Tim, my father, used to say, “Always stop and smell the roses.”
My young mind would respond, “Flowers are for girls, why would I waste my time on something so girly
and lame?”
His usual response, “Life
is too short.”
Cheers. The older I get I am learning that life is in fact
too short. I’ve discovered that taking a minute out of your day to stop and
smell a flower while passing by is a small pleasure that yields larger
implications. Implications along the lines of being able to appreciate the
small things in order to better appreciate life as a ‘whole’. The ‘whole’ being
the sum of the human experience on planet Earth.
I heard a quote in the movie ‘Into the Wild’, that has
resonated within and captivated me:
Experiencing new
things is the very essence of the human soul.
One must abandon comfort zones and step out into the unknown
to experience new things. This can be a scary thing, to let go and have less
control over our lives. Our brains naturally will seek pleasure and avoid pain
simply because they are wired that way. It takes a conscious decision to deny
our ingrained logic to abandon our comfort in our desire to experience new
things.
Think of the first time you ate sushi. It probably took a
lot of energy, maybe even encouragement from a friend to muster up enough
strength to put that raw fish into your mouth. Nevertheless it was an
experience that is unique to you and your situation that you can always look
back on now. You may have loved it or hated it, but it is a memory you will
forever have.
I was so fortunate to have to opportunity to bungee jump off
of the 2nd largest bridge in the world at Vitoria Falls. Every fiber
in my being told me to get the hell away from that edge, but my desire to
experience something new overdrove my fear. Jumping off of the perfectly good
bridge was the most exhilarating moment of my entire life up to this point.
Bungee jumping is an extreme example, however I have
discovered that simply traveling opens up innumerable doors. There are new
people, cultures, customs, foods and experiences all over the world. The
differences from country to country are staggering. The great thing is you
don’t have to travel all the way to Africa, you can look at places in close
proximity. Wyoming as opposed to southern California. Rhode Island compared to
South Carolina. Texas to Mexico. Take a look at your calendar. I think your
next vacation may be due.
The more this mindset has sunk in that new experiences are
the very essence of the human soul, the more that everyday occurrences are
becoming pleasurable opportunities. Waiting out the rain underneath a shelter
turns into frolicking and jumping in puddles like you did when you were a kid.
Avoiding contact with the homeless man on the corner with a 10 foot radius
‘bubble’ turns into sitting down with him and talking about great white sharks.
These are the things
I am learning and experiencing. My soul can’t get enough.
