Looking at beauty in the world
is the first step in purifying the mind.
Amit Ray

There are days when I go for a walk that I start out in a not so good mood. I start the walk with a whine about having to walk because I need the exercise, then go on to list all the things I’d rather be doing and all the things that need to be done that I don’t want to do. I complain about the weather, it’s too hot or too cold, too bright and sunny or too dark and cloudy, too windy or there is no wind. In general, just complaining and centered solely on myself.

Before long, I notice the trees or some flowers, birds chattering back and forth to each other, or a hawk soaring across the sky. I see a cat wandering or someone walking a dog, someone out for a run or walking with a baby in a stroller, or an elderly person who seems frail but still out and about enjoying a stroll. I stop and just look around at the world and I am stunned by the beauty of it all.

My mind lets go of the negativity and makes room for the positivity and possibilities that surround me. Nothing around me has changed, but within there is a cleansing that refreshes and energizes, not just my mind, but my body, too. My walk becomes something more than exercise. The heaviness in my heart is washed away and my eyes are open to the beauty of the world.

I laugh at my not so good mood and there is abundant joy!

Photo by Alex Bargain on Pexels.com