365 Outtake Tuesday - Be Kind. Be Grateful. Be Love.
Hello Friends! It's time for another Outtake Tuesday installment where I showcase some of the photos that did not get used for my 365 Photo Project.
This week I chose some photos from a walk I took back in January. It was on January 20th to be exact. Inauguration Day. I REALLY needed a walk this day. Whenever I am troubled by things much bigger than myself, Mother Nature has a way of re-centering me and shifting my view of things to a larger perspective. She reminds me to take a deep breath, feel my feet on the Earth, and to just be right here in the moment. In this moment all is well. And when I come back to my center and ask, "Ok, what can I do today? What is the next right thing?", the answer is always seemingly simple.
Be kind. Be grateful. Be love.
I say seemingly simple because these are perhaps the most difficult things to do. But when I am able to live from a space of deep gratitude I am more capable of being kind to those I fear, disagree with, or don't understand. On my best day I can even love those people. No, for real. It's true! And - at the risk of sounding like a crazy hippie I'm STILL going to say it - I believe whole heartedly that living from this space has the potential to change the world.
Does this mean I'm perfect at it? Hell no. I battle my own prejudices and judgements everyday. I am unkind even to those I love more than I care to admit. But life is about progress, not perfection. It's about noticing where I could've done better, forgiving myself, and then trying to do better next time. And the time after that. As spiritual teacher Sharon Salzberg puts it, "The healing is in the return."
So, more than anything, this is a reminder to myself. When there is fear in my heart about things I have no control over, or anger toward people I don't even know, it is time to ground myself, reconnect with the planet, and get the peace-of-mind-medicine Mother Nature so abundantly provides.
Take a deep breath, enjoy the photos, and most of all -
Be Kind. Be Grateful. Be Love.
And forgive yourself when you can't.
-MLB
(I'd love to hear how you center yourself and find peace of mind when you're trapped in the fear mind. Comment below or send me an email if you're feeling it.)
