I’ll give you the punch line: The world becomes a magical place.
In a previous entry, “On Being All In”, I described the value of tuning in during daily interactions, and manifestation. For the past 24 hours, I put that into action, and guess what? The world showed me some pretty magical things. I am happy to report that tuning in is becoming less a conscious action, and more an innate habit. I’ve tried to approach it in a non-judgemental fashion, full of simple curiosity, and awe and wonder for the world around me. Remove fear, lean in. You’ll be amazed at what is revealed to you. My hope, most sincerely, is that anyone reading this will give it a try, and if so inclined, talk about your experience with anyone who will listen. Pick me! 🙂
Yes, it takes practice. However, I believe with a little effort, we can all live in the realm of “tuned in”, and live in a state of more love, more magic, and less fear. Sound a little hokey? A little “woo woo”? A little too much “sunshine and rainbows”? Maybe. Just give it a try and see. If it’s not for you, that’s cool too.
So here’s the example:
Yesterday, I had the opportunity to travel a couple hours from home, through the beautiful mountains of Colorado to perform live music. Before the show, I set up camp at an amazing small town orchard, which seemed like a fairy tale. Peach and apple orchards, a mountain backdrop, kids on swings, flowers, live music, a deli, local goods, and just the coolest vibe. A little summertime piece of heaven on earth.
For the gig, we were at a small town rodeo, which was a mix of people who just wanted to enjoy their evening. The day was long, uncomfortably hot, and (as usual) there were a few hiccups during sound check and during the show. BUT. I let all that go, and here’s what happened: I enjoyed the people, the food trucks, the local merchants, the bandmates, and the crowd was a blast and danced the night away. The stage and sunset were breathtaking. Although we didn’t leave until midnight, I had more energy and less physical pain (think stiff cowboy boots on stage for three straight hours) than most shows before.
The next morning, (although tired after a late night and camping in my car), I woke up early, got on the road, and enjoyed a little of the local flavor. I stopped at an incredible, eclectic bakery for breakfast and took it all in. I tuned into all the people, every detail. It would have been easy to take the food to go or to sit down and start scrolling. NOPE. I put the phone down. I really SAW the people around me: a young dad with his bubbly, smiling baby, friends sharing a computer screen, looking to purchase a home (they were so excited!), a woman with the N95 mask, smiling underneath, kitchen workers making the bread: an older woman and a teen boy (a family-owned business?), friends looking to plan their day (they did a few second meditation in line right front of me, also to tune in) and the list goes on. A man dressed in motorcycle gear walked in and might have seemed intimidating (sorry to stereotype, owning my biases here). NOPE, I let the assumption go. He made conversation with the other locals and talked about how much he enjoyed the travels on the bike. The walls were filled with locally made products, local artwork and down to the smallest detail, there was something to enjoy at every turn, if you just paid attention.
Next came the drive home. Gorgeous weather, a mountain drive winding past rivers, peaking wildflowers, and expansive, and majestic views. I turned on the radio and stumbled across some music that brought me back to college. I listened to it all the way home and actually welled up in tears because it was so beautiful, and brought such happy memories. But here’s the thing: I’ve done this drive many times before. No doubt it’s gorgeous. Many times in the past though, I’ve looked off the edge of the drop-offs around the mountain curves, considering the effects of one wrong move. I’ve scrolled mindlessly through the endless amounts of radio channels I have available to me. I was living mindlessly in fear, but today I changed my perspective. This time was different. This time I was tuned in, and it was incredible.
One reference: I high school, I read this book and highlighted my favorites. Twice. It can help you with the process of tuning in to the little things and finding joy in small moments.
Trueish Things 