Who's on Next?
For many years, I’ve started my day reading a section or a lesson in A Course in Miracles followed by a short meditation. Recently, I’ve added something new to my morning routine. After meditating, I enjoy a bowl of strawberries or oatmeal while watching the show outside my living room window. I feel so blessed to have an apartment that overlooks a little pond and several large trees. A wide variety of birds visit the tree closest to my window. I’ve seen blue jays, cardinals, ibis, kingfishers, little brownish-gray birds with bright yellow throats, and several different-sized woodpeckers. On Sunday morning, there were 3 woodpeckers in that tree at the same time! All of them were tapping away at the branches in search of insects.
Yesterday, a large crow perched in the top branches of that tree. Her shiny black feathers gleamed in the morning sun as she cawed in the direction that another crow had flown a minute before. Meanwhile, a squirrel climbed down the trunk of that same tree, stopping a few feet before reaching the ground to raise one of his paws. He did this a few times as if he were saying “heyyyyyy" to another squirrel in the opposite tree. A lone duck paddled through the tranquil water leaving a V-shaped wake directly under the tree as the crow and the squirrel watched from above. Once the duck passed underneath, the crow decided it was time to fly off in the direction of her friend, and the squirrel finished his descent to the ground. That’s when I caught myself saying out loud, “Who’s on next?” It felt like this was a show and each animal performer had a designated time on stage.
As if on cue, a female cardinal landed on a branch in that tree and began chirping happily. Another cardinal answered her from somewhere out of sight in another tree. These simple observations may sound rather boring to some, but they have brought me great joy and peace. It’s better than any morning TV show I’ve seen. Best of all, there are no commercials trying to sell me something and no upsetting news to start my day on a sad note. I believe this new morning ritual has helped me slow down and become more present while setting the tone for a more spacious, peaceful day.
I know some of you might be thinking there are too many things in your life calling for your attention to make time for such trivial pursuits. Or maybe you don’t have a tree right outside your window. Is there a patch of green somewhere in the vicinity of your home? Even those who live in large metropolitan areas probably have a park nearby or at least a spot where pigeons gather. If you have a morning commute, perhaps you could make it a game to spot at least one bird or animal along the way. I promise, even if you give yourself just 5 minutes to slow down, be present, and observe nature, something magical will happen. When we connect to the rhythms of Mother Earth, we feel a part of something larger than ourselves. Time slows down and things that used to bother us often feel less irritating. Try it and see. What have you got to lose? It won’t cost a thing!
If you’d like to learn more ways to slow down, be present, and live a more peaceful, spacious life, please consider giving yourself the gift of Spiritual Coaching. I offer single sessions as well as packages of 4, 8, and 12 sessions to suit your needs and budget. Nothing is more rewarding to me than witnessing miraculous changes occurring in my clients' lives once they start seeing things from a new perspective. Look around my website or send me an email for more information and to book a session.
This week, try starting your day with a few minutes of peace, tranquility, and maybe a few boring birds. Then watch the rest of your day flow with more spaciousness and grace.
Every leaf that falls is given life in you. Each bird that ever sang will sing again in you. And every flower that ever bloomed has saved its perfume and its loveliness for you.
A Course in Miracles ~ T-25.IV.5:2-4