Spirit: Rolling hills are a great analogy for being present. So many times, we’re so focused on the next thing that we don’t enjoy what is in front of our face and in the short term, coming up on the horizon.
Today, consider a landscape with a lot of depth and no people or other distractions in front of you. Picture a rolling meadow or a hill with trees or a road with an end that can’t be seen because it’s so far in the distance.It doesn’t matter. In fact, for many people, it will need to be in your mind’s eye because most people live in such congested metropolitan areas. So visualize in your mind this scene of beauty. Focus on putting together all the pieces to the landscape almost as if you’re a painter and you’re manually adding every element. Start with the sky or the ground, and work your way into the picture. Imagine the ground is filled with green grass or rocks or is bare land. Is there water in your landscape like a bubbling brook, stream, or lake or is it a farmhouse in the middle of nowhere? Is there a wheat field or sunflower field as the backdrop to an old barn?
The key is to get really, really specific about all the elements of the picture. The reason for this is that the more intricate you make it, the easier it will be to focus and cut off or disconnect from the outside world. By doing so, you go inward and do a meditation and focus on just being present with this painting in your mind.
After you’ve completed the painting in your mind, step back as if it’s a hanging on a gallery wall and assess your handiwork. What does it say to you? Is it a happy picture? Is it filled with serenity or strife?
After you’ve done some analysis of the painting, correlate the painting to your life and any specific situations that you’re currently experiencing. Is this a reflection of your human experience, or is this what you’re yearning for your experience to be?
Obviously this can be a signpost for you to use to either continue on the path you’re on if you’re in sync with the picture or to make some course corrections if the picture does NOT represent where you’re currently at. The idea again, is to be present with where you’re at, how you’re doing, and whether your head and your heart are occupying the space and moving in one direction in a complementary fashion or if you’re like a two-headed mythological creature with each head trying to go its own way. With only one body, you want to try to get your head and your heart to be in sync because then you’re happier.
The ultimate goal is for you to find your destiny. To find a path that leads you where you want to go vs. a path that leads to dis-ease as you will not be healthy when you are not living in harmony within yourself. This is a self reflection exercise to get you to consider what you can do to make your life better. Enjoy the journey.