Okay, maybe its effect wasn’t quite that profound, but it did trigger a change in how I look at—and really see—what’s right in front of me. I was 15 and walking to school along my usual route, head down, not really paying attention to my surroundings. It was raining and I was grumpy, preoccupied with typical teenage thoughts: Does he like me? Did I study hard enough for the test? Can I really pull off wearing horizontal stripes? Then I noticed a gum wrapper on the ground. It was bright pink and glossy from the rain. It had crumpled in such a way that it looked like a small, delicate piece of origami. The pink of the wrapper made the grass it was lying on look deliciously green. I was struck by how utterly beautiful it was. Other thoughts fell away, including my grumpiness and irritation at the rain. A sense of space and delight arose in their place. I realized that my thoughts were getting in the way of seeing what’s around me. While I’d been playing a movie in my head—with me in the starring role—I had been completely missing moments of beauty, everywhere and in the most unexpected places.
The Universe in a Grain of Sand
I started taking the time to stop and actually look at my surroundings. I noticed dust bunnies under my bed. I saw for the first time that grass is translucent, how the golden light of the sun shines through each blade. A snowflake landed on my coat, and I saw that snowflakes aren’t just clumps but spiky and symmetrical, like the cutouts we made in grade school. I started practicing meditation shortly after being stopped in my tracks by that glossy, pink gum wrapper. To my delight, I discovered that mindfulness is a wonderful support in my quest to slow my thoughts down enough to really see the world. Yes, I do still get distracted and irritated at times. But I also have mindfulness practices I can tap into whenever I notice myself becoming too speedy to appreciate the palette of whites, browns, and grays of winter, or the way a shadow moves across a wall, or to notice when my husband needs a hug or a colleague a helping hand. Mindfulness tools have helped me become more generous and appreciative of the beauty around us. Letting yourself be receptive to these moments of beauty has a way of opening up the way you experience the world. Try it next time you want to see with fresh eyes.
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Rich Fernandez June 24, 2020
Mark Coleman December 23, 2010
Dan Olmsted February 2, 2016
