I just got back from a walk in the park with Ralph (our white Maltese Shitzu dog). People like Ralph.
It’s a beautiful park, with acres and acres of trees, grass and natural bush land located beside a creek. And it’s dog friendly, which means that dogs and humans can frolic around without leashes, provided you take a plastic bag or two (no need to elaborate on the details).
But there’s something peculiar about this park. It changes: some days it’s quiet, as if nature has taken a day off, whereas on other days there’s an abundance of activity.
Take today. It was all happening down there. There was a slight breeze and the leaves on the large trees waved to us. Of course I waved back and Ralph shared his scent with 487 trees to show his appreciation. I didn’t… honestly.
And then there were the birds – so many flying overhead showing off their translucent wings against the backdrop of the sun, while hundreds of others called out and welcomed us to their home.
Throughout the park I saw so many different shades of green and other colourful hues. There is a constant process of regeneration. It is rich, grand and vibrant. Even the clouds danced, evolving into different patterns.
Yes there was certainly something special about the park today which offered a delightful sense of freedom.
I’ve noticed this also happens when I go to the beach. There’s water, waves, sand, seagulls and whatever the weather dishes up. Sometimes it appears to hold itself back – almost in the background, yet at other times it’s effervescent, welcoming and magnificent.
And it’s the same in shopping malls. There are those days when people appear to be more rushed, with very little eye contact – almost as if they are hiding. Then there are days when there is more eye contact and engagement which overall makes for a much more pleasant shopping experience.
So what’s going on here? Why does nature put on so many different aspects? Why do people change so much? Could the weather have something to do with this or global warming or the phases of the moon or some sort of electrical interference?
Or is there something else?
Could it possibly have something to do with me? Mmmm. . . after due consideration, I am afraid there is nothing or no one else I can blame it on. It all has to do with me.
When I’m in my head thinking, focussed on something I have to do in the future, or trying to fix a problem or solve some sort of issue, then nature and people fade away into the background. However the magic of nature and the glory within people is always there – but sometimes I’m not.
Yet when I clear my mind, like today, and simply take in what is around me and connect to it all, it is transformational. And the remarkable thing is that the answers to those problems or issues I preoccupy myself with always come to me at the right time when I’m connected. So why waste all of that time brain bashing rather than simply enjoy what is presented to me, wherever I am?
So it really comes down to my choice as to whether I want to be open and connect with that or not. And if I choose not to do so, then how much am I missing out on? (I feel there is much more than I can currently comprehend).
Nature doesn’t turn on or off – it’s there – a constant in our lives. It’s up to us as to how we experience it. It’s up to us as to how we experience people. Perhaps that lies at the heart of many of our problems: do we think far too much, rather than simply experience what is there before us?
(Note to self: ‘don’t think – experience’).
Serge Benhayon’s presentations at Universal Medicine events have shown me how I can open my eyes and my heart to all that is around me (and beyond) and for that I am most appreciative.
So the next time I go for a walk, my experience will be a reflection of where I’m at. If it’s not amazing then the only person responsible will be the one who looks back at me from a mirror.
After all – it’s not merely a walk in the park. It’s divine.
by Rod Harvey, Marketing Manager, Gold Coast, Australia.
The Truth about Universal Medicine 
Yes, the difference is always in how I am, ‘Could it possibly have something to do with me? Mmmm. . . after due consideration, I am afraid there is nothing or no one else I can blame it on. It all has to do with me.’
Just maybe it is how we are that affects what presents to ourselves, ‘When I’m in my head thinking, focussed on something I have to do in the future, or trying to fix a problem or solve some sort of issue, then nature and people fade away into the background.’
Yesterday I was looking at a picture of me as a baby. There was a tenderness and joy that melted me and made me reflect on how this changed years later. Why did I allow this beautiful and joyous state of being change? There’s a lot to appreciate today. Attending workshops and presentations from Universal Medicine brings me back to the responsibility of how I feel is the result of my choices. The preciousness of our being is always there – it never left us – and at any time we can make the choice to come back, even when we don’t live connected to this fact all the time.
This is a very refreshing reading that brings me back to simplicity and lightness. Thank you Rod
A pleasure Inma
Pondering on what you have shared Rod, makes me feel that there is always a possibility that numerology could play a part on the way we go about our day and the reflection that is available?
Our mind can be very deceiving in all of the solutions that it’s coming up with. Trying to consider all possible aspects, all areas and come up with the picture perfect solution. Why is that? Why can’t we surrender to what is in front of us and respond that way? Is it because we are fearful that we won’t be able to do it? That we can’t cope? But isn’t that an illusion brought in by our perception anyways?
To walk in connection to who we are is to walk in connection to the all.
“Nature doesn’t turn on or off – it’s there – a constant in our lives.” I love walking, walking is an amazing opportunity to connect to wonders both inside us and out.
You certainly bring new meaning to a walk in the park with this blog Rod.
Rod I love your sharing especially this part “So the next time I go for a walk, my experience will be a reflection of where I’m at. If it’s not amazing then the only person responsible will be the one who looks back at me from a mirror.” as it can apply to basically everything in life. We have no one to blame just an opportunity for us to unfold the future forward.
It is always important to reflect on what our part was in the situation, ‘ the magic of nature and the glory within people is always there – but sometimes I’m not.’
Nature is indeed ‘rich grand and vibrant’ Rod. The cyclic changes it goes through illustrates to us changes that we can also honor in our own day to day life. For example when autumn comes the leaves start to fall, so correspondingly it is a great time for us to reflect on our year and to let go of what we no longer need.
When we learn to see the world through the eyes of the heart, like a small child naturally does, we cannot help but see the divinity all around and deep within us.
Not only does the Kingdom of God live within us, it is immediately accessible the moment we surrender the armour we have used to shield us from such simple majesty.
I love this Rod. I had a gorgeous walk yesterday which was the result of feeling such a strong impulse to be out in the sunshine and amongst the beautfiul colours of Autumn. It was such a joy to be walking with a sense of being an innate part of my surroundings, with everything that I am and with everyone that I came into contact with.
And often we look to lay the blame somewhere else, but ultimately the responsibility always comes back to us.
That open, magical walk in the park can be our everyday experience of God, Life, the Universe and everything if we choose and move to that tune…. or we can choose the other. Its a constant question, and we can’t fudge it… just an exploration of our livingness.
Love the note to self, don’t think, just experience.. and there is so much to open up to, so much to feel and be aware of…
Yes likewise, it is very easy to go into our heads and analyse what has happened but the analysis does not lead to true lessons – it leads to hypothesis and theories. Only the body can bring true understanding.
Being connected with our body is very supportive, ‘the answers to those problems or issues I preoccupy myself with always come to me at the right time when I’m connected.’
Resisting the divine being that we are would appear to be a very practiced and favoured activity that most of us do. It is now time to change the script and embrace the glorious beings that we are.
Is it what is going on with us that changes what we experience as Rod suggests, ‘the magic of nature and the glory within people is always there – but sometimes I’m not.’
