The other day, I was laying on my bed feeling completely consumed by stress and anxiety. One of my dogs jumped onto my bed, gingerly laid her chin on my leg, and began whining. Yep, I get it, I thought to myself. I wanted to pretend that she knew what I was feeling, but I knew the real reason she was here. “Wanna go outside?” I said, which followed with her barking and crying hysterically.
I walked downstairs, called my other dog to follow us, and opened the back door. Usually, I let them wander into the backyard by themselves, but as I opened the door, I felt the warm breeze of the fading summer. I realized that soon enough, the grass would be covered in snow, so I might as well enjoy the weather while I have the option to do so.
I slouched into one of the patio chairs, and watched as my two Jack Russell Terriers ran from tree to tree in search of a squirrel that had been terrorizing them. My eyes wandered around the yard from the grass to the trees to the emerging sunset. As I stared at the sky, falling into the cotton candy clouds and the hue of color, I realized something. There’s more…
There’s more to the world than what I have trapped in my mind. When I really get to thinking about something, my mind consumes me. I put up blinders, and I only see the world from my narrow perspective. I become oblivious to everything else around me, and I get stuck in a hopeless, pitiful rut.
I get caught up with what is happening, and I forget to take in what the world has to offer. From physically traveling to the ends of the earth, to simply watching the leaves blow in the wind. There is so much more than the swirling thoughts in your head.
When you focus solely on what’s occurring around you, both good and bad, you forget that the world is this huge, vast space full of possibilities. You have to look up from your life in order to realize the magnificence of the life that surrounds you.
As I came to this realization, I watched the clouds slowly drift across the sky. I examined the sun’s rays bouncing off the edges of the clouds, almost heaven-like. And I thought to myself, this is it. This is the beauty of living.
