Wind And Waves

gardening!

This is Peggy, my friend in Moab.  She has a beautiful garden that produces all sorts of delicious and colorful treats.  If I were to garden……..I would probably use her garden as a guide!

On my bicycle ride to work, along the creek, I see all sorts of interesting sights.  Its a very happy ride….There are various waterfalls and all sorts of people out enjoying the warmth, with their dog or their book or their friend or their bare feet dipped in the water.  Its like watching everyone slowly wake from winter mode and sleepily open out, into to the sunshine of Colorado spring!

“I felt at times one thousand capacities spring up in me and I wanted to chase them all down and make every last one of them manifest.”

~Virginia Woolf from her book;

The Waves

Yep, its official.  On a walk the other day, Sebastian and I came across a brilliant burst of color!

photo taken at Arches by Matthew Shafer

At my current job, in cubicle world, there are ALWAYS thousands of digital documents to file away (my official title is INDEXER)  The queues are uploaded continuously, meaning, that you can’t  see that you’ve made any progress. GRRR.  I imagine, this violates a major principal of motivation: awareness of your progress.

Pulling out from the “This is very un-motivating job” perspective, to the much  larger perspective;  This means that thousands….millions? of Americans are struggling to pay their mortgages and needing to apply for the HAMP (Home Affordable Modification Program) through the Obama administration.  Reading over bankruptcy documents and financial statements that are out of control every day, makes me appreciative to have a job….Even if I don’t like it.

However, I’m trying to work my way OUT of my job and into a job where I’m creating, interacting with people, and having a sense of getting something accomplished…….. among other things.  I’ve been reading lots of inspiring blogs. Here is an article I read that I find quite liberating!  Why no pain, no gain, is a myth

Here is the little guy I’ve been babysitting.  I’ve been having such a wonderful time with him.  I watch him in the morning and then go to work in the evenings.  At the office, in my cubicle, I’m filled with great memories of my interactions with him.  His smile (you can get the sense from this picture) is such a happy smile.  Its like he’s smiling from the collective happiness of the world.  You can’t see his smile and not smile yourself.  And, he is always smiling! (how did his parents get so lucky!)

He is  So fresh and young and purely interested in the littlest of thing.  He is a great model for living in the Now.   What a delightful energy to be around.  I took his picture, when he was just learning how to walk.  Carefully he would balance, take a step and then another step and then………..another step.  uh oh, he would look up, get a different look on his face and fall backward on his butt.  Laugh and try again.  Wow, if we could apply that attitude in learning towards everything we do, just think how joyful and fun life would/could be!

The rest of the day, I reflected on how amazing walking is, something that is easily taken for granted.  As soon as Sebastian can walk with facility, his world will changes!  As will his parent’s world for now they have a very mobile, curious little guy, wanting to try……………. everything!  Watch out!!

Recently (last couple of years) I have made fast acquaintance, with a couple x-monks whom – happen to have recently  left their order (one in Italy and one in the U.S).  They have contrasting personalities  and I’ve had fascinating conversations with both of them.  And so, the relationships I had with them coupled with my Love of the old Monastery in Chiapa De Corzo (where I banged out my lesson plans everyday) and my recent enthusiasm for meditation (Thanks in part to Julia, who’s  wonderful story telling brings to life the teachers and atmosphere of her inspired and enlightened meditation workshop)

Have opened my eyes wider to this kind of book!  I was excited to find this book, sitting on the New Releases shelf (one of my favorite sections to browse) at the Tattered Cover Bookstore in Denver.

Here is an excerpt that nabbed me:

Savor, teaches us how to easily adopt the practice of mindfulness and integrate it into eating, exercise, and all facets of our daily life, so that being conscious and present becomes a core part of our being.

Its the awareness fo the present moment, the realization of why we do what we do, that enables us to stop feeling bad and start changing our behavior.  Savor not only helps us achieve the healthy weight and well-being we seek, but it also brings to the surface the rich abundance of life available to us in every moment.

I’m very excited to read it. 🙂