And if that is difficult we can always learn how to make wiser – or less wise – choices and then use that understanding. Very true, Elizabeth.
It comes down to a choice of living all that we are – which is very loving and powerful or to live in a comfortable, reduced form. This is a choice we have all day, every day and we can move one way or another way, all day.
It is a choice how we live, in every moment, ‘the remarkable thing is that the answers to those problems or issues I preoccupy myself with always come to me at the right time when I’m connected. So why waste all of that time brain bashing rather than simply enjoy what is presented to me, wherever I am?’
‘And the remarkable thing is that the answers to those problems or issues I preoccupy myself with always come to me at the right time when I’m connected. ‘ – great reminder, the answers are given to us. Depending on what we are aligned to the answer is supplied from a different source; one supplies without effort when we are connected and tuned to the everything that is, the other one makes us think we come up with it ourselves and or gives in a similar way but with a different quality that still gives us identification.
Are we thinking, instead of allowing the answer to come to us, ‘Perhaps that lies at the heart of many of our problems: do we think far too much, rather than simply experience what is there before us?’
“Note to self: ‘don’t think – experience’” – this is a good note to self, will do the same, thank you.
Do we think our way through life, or experience it? How we experience others and the world at large is a great reflection of how we feel about and experience ourselves, and our relationship to life.
Yes, our experience of life and people is a great reflection of how we are, ‘Nature doesn’t turn on or off – it’s there – a constant in our lives. It’s up to us as to how we experience it. It’s up to us as to how we experience people. ‘
The reflection of where we are at is available for us to see if we are open to seeing it, ‘the next time I go for a walk, my experience will be a reflection of where I’m at.’
Yes.. love this reminder and inspiration that nature is a constant offering of abundance, so if we’re not feeling that, then where are we? And if we’re not connecting to and feeling that abundance then what are we connecting to and feeling, instead?
Walking with nature always reflects back to us in many ways, and when we are truly connected we are able to pick up the messages that nature holds for us too.
People behaving differently in my experience is mostly due to changes within us but it also can be due to outside influences – pre-Christmas people may be even more stressed or have more goodwill than normal. After a major flood people felt much clearer as another example.
‘Note to self: ‘don’t think – experience’’ It’s so simple isn’t it! If we want to be with life in a different way, more complete, more content and with greater settlement we just have to get out of our heads.
So much in the blog to consider, especially because it is the norm for many of us to look to the outside for the reason why something is happening, without looking first within and realising it is actually that which has more influence on our reality
‘Nature doesn’t turn on or off – it’s there – a constant in our lives.’ And if you choose to not be open, not only you are missing out but we all miss out when you turn off the volume of what can come through you. Lets not turn off but be a constant in our own life just like nature is reflecting to us all of the time.
The beauty of nature and the glory of people, as aspects of life that are always there. This is beautiful for its simplicity and the fact that there is always a choice for how we perceive life to be and for how much we embrace what is divine in the everyday.
The way we are feeling within ourselves as well as our beliefs or ideals can for sure colour or taint the way we perceive the world, as it can also taint the way we see ourselves. Also places can feel different on different days truly as well – as in not because we are projecting but because there is a different sense to it, so it is great to be more aware of when it is something we are projecting or truly picking up on…
“My experience will be a reflection of where I’m at” – this is so true in every aspect of our life, and how empowering is that when we start accepting responsibility for our own experiences and start considering to make different choices.
It is a very liberating moment when it finally dawns on us that we create our own problems.
And that we are love and truth innately and no creation is required.
All I can say is thank God for nature. Seriously, where would we be without it? When you are down and or out or have been hurt by people the spectacular beauty in nature is always there remaining consistent to remind us all of the beauty within.
We often want the ‘me time’ and switch off to being open to others, preferring to walk around in a bubble. I know when I do this I create a barrier between me and others that is is more exhausting than when I am open and transparent I notice how much more alive and lighter I feel.
I absolutely love this Rod, how we are affects everything! It’s empowering and a pretty big ouch at the same time!
“Could it possibly have something to do with me? Mmmm. . . after due consideration, I am afraid there is nothing or no one else I can blame it on. It all has to do with me.” Love this Rod. Everything is a reflection for us – and we too are a reflection for others. What imprint do we choose – in every moment? Responsibility.
It’s up to us to create our own life, our own version of reality. We can have a beautiful life where we welcome the challenges and see them for what they are, a confirmation of our strength, an opportunity to learn. Or we could contract, withdraw and take every attack personally, every negative look to heart and live in misery for eternity.
What a humbling way to be, when we constantly look and reflect our own part in life and see how things are, the way we could respond to things and be super honouring of what we are feeling. Looking inward is a self evaluating process because we start to see things in a different light and we let go of things and start to have more space to be all of who we are.
Observing the sky is a profound experience every day. So much to see, so much to discover, so much playfulness.
I have enjoyed your fascination and observation of the skies in photos you have posted before, sometimes I haven’t seen what you have and others I have. It is sweet and honouring to pay so much attention to that which is around us reflecting away.
Rod it is very true, it’s all to do with where we are at and our receptivity to the beauty of nature and people that is ever present. And, it’s also our openness and receptivity to the beauty within ourselves and whether or not we are connected to that.
Oh that’s another nugget! The receptivity of the beauty within, so much is the simple acceptance of our own divinity and innate beauty.
“However the magic of nature and the glory within people is always there – but sometimes I’m not”. Today I feel like I am not there so thank you for the reminder that it is always our choice.
And we aren’t there man it sucks the big kumara. What I have found is I find it hard to shift out of it from my head but more recently have found placing a hand on my heart as well as closing my eyes slowly really helps me remember who I am and in turn others also.
It’s amazing to feel the difference between the two, going for a walk with your heart or going for a walk with your dog 😉
It is the connection with ourselves that defines how we perceive what is around us. When we feel truly connected and divine we can’t but see and feel it all around us, the other way around is also true.
Our perception of the world is always filtered through what we are willing to see and feel.
Rod, that is very true. You can connect to nature, you can connect to your heart and your awareness can increase substantially.
Time outside, enjoying the air and the trees is something that is very easy to underestimate. It rejuvenates us, starts our days with a steady breath, and offers a reminder of the grand person we are.
Very true we can perceive life very differently depending on how we feel. One person might see it totally different to another. I love how our surroundings are always a reflection for us to learn from. And the, also when things are going smooth to accept this!
A beautiful reminder that what we see and feel in the world around is but a reflection of our own internal world.
I once spent a few months on a beach with nothing to do. But inside I made myself daily lists and set time frames – even over such things as to what time I would take a walk, how far I’d like to walk, when to play the guitar etc. Our internal world can dictate and keep us quite separate from the world around us.
That is a powerful, practical and lucid example of how our internal world determines our experience of the world. Thank you for sharing Nikki.
Yes, when I had the honesty to realise this, it was quite a shock. I realised wherever I went I took myself. No amount of tropical beaches can quell inner turmoil.
