On Appreciation
A new day, the sunrise over the Sahara
For years, I heard phrases like “each day is a gift” or “be grateful for every moment.” While I knew that they held truth, I didn’t have any emotional connection to them. They didn’t resonate with me; I couldn’t feel them. Looking back, as much as I thought I was connected to my life, to the daily beatings of my heart, I was not aware at all of what a wonderful world I had around me. Now, thankfully, I am so aware of what a miracle this life is, that even on a “bad” day I can understand that sad or difficult moments are simply moments, moments which ultimately pass. The fact that I can even have a “bad” day comes second to the fact that it’s a good day, just because I am alive to experience it.
There was no dramatic experience that I had which woke me up to this appreciation. However, I do feel that until a few months ago, I didn’t “get it.” Not that I wasn’t grateful for my life and for my loved ones before, but it wasn’t something I consciously and constantly appreciated. I was too overwhelmed by daily life and my own drama to stop and understand that I was taking my life for granted, instead of appreciating each day as the gift that it is.
It was through practicing meditation that I have been able to begin to connect with myself. When we are constantly paying attention elsewhere, it is very easy to lose touch with ourselves and our place in the world. When we stop and sit in silence, we can use those moments of peace to break away from what we see, and connect with what we feel and with who we are.
The difficult part about explaining this new appreciation I have, and that I hope to inspire in others, is that I didn’t realize before that it was missing from my life. I felt joy when good things happened, and sadness at times, and I felt my emotions with my whole heart. Now, I also feel them within my soul. I encourage you to take even just a few minutes today, and find a quiet place to sit comfortably and close your eyes. Let your thoughts come and go. You may not feel any difference right away, but I encourage you to try to find a few minutes each day to sit with yourself. The presence you experience in meditation stays with you throughout your day. You build up a kind of tolerance to the outside world, so that you can experience daily life with all of its highs and lows, yet without letting it permeate and distract you from appreciating how amazing it is that we are here. Since incorporating meditation into my day, life has become a lot less overwhelming and so much more beautiful.
love,
greer