Nature

2014 has been a year of attempting mindfulness for me.  I have always been an anxious individual whose head tends to be spinning nearly 24/7.  Admittedly, there have been times when that constant thinking has served me well, but overall, it has mostly put an incredible burden on my body.  Last year, after ten years of therapy, I finally had some significant revelations about who I am and why I do the things I do.  Yes...TEN years of therapy.  Did I mention, I'm also stubborn?  ;)

Building off of my greater understanding of myself, I chose to truly make some changes in the way I live my life.  I have chosen to work on putting out positive energy on a daily basis.  I have chosen to embrace my strengths and not focus on what I consider to be my "weaknesses" because even those things can be strengths.  I have chosen to be mindful during my day.  I am still busy, but I take more time to experience moments and feel that I am living life more than just getting through day to day.  

One of the things I enjoy so much is my morning out on my porch as I start my day.  I drink my warm lemon water and just listen.  Sometimes it is silence I hear.  Wonderful, beautiful, silence.  Something I remember wishing for day after day when I had small children at home.  How I still LOVE the sound of silence.  Some days the birds are chatting with one another.  This morning, I listened to the rain fall.  And I experience it all.  All of my senses are alive and aware.  I listen, I smell the fresh morning air, I taste the cleansing lemon in the warm water, I feel the temperature and I see everything.  I see the clouds or the blue sky.  I see the sun or the moon and the early morning stars.  I see other neighbors as they begin their days.  And something I see and have always connected to is the tree in our front yard.  I love this tree.  It is the only tree we have and it marks all the seasons for me.  I take a picture of it every day I am out on the porch.  Today I decided that I'm going to post that picture as it is a tangible item that helps with being mindful of each and every day.  That tree changes just a little tiny bit every day and I love to witness the changes.  But seeing it through photos keeps me even more grounded.  

Today I'm posting both yesterday's picture and today's picture as they show the difference a day can make.  Nature is amazing and powerful and beautiful.  As is each day of life.  It is up to us to choose how we live it.  This does not mean that I don't still have very rough days.  I am human.  But even in the rough days, I practice mindfulness and I know the bad days don't last.  And I find it easier to dust myself off find my way again.  

So, here's to a new day, a new week and to being mindful...through my lone tree and the gifts of mother nature.  :)