I have noticed that the days that I am in my head and upset about some personal issue, all I tend to see around me in people and situations are negative things that I then react to even more. Whereas the days that I drop the self-judgement, merely focus on my body as I work and move throughout the day, I tend to also have more understanding of others, see their beautiful essence (even through some negative behaviours) and it seems like Nature is putting on more of a show for me as I notice all kinds of magical things.
The heart sees and experiences life so differently doesn’t it? Thank you Michael for your comment, I really enjoyed reading it.
Indeed Rod everything is divine and we walk our quality in every step through life.
Thank you Joel for the valuable reminder of how the quality of how we are living comes through what we are choosing to connect to, in every moment, as in every moment we have the choice to connect to love or all this is not of love.
Love this. When someone we love is about to pass over, we often have no hesitation in expressing all the love and appreciation we feel for them, yet we take day to day interactions with each other for granted. Most of the time other people are background noise, irritation, enemies, comic relief or entertainment and always take my a back seat to our internal dramas. We rarely connect to the gorgeousness of the people in our lives until we believe we may not see them again.
That is a wise and wonderful reminder Leonne to appreciate people, and to have a relationship with ourselves where we truly honour how precious we are and allow that innate knowing of our preciousness to then also be the foundation for holding and understanding the preciousness of others.
Funny I thought this just this morning that we should love and express like today is our last day, our arrogance of thinking a long life is guaranteed is crippling in many ways.
Love this Rod, don’t think experience, yes, and that’s on offer for us always, no matter what’s going on with us, nature is ready with her bounty and people too. You remind me that when I get serious and stuck in a problem I’ve lost my connection to all around me, and we’re part of that larger all, so I’ve also lost connection to me as well as that bigger picture.
I love you’re note to self: ‘don’t think- experience’. Once we get out of our head we see, hear and feel the whole world is in communication to us.
I have a similar ‘note to self’ – ‘don’t think…feel and sense’. Makes a world of difference to my experience of the world around me. And I have much less anxiety than I used to because I don’t get so caught up in the old habits of over thinking.
“(Note to self: ‘don’t think – experience’).” – Love it! It is so true that how we experience the world is dependent upon how we feeling and where our focus of attention is – “the magic of nature and the glory within people is always there – but sometimes I’m not.”
What we see is dependant on the lens through which we look and this lens is fashioned by the way we move through life – either in love or against it.
“Nature doesn’t turn on or off – it’s there – a constant in our lives. It’s up to us as to how we experience it.” We may not like the responsibility that comes with understanding the truth of this, but true it is nonetheless.
That is true. We can choose not to turn off either.
We do actually know when we are choosing to be open or can’t be bothered to talk to anyone, as we avoid eye contact and tell ourselves that we are not up to chatting with anyone. Then on those days when this is the case, and we feel closed off, something magical happens when we do start to have an everyday conversation with someone unknown to us – it changes how we feel, and we then become more willing to engage.
I have experienced that Julie and it is quite lovely to have felt closed off but then come back to feeling my natural self again from engaging with someone in simple conversation.
‘when we embrace our true power, life becomes rich and beautifully simple.’ Thank you Joseph Barker. I know this is true and is just what I needed to hear this morning. I can so easily bow down to what is not absolutely true for me. The absolute truth is where the power lies.
We react to life, when it responds to us – so what is the nature of what we bring to our day? You make it clear Rod that when we embrace our true power, life becomes rich and beautifully simple.
Rod you’ve shared some intricate details of simple observations. I love this comment “nature doesn’t turn on or off – it’s there – a constant in our lives. It’s up to us as to how we experience it”. And the cruncher “do we think far to much, rather than simply experience what is there before us?” For many we don’t want to experience what there is and over think things and in comes the complications, this experience can be like a walk in the park if we chose it to be.
Don’t think – Experience! I great quote Rod! Because what is thinking if we are not experiencing? Fantasy!
Nature is always ‘on’ as you say Rod, and the question I get from your blog is – are we?
“Or is there something else?” When we choose to be aware of everything and everyone around us we reconnect to the ‘something else’, the All.
There is a huge difference when we walk disconnected to our body, fully engaging with our thoughts, rushing or distracted compared to when we walk with openness, transparency, connection to ourselves, our surroundings and people. When we walk anywhere, be it in our own homes, out and about or in nature, and we walk with a deep appreciation, everything looks and feels amazing, divine and magical.
Oh how nature is so healing for us. And appreciating nature helps us to Walk in our true nature.
It definitely comes back to where we are at in the moment that gives us the experience we have. Thank you Rod for your sharing.
It’s up to how we experience nature and people … this really brought it home Rod, that there are no problems except what we make and we can see so much around us if we’re willing to experience life rather than try and work it out in our heads.
Thank you Rod, I know I have walked on the beach and felt very cut off from nature and other times I have been simply driving in suburbia and felt connected to everything including the beauty of nature. I appreciated also the reminder that our own connection provides the answers, not the thinking – the thinking is often much worse than the issue anyway
I will take you and your offering on my walk Rod to the dog park today and appreciate whatever I see and feel! I could so relate to the different reflections I am given and when you finally shared that it is how we are viewing and perceiving what we are seeing and feeling, well, it made sense and offered me a level of responsibility which is empowering. Lucky readers and time to not impose on that shopping centre, park, office etc, but leave coloured imprints behind us wherever we go.
It’s so true that it is up to us how we experience people. I used to love walking around thinking how annoying everyone was with their annoying habits and ways and just wished everyone would disappear! HA!! sad sack or what? Anyway, opening up to the world and letting people in (a long term work in progress), proves that life can be quite different. It’s easy for me to observe these days when I see others who have taken on my old way of viewing the world, it looks painful and I’m very pleased to have allowed my guard to drop enough for me to be able to see that.
Experience feels solid and there is weight to it, but thinking is much more flippant and does not carry the same weight if not experienced.
Lovely reminder that we when are connected with our bodies, the answers to our questions always provided in some way, shape or form.
It makes sense to me that the way we are within ourself will affect the way we receive/ interpret/ see the world – not that we need to look at everything through rose-tinted glasses so to speak but to be open to seeing the all that is there in any given moment…
“There is a constant process of regeneration. It is rich, grand and vibrant. ” In this there is a reflection for us – the constant cycle of birth, death and rebirth is so clear and so magical in its consistency, reminding us on the micro, temporal level of our own cycle of reincarnation. But more so what I can also feel is the reflection of our restoration to our magnificent selves. We may go through cycles of death and rebirth but each time we have the opportunity to return fully restored to our true selves.
I love this blog Rod, very humorous in it’s exposing of our own responsibility we hold in how our world looks and feels.
Love the note to self – don’t think experience…. as I learn to express more of myself, I experience more of myself and all I have to bring.
Super delightful blog to read again and be reminded that nothing remains static, everything changes just like the seasons. We change, in that we get older, our appearance changes, our expression and movements change, but the one thing that is constant, is true and forever holding us and giving us the space and the free-will to return to our true essence – love. Love makes the world go round, but love makes life super simple, practical yet full of magic!
