Perhaps I didn’t have the energy. Or got too busy. Somehow I became indifferent to suffering and hatred and bad stuff that always seemed to be happening far, far away. Like famine in Africa. Or civil wars in eastern European countries with names I couldn’t pronounce. Even Columbine seemed distant and isolated. But then, on a crystal clear December morning, 20 young students and several teachers were massacred in Sandy Hook Elementary School and I woke up crying. I consoled myself with the thought that the whole world would change. It didn’t. Continue reading
Gratitude Walk
Today, after the 46.7 million travelers have arrived safely, held hands around tables big and small, bowed heads in reverence, scooped, sliced, poured, then devoured, we push back our chairs and declare our thanks for the abundance. Deepak Choprah suggests an idea worthy of our attention on Thanksgiving Day: Take a Gratitude Walk!
Take a Gratitude Walk
This is a particularly useful practice when you’re feeling down or filled with stress and worry. [Or very very well sated by your holiday meal! ] Set aside 20 minutes (or longer if you can) and walk in your neighborhood, through a park, around your office, or somewhere in nature.
As you walk, consider the many things for which you are grateful … nurturing relationships, material comforts, the body that allows you to experience the world, the mind that allows you to really understand yourself, and your essential spiritual nature. Breathe, pause, and be grateful for the air that is filling your lungs and making your life possible.
Pay attention to your senses—everything you’re seeing, hearing, feeling, smelling, and maybe even tasting—and see how many things you can find to feel grateful for. This is a powerful way to shift your mood and open to the flow of abundance that always surrounds you.
Sounds like a worthy activity today, and everyday. Wishing you and yours much love and joy during this holiday. And safe travels!
