There is so much hope in life if you are only willing to look for it. As I sit and write, I am surrounded by so many scents, sounds, and scenery. We brush by the beauty of life everyday. We might notice the beauty of a sunset or the beauty of a body of water, but when was the last time you stopped and just made yourself hyperaware? When did you breathe in deeply and think about the crispness of the air or how hot and heavy it was to breathe? When did you listen close to the birds chirping, cars going down a nearby road, and the rustling of a rabbit in a bush? When did you reach out to feel a tree branch or just feel the breeze upon your back? When was the last time you just stopped and looked around yourself at God’s beautiful creations?
When we are lacking hope and when life feels tiresome. When summer is here and you know you should be happy but you are stuck in the daily grind of life. When you are praying for a break and just wishing that you could be happy in the moment but what’s next is always looming in your peripheral view. When life is happening and you just can’t catch a break, remember to pause. Take in a deep breath and just be present.
Think about the five senses and wherever you are at (preferably outside), just be present as you think about what you are feeling, hearing, seeing, tasting, and smelling. Look around you at the newness of life. Look at the fresh perspective you just gained. The more present you are and the more time you take to just breathe, the more you will realize how much hope there is in the world around you. I don’t know about you but I want to experience this newness everyday. I want to be hyperaware of my surroundings and I want to live in the present. It’s not a complex concept, but sometimes we need the reminder to just be.
EMILY DICKINSON 