Going for a walk in Nature, particularly forests, is becoming a recognised “Therapy” in Japan. It certainly offers us an opportunity to connect with something much grander than us, likewise going out at night, or early morning, and looking at the sky and the stars.
I always love reading this blog Rod especially since I have been so much in my head lately with trying to sort out issues. “do we think far too much, rather than simply experience what is there before us?” I was missing the joy and the magic of what is before me by too much thinking, so back to the body and just feel and accept the support that is so abundantly offered by nature’s reflection.
We live under the dome of Heaven where all that has been Divinely created serves as a reminder to the great love we are returning home to.
My job involves a lot of walking in the day in a building with almost 1 million square ft. I know all the shortcuts to get from A to B, but at times I have hallway moments when I go into my head about some problem and miss my turn and have to take a long way or get halfway there and remember I forgot to bring something with me and have to return. But, when I get home at night and go for a walk in the park that is across from my house, always brings me back to my self
It is so true; how I am feeling, how I am in nature, how I am in the mall, how I am at work and anywhere else for that matter – “It all has to do with me” – and nobody else. Nobody makes me feel happy, sad, angry or joyful, it is me allowing it to happen. I can make a choice to be affected by what or who is outside of me, or I can make the choice to not allow it to affect me; the latter is the choice I choose to make these days.
Could the magic be in us? And could it be there where ever we go, if only we simply choose to be connected?
We inform the space through which we move by virtue of how open we are to what is being communicated to us from this field.
We can choose to experience what we want in life, it starts with choosing to connect with ourselves or not. Connection does not mean the world would be perfect, but no matter what happens, but with connection our inner landscape can remain steady and then this support what thoughts enter our head and directly impacts on what we then receive from the outside.
Very true and maintaining the connection with that awareness is worth developing, like a muscle. We are (more often than not) so used to going about our day without that connection, that we can forget it is even important and that is how we find ourselves doing something we don’t expect. It is the movements where we have expanded the disconnection that lead to that end choice.
Rod I love your sense of humour and style! What you present is spot on. Yet can I also offer I have noticed there are definitely days when the world feels busy and engaged and times where everything is quieter, whether this be noticed in nature or people-scapes or both. This I feel has to do with cycles. So, for example, while nature never takes a day off, there will be days where a sense of rest as opposed to activity, is felt.
Such a relief to know that thinking is not the answer – connection is all that is needed.
‘So why waste all of that time brain bashing rather than simply enjoy what is presented to me, wherever I am?’ And when you enjoy what is presented to you, you present your gorgeous self at the same time for all to see and feel instead of adding to the ‘thinking, worrying’ population of this world causing complexity we simply don’t need at all.
Nature doesn’t turn on or off. We do. What if nature is able to capture where we are and offer us a reflection of it?
What a gorgeous reminder you have shared here Rod, of the choice we have in every moment throughout our day, to be present with ourselves, with our being, so that we are truly open to meet each moment with the wonderment of all that is on offer for us to explore, learn, embrace and appreciate.
Surrendering into a moment, all that it offers, whether that is in nature, in conversation with someone, at a meeting or in a quiet moment alone, allows us to be more aware of everything that is going on and therefore more able to access the richness and learning on offer… it make sense to me to be in life in this way.
Beautiful sharing I love it what a great realisation “the magic of nature and the glory within people is always there – but sometimes I’m not.” So true and it brings our energetic responsibility to the forefront of our choices and the outcomes we receive.
A walk in the park can be quite wonderful and usually it comes back to how we are in the present moment that determines this. When I am preoccupied or just not with myself , I stop and focus for a minute on my feet again then feel myself connect again. What a difference this makes as I then open my Heart also.
A timely reminder for me to be forever present.
Rod, this is a brilliant article, I love this; ‘the magic of nature and the glory within people is always there – but sometimes I’m not’, I can feel the huge difference between me being present with myself and appreciating nature and people and being in my head and not connecting with people and not noticing the amazingness of nature.
Rod I love your joy-full humorous expression in your blog,complete with an incredible revelation- how we are within is how we perceive our outer world.
This reminds me of how simple responsibility can be when we choose to be aware of reflections. Being aware of reflections = not imposing on anything on the outside, including the weather, that often gets a bashing from humans expectations of it.
I love what you say and how you say it Rod. All that is true, the ‘magic of God’ never ever disappears. It is only us that do so by withdrawing from such beauty and choosing instead to be run by a part of us that is not syncing to the majestic whole that we are a part of. We as a humanity have much to re-sync to and it is far more simple than we realise – it is quite literally a ‘walk in the park’.
It is so easy to get lost inner heads, thinking about what has past or what we need to do….it ignores our body and is a dis-service to ourselves to treat ourselves in this way, being in conscious presence enables choices to be made, awareness to be felt and no need to live in the past or future and it is so much less exhausting….and it means we get to appreciate what is around us in that moment.
Rod the world lights up when we are lit from our own light.
“Perhaps that lies at the heart of many of our problems: do we think far too much, rather than simply experience what is there before us?”, a pertinent reminder to me today thank you Rod. Those simple words supported me to come back to me and realise that I have the choice to get out of my head, and into my body and simply enjoy the experience that is right now.
Beautifully said Rod. “Nature doesn’t turn on or off – it’s there – a constant in our lives”. It is us that turns off from ourselves and when we do everything around us, including nature takes on a different view, and a different feeling. In disconnection from ourselves we lose our connection to our world, to the truth and to the many joys of life.
I agree – no matter how hard I try blaming someone/something for the way I experience my day – it always comes back to me. It actually makes life much simpler – if I don’t like what I am experiencing, what needs to change is me.
Rod this is a beautiful reflection of life and how we in turn play a much bigger part on how the whole environment around us then interacts or disconnects from us. I love observing the world around me when I am out and about and interacting with others and when I am not as conscious of what is going on I ask myself why is that so? Am I in a rush or anxious or stressed about something??? We always have a choice to re-connect to who we are and in turn re-connect with the world all around us too.
I loved what you shared Rod, especially these words, sometimes when I go for a walk I am up in my head and miss out on so much of the joy that is on offer in nature, ” So the next time I go for a walk, my experience will be a reflection of where I’m at. If it’s not amazing then the only person responsible will be the one who looks back at me from a mirror.” my experience will be what I choose it to be.
I always love coming back to this blog and read your words, Rod.
‘So it really comes down to my choice as to whether I want to be open and connect with that or not. And if I choose not to do so, then how much am I missing out on? (I feel there is much more than I can currently comprehend).’ how much are we missing out on is such a great question. We can answer arrogantly from our heads and say “I’ve seen it all before, so what if I miss it today – no big deal” or we humbly accept there are fathomless depths to what is being offered when we connect and therefore when we don’t we are missing out on everything and more.
I love the 24/7 nature of nature. It is always there, doing its thing – if we want to learn about steadiness and commitment, nature is an incredible reflection for us all.
I love how you say “the 24/7 nature of nature”, it makes it so very clear that there is no break just a continuos flow in cycles and rhythms.
