Have you ever gone for a walk on uneven terrain and found yourself staring at your shoes the entire time?
Yesterday we went for a walk in an expansive pasture, but at one point we turned off the main road and headed down a little path forged by only a few previous footsteps.
On one side was a large irrigation ditch, the other a field of possibly planted seeds. Not wanting to fall or trample sprouts, we put one foot in front of another with caution. After several minutes of slow walking I noticed tons of little shells in the earth. In a moment of surrealist reasoning, I figured they were fossils from whenever this land was underwater. But they were in fact the cutest snails I had ever seen. So we doubled down on our vigilance, careful not to step on the tiny curls.
During this lengthy stretch, we trucked along with our eyes glued to the ground. Not much crossed my mind other than, SNAIL! and a worry about being caught on private land, although we didn’t see any indication of property lines.
As we made our way, I fell very deeply into the present, into the exact moment of each step. The ground was so magnetic, it felt almost startling when we occasionally stopped to look around. Shades of vibrant green, expanding out for miles and miles all around us, broken only by the sun bleached sky. Leafless trees stuck up every so often and in the foggy distance, we could see a line of snow capped Pyrenees mountains.
We made it back to our place without incident and no snails harmed. It felt like an all too perfect reminder that day to day activities are often so consuming that we can forget to take stock of what’s around us.
Our next step asks us to keep our head down and stay focused so we may accomplish the mini goal. Often activating tunnel vision is necessary to get where we want to be, but taking in our surroundings can actually help us prepare the big picture.
Our future is ever shifting, influenced by our thoughts and perceptions. Whatever we observe can then be expanded and reimagined to align with our personal set of visions.
Wherever you are, wherever you’re headed: take time to look around.
In this moment especially, it can be extremely painful to bear witness to the world. Rather than mindlessly consuming the suffering, taking time to sit with it intentionally can transform your thoughts into ones of compassion rather than spirals of doom.
We can only know what is in front of us right now. Give yourself space to feel but don’t give the mind permission to run away with scenarios. This mechanism of escapism comes when we are not looking with awareness and ultimately brings only pain.
Whether it offers a challenge or blessing, the big picture is always shifting. There will always be something different to see when you look around.
Thinking of you all,
James