Owning where you are right now

A few months ago, I heard a story from someone I admire.  She was driving along the road and spotted a hawk flying overhead. She watched the hawk floating along for quite a distance and then when the hawk seemed to fly over the woods off of the road, she pulled off the road into the woods and continued to follow the hawk. The journey finally ended when she couldn’t proceed any further into the woods.  In that space, she pulled out her journal and wrote in that peaceful, secluded spot. 

I envy that.  Had it been me, I wouldn’t have noticed the hawk…or the road, or the forest or the trees or anything else.  I’m usually so full of what’s going on at work, what the kids need, what errands I need to do, what jobs I have in my freelance queue, and so on that I generally forget where I am or how I got there.  I envy someone who is so mindful of their surroundings that they can notice beauty in front of them and not stop there.  But they can actually make a conscious decision to follow the beauty simply to see where it leads.

As much as I try to practice mindfulness, I often forget.  I start out with every intention but distractions set in and before I know it, I’m thinking of my bucket list, my errand list or any number of other things  I have going on at the moment.

However, instead of getting frustrated with myself lately, I have decided to own it.  This is how I am right now and I am owning that fact.  Instead of saying ‘wow, I’m distracted, I wish I weren’t’ - I simply own that I have lots going on and I’ll meditate when the thought occurs to me.  It will happen when I need to.  Of maybe I’ll set aside a few moments each morning and just spend it quietly to see what unfolds.  It takes the pressure off, it really does.

But I am trying to be more conscious of my surroundings so I can see the forest through the trees and see beauty above me, around me, or in front of me.  And when I do, I hope I can remember to follow it.  Because if I do, when I get there, what’s waiting for me is going to be so much more important than the things I’m occupying my mind with right now.