When I read your words Rod I am reminded beyond doubt that life truly is a walk in the park. It can be so simple, so full of beauty and easy if only we let it be. The difficulty is generally we walk around pulling bags of trouble and strife, all the time complaining that this life is too hard. All we simply need to do is choose to put these self-created bags down and live the truth of who we are.
Yes it really does come down to us, Nature and people are there, and how we experience them depends on where we’re at. We can be with it all, or lost in our heads or as Rod puts it … ‘the magic of nature and the glory within people is always there – but sometimes I’m not’ – very true and one for all of us to observe.
Indeed Rod, we tend to bash our brains a lot to master the so called challenges in life, while stopping and appreciate our nature and the nature we live in for what it is constantly presenting to us, would be a much more loving act. We are love, nature is love and that is the way to go as it will solve all the problems in life we have created from walking away from this abundance of love we belong to.
We are the only ones in universe who think we can turn ourselves on and off, everything else just is and flows to the rhythm of the grand all.
So true Esther. It exposes how arrogantly we approach life which is the total opposite of our truly humble true nature.
This blog always reminds me to connect to myself. We miss out on life when we stay in our heads.
We experience the world according to how we are within ourselves and not how someone else or something else is on the outside. Living from the inside out is a beautiful way to live.
So true Rod, when we are open within ourselves we see the beauty of life around us, when we are in the struggle and in our issues we miss out on seeing these reflections as we choose not too.
Pure gold this one – “However the magic of nature and the glory within people is always there – but sometimes I’m not.”
I love the honesty in these words too Sarah, they are indeed a combination of pure gold and wisdom.
“The magic of nature and the glory within people is always there – but sometimes I’m not”. How very true Rod, we do indeed have a choice to notice and appreciate the magic of God; or not.
Just the other day a friend remarked on how I felt shut down compared with how she had experienced me earlier in the day. I had had a phone call a few hours earlier reminding me of a difficult situation and it had affected me and I thought I was “over it” but obviously not. It was great to get this sharing from my friend and to realise that I needed to take much more care of myself.
It’s very true Rod, we can appreciate the nature and people around us for their perfections and imperfections or not – the choice is ours.
This is spot on – what if the world around us doesn’t really change but we do? It’s absolutely true that what we see and observe in the world completely changes due to how we are feeling that day, but the thing that changes is me. If I feel amazing the world is amazing, if I feel down it’s pretty likely the world will seem flat and dead. Again, the changing factor in this situation is me.
True connection opens us up to a level of awareness than in turn opens up our ability to observe life from a completely different angle to what we are used to. In short, it opens up our horizons.
Ah Rod and Ralph, I really should bookmark this blog. Whenever I return to read these words its like I am there with you in the park. And I really get today more than any other that the way we see life, is totally governed by energy. If we truly honour this, then surely we would make understanding and being honest about this the first thing on our daily check list: 1) check the energy we are in 2) go for a walk with Rod and Ralph 3) have fun and remember not to let the serious monster get you.
It is fascinating how we perceive things is so influential to how we experience life. But what is liberating is that we are the masters of the ship we choose the energy that runs us and therefore the energy we see with.
Tremendous sharing, thank you Rod…and oh boy, what a great reminder.
‘the magic of nature and the glory within people is always there – but sometimes I’m not.’ And how crazy if am not because I have reacted to someone else who is not. This is how the chain of disconnectedness works. For me going for a walk allows me the space to reconnect and of course anyone aligning to that will be in the chain of connection too. So simple how it works.
Indeed Rod, it is not nature that turns itself on and off, it is us that are doing that to ourselves from living in the imprisonment of the mind.
Another great piece of writing that brings it home to us why things are like they are. As the article is saying, I know when I have maybe driven the same route time after time then you tend to autopilot through it, the familiarity brings with it a disregard of what’s truly around you. When we say this about nature we have an awareness partly of it and yet when we bring it back to people we often say that that is different. We can call a relationship just being with someone and if we have known them for a long time then this will suffice to say you are great friends. We don’t have a measure or a responsibility to the quality, in fact, we at times don’t even consider it.
Or like nature, we wake one day and take it in only to take it for granted the next time we visit. If this is how we are in those relationships and like the article brings us to, then this is how we are in the relationship we have with ourselves. How can it not be true? I mean how obvious is it when we truly look at it. It’s like going for a walk one day and listening to everything going on around you and then having a day walking the same path where you don’t even remember getting home. The moment we dismiss or don’t see, anything in the world always reflects back this is how we are, how we are treating ourselves first; it can be no other way.
“Nature doesn’t turn on or off – it’s there – a constant in our lives. It’s up to us as to how we experience it. It’s up to us as to how we experience people!” So true Rod. How I experience life totally depends on how I am – with me and with everyone I meet in my day. Experiencing, not thinking, a way to go…….
I get this Rod, if I’m running late or feeling tense about something while driving, the traffic will be equally as tense and extreme. I wonder if we all realised this would there be the same amount of road rage as there is now?
You are so right about why things are as they are and why we see so much magnificence one day and so little the next – it is all governed by the pictures we hold. Stop the pictures and be in the moment and with our breath and everything is available to us. Thanks Rod.
I just love the intricate details of nature, the park, the trees, the sky and the clouds that you have shared with us here Rod; it was almost like being there. But what I appreciate hugely is that you have shown us so clearly that it is us who is the constant ingredient in any nature scenario as to how it all feels on any particular day. When we are in a rush we are likely to miss all the glory around us, but when we stop and take the time to breathe in the beauty of nature, its magnificence, and ours, cannot be denied.
One of my favourite blogs, every time I read it I’m inspired anew. This line was a real eye opener “And the remarkable thing is that the answers to those problems or issues I preoccupy myself with always come to me at the right time when I’m connected. So why waste all of that time brain bashing rather than simply enjoying what is presented to me, wherever I am?” Ah, what a lovely way to bust the myth that I must think, manipulate, plan and calculate my way through life. I thought I was in control but alas it is clear I am the one being controlled when I choose to stay stuck in my head.
Your blog always makes me laugh Rod, and today it made me think of our new-found obsession with virtual reality and multiple screens, dotted high and low throughout our world – all striving for more depth, more colour, more jewels to see. Yet as you show in this piece, all along it is us who have the power to access amazing richness, beauty, and divine light or simply see life as a mundane march. It’s simply down to us and our choice of energy. Ps Thanks to Ralph too for this wise walk of truth.
So true Joseph. It is worth deeply considering why we are so desperate to escape into a lie. There is no reality in virtual reality. Perhaps all the distraction we crave is showing us that we actually know our own power and responsibility but we are running away from it.
Great blog Rod. I love the power and truth of what you have expressed here:
“If it’s not amazing then the only person responsible will be the one who looks back at me from a mirror.”
The state of being that we are in really does make a huge difference as to how we experience nature, situations, other people and how we think about ourselves too.
I loved the humour Rod. I often have an experience while walking where I notice how noisy it is within me. Once I’ve clocked the noise, I take a breath intended to expand and connect me to all that is around me which is God. In that moment I feel how it is me that has disconnected from the all covering it over with all the noise.
