Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Sarah Biermann - Like a Child

You know how children can get so much pleasure from little things? The shiny wings on a fly are irresistible. The sunlight twinkling through the leaves of a tree is mesmerizing. From the "whomp, whomp, whomp" of the helicopter overhead to the heady sweetness from the lavender vine, everything is just really interesting.
It's not just because things are new to them. Most adults will pause to take in a dramatic sunset regardless of the fact that they have seen hundreds or thousands of sunsets. What happens to adults is that we fill our heads with much mental chatter. Our attention is occupied by the constant barrage of worries and regrets, mostly serious and heavy, so that we don't really see the world around us. 
Maybe this is what they meant in the bible ( I looked it up and the quote is from Mathew), "I  tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven".
Mental chatter and creativity are mutually exclusive. As an artist I can tell you that when I'm really into creating something my mind is silent. This is why children are generally way more creative than adults. There is a downward cycle as we get older and take on adult responsibilities and worries. But we can turn it around! We can make an upward cycle by taking time to notice what is around us. Not just a cursory glance, but actually put our whole attention to it. Automatically, the mind will go quiet. Conversely, if the mind is quiet, we will notice more beautiful and interesting things in the world around us. Being in the state of mind opens up the posibility to be more creative! 
A lot of people are disappointed that something big didn't happen in the outside world on December 21st. The change that happened (and is continuing to happen) is on the inside. We know that and we even feel it, but it's hard when physical reality seems to have stayed the same. Let's face it, it can be tough to live here and now when we know what wonderful potentials there are for life on this planet. We are so focused on the future that we miss the magic and the beauty that is here right now. How many of you thought at an extra challenging moment, that you could "stick it out" here because you didn't want to miss the fantastic, special something that was going to happen on Dec. 21st? Now that we don't have that to look forward to, what do we do? How about we enjoy what is available now? 
About a year ago I asked the Earth if there was anything she needed for us to do for her. The answer was simple, just appreciate the beauty here. Whatever you focus on is increased. When you focus on something that you enjoy, you get more of it. So appreciation of beauty is a spiritual act, it supports the planet, quiets your mind and increases creativity. And it is really fun!

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