“Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things.” — Philippians 4:8
With that as a guiding principle, is it any wonder that I try not to write about politics? (Kidding, and mostly off-topic)
A friend recently recommended The Celestine Prophecy to me, and I found it to be valuable psychology that rang true in some ways but tended to ring false in its main goal of prophecy. I do want to focus on one of the ways that rang true.
Author James Redfield’s tome suggests that one road to higher consciousness is to sit still in a natural setting and reach out to see the beauty all around you. I did find — with nothing else to do except drive and listen — that becoming aware of the passing trees, the blue sky, the farm silos and other aspects of the view did bring me closer to that peace and calm one feels in the presence of natural splendor.
We get so caught in the daily grind and life that speeds past at 70 mph that it’s easy not to notice beauty even when we are surrounded by it. We are pounded by messages and people who are not true, not noble, nor remotely right or pure. It’s easy to see the world as ugly and repulsive, the very opposite of excellent or praiseworthy.
When we sit and reflect, though, when we stop and see the beauty in the simplest pleasures, like a wildflower, our mindset shifts and we see the true nature of the world. It’s a beautiful world filled with beautiful people. For whatever reason, a lot of time and effort is invested in distraction and misdirection, but there is plenty about our lives that is true, noble, right, pure, lovely and admirable.
All you have to do is stop, turn off the electronic toys, sit still and pay attention. What you see and hear can be breathtaking.