One breath, and what a profound consequence. I love the simplicity of what you present here Kim
Always a delight to read Rod. You remind me to be aware that I am irresponsible for how I feel and my reaction to my environment every day. To accept that it is my choice and not blame another or the weather for how I am in each moment.
I will be paying attention to whats around me on my way to work this morning. Thanks for the reminder Rod.
Those moments when I felt a profound connection I attributed to the particular place I was in, a city, a park but more likely a seascape. If I was feeling off I’d return to certain places in the hope of re-creating this connection that I’d felt there. So when I moved away from these places I felt lost and it’s taken me a while to let go of this old habit of wanting the landscape or what’s outside of myself to bring me my connection with God and the love we live in. Indeed, I’ve lived in fear and control to try to make the outside safe or beautiful enough for me to drop my protection and be in whatever landscape I am in. So what great awareness this blog brings – the responsibility that I can bring connection wherever I am and whatever is going on.
I’ve noticed it’s the areas which don’t fit my picture of nice that I contract my connection and blame the outside for not feeling connected – a self fulfilling belief system I can easily debunk by staying connected and showing myself there too it is possible. I know I’ll be practicing this tomorrow!
Karin, I like your comment, ‘I’ve noticed it’s the areas which don’t fit my picture of nice that I contract my connection and blame the outside for not feeling connected’.
A couple of years ago my wife and I stayed at Ho Chi Minh City for 5 days for work reasons. Cities aren’t our favourite places. Prior to going to this bustling city we spoke about being open and connected while there. Consequently, with this embedded, our journey was delightful and we met many people and had a ball (which could well have been the opposite if we lost our connection).
Alternatively, I live in a beautiful beachside/national park environment and when I drop into the mental zone, the connection to that divine beauty around me is lost.
What a beautiful line – “the magic of nature and the glory within people is always there – but sometimes I’m not.” When the flow of life is not there for us we have to take it back to ourselves and ask where are we at within ourselves and what is going on. This brings a great sense of honesty to our lives.
A great reminder Rod, there is so much that nature offers us when we have a connection with ourselves, and then with nature. When we are in our head we are blind to so much that is there awaiting to be seen.
I adore the vivid picture you paint Rod, it takes me right there to the park. And what I can see there is that we are all permanently creating ecosystems, mini environments around us with the energy we choose to let in. We storm out in a bad mood then see others as obnoxious and rude. This law of responsibility is so natural and powerful – it’s something we should discuss and embrace from day one. How we are is vital for everyone.
This is so confirming to read, confirming that the beauty we live in, the love that is all around and through us if we choose is always present. I’ve lived a life feeling an emptiness and, when I was younger, an awful despair, but I’m now realising that love is ever present and can be trusted. It is me who ups and leaves which is brilliant because now I’m getting how I can return to myself and be in this world that I once judged and condemned as awful. I don’t have to feel claustrophobic as I once did growing up, and wanting to escape to somewhere where it’s all perfect. I can commit and feel what is there more deeply and through staying present like this I get to feel the beauty beneath what may seem ugly.
‘(Note to self: ‘don’t think – experience’).’
I am so taking this with me in my day tomorrow. I often spend a lot of thinking time planning – planning how I’m doing up my house, how I’m planning work but I can lose myself in dilema and indecision or in processes respectively. But what if I let go and felt what was next, experienced the ques and let myself know what to express and respond at any one time; what if I felt which website to go to, which floor tiles to choose? What if I allowed myself the grace to experience life, to make mistakes, feel their consequences and accepting myself and the wrold as it is? This would be living and learning, not living a life isolated in thoughts disconnected from the beauty that I am and we all are.
A lovely comment Karin…it feels like a pathway to freedom.
I just had the feeling that if we consistently allow ourselves to be with ourselves in conscious presence, that is thinking about what we are doing when we are doing it, not only do we open ourselves up to the magic all around us but our ability to feel, our clairsentience, deepens and we can feel beyond the earth, into the universe, with a constantly expanding reach. There is no end to what we can feel.
‘…the answers to those problems or issues I preoccupy myself with always come to me at the right time when I’m connected.’ The extent to which we can be preoccupied with our daily thoughts is, quite literally, mind boggling. No wonder we can’t then see the wonder that is before us.
To change my view and start to see what I am bringing into this world is life-changing. And maybe it changes the world as well?
Thank you Rod for sharing this great truth of the power we all can bring, which we all have the choice to embrace. Living in connection to our heart is transformational. For when we chose to move in connection to our Soul, we are then in connection to the universe and all that this encompasses, through which universal truth is a quality that is innately known and as such the wisdom of the ages is at our fingertips. It is here that our majesty is realised as a oneness, and that this richness is present wherever we are.
Great and very pertinent observations of nature, people and you Rod, especially “the magic of nature and the glory within people is always there – but sometimes I’m not”: a wonderful eye opener to the fact that we are responsible for our lives and how we perceive the world we live in. Staying present in every moment is definitely a much more enjoyable way to live than checking out and missing out on the wonders of life, whether it be in the mall or in the park.
Such a simple yet powerful reminder Rod is your note to self; ‘don’t think – experience’. I agree it can be easy to get caught in your mind and forget about the magnificence of nature all around you and connecting to others – surely this is the first steps towards dementia if we live in this checked out state too much.
This blog is a beautiful reminder of connection, acceptance and appreciation.
Its as if there are many things that are set up in life that can support us, whether that be Nature, relationships or forms of work, and as a child we get to know the essence of each occasion and the potential on offer but learn to grow up and live in lineal ways, get from A to B and seek C.
It does indeed all have to do with ourselves Rod; a lovely reflection and lesson for us all. The quality of our connection to ourselves determines the quality of relationships we have with others.
As human beings we can often judge something and then fix that in our minds and not allow for the continual flow of life. Going for a walk in the park offers us an opportunity to release those fixed thoughts and open to the magic of nature all around and within us also. It allows us to realise that we are connected to so much more and there is so much more beyond the limitations we have put upon ourselves inviting us to enjoy ourselves, and all that is, in the moment.
“So it really comes down to my choice as to whether I want to be open and connect with that or not.” Taking responsibility for the way we are – with everything – and thus with our choices – makes a huge difference to the day and therefore to every interaction we have.
I love this observation Rod, it made me laugh as I can so relate to it . . . .” . . the magic of nature and the glory within people is always there – but sometimes I’m not.” . . . it is so true. Why we dip in and out of our hearts is another story but hey it is so worth staying as connected as possible so we do not miss what is on offer.
Nature has an amazing way of reflecting back to us exactly what we need to see. I know when I am not present I can miss out on the amazingness that is right in front of me.
Nature really is the true reflection for us as you’ve said here it does not turn on or off. Everyday, every moment, we choose if we want to connect to it, in that, connecting to ourselves or, disconnect from it, essentially putting a block on ourselves and everything else life offers. And when we do this, we wonder why there is no flow.
