Thursday, October 2, 2008

Daily Walk - What Do You See?


I’ve been taking a daily walk lately, rain or shine, and it’s really helping my outlook. Just like the experts say, exercise is Nature’s Prozac. I notice things as I walk. Like how I’m always looking down while I’m walking, scanning the ground for dog poop. Like how doing this prevents me from seeing the greenery around me, the beauty of the hills, the blue of the sky. And how this is such a metaphor for how I look at life, and need to change.

There’s always good and bad, in every moment. What are you focusing your attention on, right now? You get to choose. You can’t choose to be surrounded by perfection at all times; sorry, that’s not an option. You can choose to focus on the good. You can choose to trust that your next step is NOT going to be into a big pile of dog poop. Or you can just keep a little bit of your attention on the ground just in case, knowing you can clean up afterwards if necessary.

You can look up and all around and notice the beauty and goodness that is always there. Even if there’s the whine of a leaf blower, there is also the song of the birds. Corny, but true. Choose to see and hear what will uplift you, motivate you, and bring you joy. You’re not in denial; you’re in focus, meditating on the positive. Choose to transform your attention, and watch your whole outlook change.

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