Monday, February 13, 2012

C is for Contemplating the Universe, or just my navel.


What am I talking about here?  I’m talking about the importance of taking time out to appreciate and reflect.  I’m talking about aiming to be more aware of our selves.  I’m talking about the interconnectedness of the universe.  Okay, apparently I’m talking about a lot, but I'll try to keep it short.

How many people on a day to day basis do you think actually take time out to stop and notice the world around them, to listen to the birds in the trees, to look at the sky, to feel the grass?  It is a sad fact of life that we’ve become so immersed in a “go go go” world that a lot of us have forgotten to simply stop and appreciate this amazing earth we reside on.  I have lived in three different countries thus far in my life, Australia (where I was born), New Zealand and now the USA.  And I struggle with the pace of life that exists here in California – I don’t know if it is dramatically different elsewhere in the states - but here it seems everyone is in such a hurry to achieve some supposed goal and its all “rush rush rush” and nobody even really smiles at the person walking down the street let alone takes in the world, it is one of the reasons I want to go back home. 

One of the things I love about this path is that it forces you to become aware of the earth, to take time to notice the world as it changes around you and to be aware of how these changes affect you and those you come into contact with.  We are part of this earth and I think very few people really acknowledge how much the changes of the planet actually affect us.  Most people know the adage that the full moon makes people loony – it definitely has an effect on us.  Some are aware that high winds can make people stir crazy (I’ve seen this a lot as a teacher), but other than that I wonder how many people associate feelings and behaviors with the seasons and the moons etc.  I know that in winter I do withdraw into myself, I do find my thoughts internalizing a lot more than any other time of the year.  I have less energy, my body wants to sleep more etc.  I can always tell when the seasons are changing, I have a brighter outlook and I desperately start scrubbing and rearranging the house.  Summer is a more hopeful time, I have more energy and want to be outdoors more.  These seem like basic commons sense things yet so many people are unaware of it.

When we are more in tune with the universe we are more in tune with ourselves.  We see greater connections and we find our true selves.  I think it is important that we take time to reflect on ourselves, our journey and out direction.  We are often seen as selfish in today's society if we wish to take some 'me' time yet it is so vitally important.  I will admit I am still getting used to this myself, but it is a skill I wish we could all master.  How much clearer do we think, how much more inspired could we be if we actually took the time out to truly get to know ourselves?  To be aware.


2 comments:

  1. I agree wholeheartedly! However, I find it difficult in modern life to actually attune to the seasons - you're required to work just as much in winter, even though you'd need to withdraw...

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    1. Very True. I often vocalize a wish that we could work shorter days in winter and longer in summer. That we could start later in winter and earlier in summer. Basically it would be nice to not have to wake up to the rude shock of a screeching alarm, it isn't good for the body at all. I wonder how much less stressed society would be if we all tossed the alarm clocks and allowed ourselves to wake up naturally.

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