Thank you Rod – this blog just brought me straight back to my connection of being present in the moment with my mind. Keeps it very simple as you said. Experience. I think at times we are affraid to actually experience what is there in the moment and before us, hence we like to distract ourselves with all possible things around us; or even thoughts or beliefs about what is going to come.. Instead of feel. Amazing observation and science to be part of once we simply connect and feel.
We can either choose to live in our limited mind that keeps itself busy with the daily matters and personal issues or to connect to that other aspect of as, that connects to nature and the grandness of it. When we live like this the daily tasks and personal issues become second and not that important and can be seen in the context of the grandness we live in. The fact that we belong to that grander whole and have to play our role in it will become our way of life.
We live our lives based on the past or in the future. It is living in the now in the quality of our presence, we are then equipped with every thing that comes our way.
Nature is such a blessing and so is the true confidence that comes from being with yourself and not off in your head, for as you say Rod, the answers come when they come if we are connected . . . all we need to do is stay steady and present.
“the magic of nature and the glory within people is always there – but sometimes I’m not” this is. A great reminder to stay present and connected, when we are in this movement we can feel and see the magic of nature. When we go into our thoughts we shut down the magic around.
This is an amazing revelation to have, it is ourselves that pull the curtains down to not be connected… what a shame that is.. but so we have the choice to do the opposite and choose this connection, for the wonder it brings. Life is glorious.
Life is reflecting us back to us in every moment. It is truly magical. All we need do is observe as it is only through observation that we can possible understand the blessing we are receiving.
I loved what you have shared Rod, reminding me how beautiful a walk in nature can be, and just walking anywhere in our lives in connection with ourselves wherever we are, feeling divinity at play with its magic.
Ahhh Ralph! I love re-reading this blog Rod, it instantly reconnects me to the simple beauty that exists, just like a walk in the park. The point you make is very powerful one, that when we have a ‘bad’ day or can’t see the sun, it really is our choice in it all whether we stay stuck or come back to know the magic of God that is ALWAYS with us all.
An awesome reminder that the choice is always down to us ‘the magic of nature and the glory within people is always there – but sometimes I’m not.’
Ouch Rod this really brings it home to me – how many walks I have wasted stuck in my head trying to come up with the perfect solution for whatever problem I was currently racking my brains to solve?! How true it is that if we are only willing to let go of the raciness of the brain so often a tailor made solution seems to drop in as if from nowhere and we also get to truly experience the immense grandness of nature and the beautiful interactions that so often evolve if we are open to connecting with people as we walk.
This is very cool and I can really see how our surroundings change dependent on if we connect with what is around us or not. It’s a very cool confirmation from nature to say that it will show us everything we need to see if we open our eyes.
‘Nature doesn’t turn on or off – it’s there – a constant in our lives’ I feel the same way, and yet we take this precious constancy almost take for granted. Imagine if we went down the street and tree that was always there had moved (not storm related) or flowers disappeared or decided not to bloom (having a bad day), how would that feel. And yet we as human beings do this all the time. With our good and bad days, today I will smile at you, tomorrow I may or may not, leaves people putting up defenses. Nature’s reflections of openness, balance, steadiness and consistency not only supports but is inspirational.
I like your note to self Rod. We miss out on so much when we are thinking. Experiencing what’s around is very much connected to being present and open. I find when I choose to stay open I get to see and feel so much more of what’s actually going on right under my nose.
“Don’t think, experience.” Is what you write this is what it is all about.. it is our choice to experience the beauty that is in nature or be occupied with the thoughts that keep us away from the Divine, on our simple, but oh so complicated human existence.
Coming back to your blog today Rod was and is a pure delight! I will remember that my experience wherever I am is up to me, where I am at today. Ralph sounds like a true messenger in the dog world too! Thank You.
Thanks for that Rod – I really enjoyed your writing. And I could relate to what you’re saying. It shows how we have to take responsibility in life – or at least consider what you have: Could it have something to do with me? It makes sense that if we’re not in our heads but are focused on what is happening in front of us that we would hear, see and experience nature – or crowds in a mall – with much more attention. And it’s a great remnider for me that if I’m not experiencing this, to first check in with myself before pointing a finger.
Rod, thank you – this was the perfect blog for me to read right now as a reminder of being with myself and staying connected.
“Nature doesn’t turn on or off – it’s there – a constant in our lives. It’s up to us as to how we experience it. It’s up to us as to how we experience people. Perhaps that lies at the heart of many of our problems: do we think far too much, rather than simply experience what is there before us?” – I love this! and so it is…it is about me and the connection and the realisation that I am not alone unless I choose it. That at any moment I can choose to re-conect and bring back the pulse of nature in my own veins.
Nature always has a message for me. This interplay of communication always reminds me of how divinely everything is interconnected.
A clear reminder Rod, and thank you for that. It is me who is connected with myself and thus with others, with nature or not and instead engaging thoughts that keep me away from that natural rhythm I and my body belongs to.
I also loved your note to self; don’t think, experience. I will take this lesson with me today (and forever onwards) as I walk my dog and experience the magic of God.
Such a powerful message here Rod, thank you. Nature is reflecting to us all the time, it certainly doesn’t turn itself on and off but we do; simple yet profound. Our challenge is to be connected and ‘on’ as much as possible so that we learn and live from that expanded, loving wise space.
Life is one big reflection of how we are with ourselves and we can either learn from it and appreciate the reflections or react and blame the world for not living up to our expectations. Well, they aren’t the only things we can do with reflections, but two good examples of our responses.
Rod what a potent question “Could it possibly have something to do with me?” in simple terms and as challenging as this may be it certainly seems that way. For if I walk the same path, some days connected to myself and all around me, and other days feeling really bad, then clearly I am the only person that has changed. It is liberating on the one hand to know that our choices have such a direct effect as we are able to make different choices.
I have often clocked the difference when I’m connected within myself to when I’m not, and how alive it is around me. Supermarkets I notice how shut down we can be, eyes avert rushing about trying to avoid connection. I love feeling connected and seeing what a difference this makes to all around me, and what connection I can bring to others
I will be going out for a walk shortly so what you have shared here, Rod is perfect. A reminder for me to bring all of me to my walk and to appreciate what nature is telling me this morning rather than being in my head with the problems of the day.
Thank you Rod. Your words resonate clearly with me; “the magic of nature and the glory within people is always there – but sometimes I’m not.”When I am open to be aware of the magic of God all around me then it is as if the sun is shining within me, even if it is raining with a howling gale outside.
How glorious is the magic of God that is reflected in everything around us; it is therefore up to us to be aware of, learn from and be harmonious with what is always divinely there;
“The magic of nature and the glory within people is always there – but sometimes I’m not”.
Thank you Rod for sharing your experiences and your wisdom.
‘Nature does not turn on or off.’ If only I/we all understood that nature works tirelessly to maintain harmony, we wold never abuse it in the myriad of ways we do both to ourselves and each other, let alone the planet itself.
It is true, life is constantly communicating with us. When we are connected, it is so rich, abundant and multi-dimensional, that words like loneliness or boredom cannot exist.
