麻豆约拍

A spiritual comment and prayer to start the day with Steve Taylor

About 15 years ago, I was working part-time at a college about six miles away from my home. I initially drove to work, but found the journey stressful and frustrating, with jams and long queues at traffic lights. I decided to start cycling instead. It was great to be exercising in the open air, rather than sitting stationary inside a car.

But the best thing about cycling was that it enabled me to take in much more of the reality of the journey. I saw so many interesting old houses and beautiful old trees and flower beds that I had never noticed while driving. I saw turnings into quiet avenues that I had simply bypassed. Best of all, I could spend time looking at the sky, at the clouds and the still blues spaces between them and the morning sunlight shining through. Every morning, I arrived at work feeling energized and fulfilled. I was amazed at how much of the journey I had missed while driving, and how much more reality I sensed simply by travelling more slowly.

This a good metaphor for life itself. We experience much more reality through living slowly, since we become more present. We also find life much less stressful, and much more fulfilling.

So today, make a conscious effort to slow down. Take a few moments to release your attention from activity and take in the reality or where you are and what you鈥檙e doing. Here are some lines of poetry that may help:

Slow down.
Don鈥檛 be so desperate to reach the future
that you push the present away.

Treat each moment with respect
as a friend who deserves your attention.
Greet every new experience as a guest
who鈥檚 welcome to be part of your life.

Blessings