Responsibility really changes the way we experience the world and its people. It is very much empowering to understand that it is our choice.
I agree Rod that the magic of nature and the glory within people is always there should we choose to connect to it. There is nothing more important that should allow us to miss out on the gorgeousness of either, for there are great reflections and lessons in both designed to support us with whatever is still there to be addressed.
Great blog Rod, I know for me too how I experience people and situations is very much all to do with how connected I am. And the quality or connection that we bring to any moment makes a huge difference not just to us but to everyone and everything around us.
As I was reading this I could actually feel how when I am in my head intensely focussed on whatever it is I’m being intense about, nature and everything else just fades into the background. It’s as if my vision shrinks so my thought grow until they obscure everything else. Many of us live our entire lives like this – walking around missing the magic that is there all the time.
Surrender is the key to true wisdom. In that surrender we are allowed to observe what is truly before us.
Hey this is a great quote Adam! . . . “Surrender is the key to true wisdom. In that surrender we are allowed to observe what is truly before us.” A.W. . . . and this brings understanding.
“Nature doesn’t turn on and off”- so true, Rod it is us that turns on and off! We have so much support all around us that we sometimes forget to deeply appreciate this. Thank you for reminding me.
“Do we think far too much, rather than simply experience what is there before us?” Love that sentence Rod as it confirmed to me that experiencing life is so much more fun – thinking is just a bit overestimated.
Thanks you Rod for showing us your / our divinity in such a light hearted and truth-full way.
As human beings we place way to much emphasis on what is happening around us, refusing to look inwardly for the source of our problems. I am not saying there is not occasionally outside influences that affect us. Of course there are. But it is much more empowering, and actually much more revealing to look inwardly at the part we may have played.
It’s so true what you are saying here Rod, we create the world that we live it. We project onto the world what is going on for us. A classic case is when we fall in love and suddenly we see the world very differently.
It was great to read your article again Rod, I love your sense of humour, how we experience life is up to us , we have no one to blame, only to look inside and feel, if we are connected or not. “Nature doesn’t turn on or off – it’s there – a constant in our lives. It’s up to us as to how we experience it. It’s up to us as to how we experience people. Perhaps that lies at the heart of many of our problems”
This is very much my experience… I’ve written before about how sometimes I notice God on my walk with me, and sometimes he is not there. It took me a while to realise that he is always there and it is more a question of where am I!
I love reading this blog Rod. Lately I have had the opportunity to look after a friends dog on a regular basis and your blog often comes back to me when we take a walk and head to the park together. I have come to know that every dog, human, leaf , feather, sunrise/set and weather condition we encounter works together to support me and my dog in each moment. If either of us is attached to the beauty of the day before and hoping for a repeat performance we are sorely disappointed, however, when we simply accept and appreciate all that is before us every moment is magic.
It makes sense Rod when you have spoken about how we are the common denominator. The scenery and people may change but wherever we go we are always there. Just which ‘self’ we are allowing ourselves to be, at that time it is up to us but also it has a major impact on what we observe and how we experience the environment around us.
When we are walking unconnected in our head thinking of those things ahead of us, we miss out on everything that is immediately around us, and when we do this we have no idea what beautiful moments were there to share with nature had we been present.
Thinking is so overrated isn’t it? 🙂
Thank you Rod for your delightful Walk in the Park.
Yes it is up to us how we experience life isn’t it? We always have a chance to either embrace it or escape it.
Your words ask me to consider Rod just how I am in the ‘park’ of life. Do I frolic and appreciate seamlessly the nature and beauty around me just like Ralph? – or more accurately do I bury my head in thoughts that it carries around? What if our ‘head time’ is actually more like us going to the toilet in the middle of the path like a misbehaving dog? My experience is that mental activity is actually this messy and polluting. Looked at this way, we would need a whole heap of plastic bags to deal with the consequences of the heady way many of us currently choose to live. Thank you for this reminder that there is a simpler way to be Rod and Ralph.
“….we think far too much, rather than simply experience what is there before us…” These words really resonate with me today. It is clear that thinking actually takes me away from everything that I cherish. It is so much simpler to allow myself to feel and see all that is before me.
I agree Leonne, when I find myself stuck in my head I am disconnected from myself, the magic of nature and others. Making a simple choice to re-connect I feel myself expand and remain open to all that life offers.
This is great Rod, Nature, just like God never takes a break and like you when I walk I am able to gauge how connected I am by what I feel and see.
‘ the magic of nature and the glory within people is always there – but sometimes I’m not.’ This totally sums it up for me. It really is this simple. Thank you for a playful yet profound blog Rod Harvey.
“It’s up to us as to how we experience people.” As I walk through life I’m learning this more and more to be true.
Julie this is a great point, I know I’ve spent so much of my time blaming others for what has gone on, what they have done or how they are with me. Yet the more I understand that it up to us how we experience other people, I am appreciating that it is indeed how I am that affects how I see or interact with all others.
Incredible to know again that the loss we feel inside it the loss we have created, and so we can undo and be love again.. It is the love we miss giving and having within ourselves that we than seek in the outer. We can change this for ourselves. This is were Universal Medicine has and is deeply supporting me with – every single day. No need to follow every course or have sessions everyday – simply making my own life one big session with the absolute support (even at times from distance) by Universal Medicine and all its practitioners and community members. A huge appreciation for all.
Beautiful said Linda, so real and beautiful. Our key of return is hereby set. We are our connection and from this we life, in truth , harmony and joy (which is all in one love).
“However the magic of nature and the glory within people is always there – but sometimes I’m not.” This is a great reminder of how we can get lost in our thoughts, at that moment we cannot feel the magic of nature and the glory of people.
Our mind has taken us away form our connection to our body, and it’s through our body we can feel experience the magic.
Great point – when our heads are full of the trials and tribulations or imaginings and spinnings of the day, we’re not connected to our bodies. So when we go for a walk, we have a choice – to either walk with and in our body, or walk requiring the body to be in autopilot and leave it to get around somehow, while we effectively go off on a mind frolic of our own and miss out on all that’s going on around us.
‘It’s up to us as to how we experience people.’ This is so true. We can never blame another for how we react to them or receive them. This is always solely our own responsibility.
This is such a lovely blog to read with its light-heartedness and playfulness. It also makes that very important point that how we are in a situation determines how we experience things. Like those days when I am feeling a bit annoyed, and then everything I encounter that day reflects that annoyed feeling. Equally, when I am joyful and full of love I can see the same beauty in everything and everyone.
I love this point you have raised Rod..”However the magic of nature and the glory within people is always there – but sometimes I’m not.” Where am I when I am not present?
Thank you Rod I really loved reading your blog, I realise that it is all about where I am at, in relationship to me as to how my day unfolds. It is a marker of where I am at. ” The magic of nature and the glory within people is always there – but sometimes I’m not.”
At times when I am walking, I’ve also felt what you are saying, Rod, in this way:
When I see the beauty of Nature around me, it is because I first feel the beauty that is in me. And in that moment, I’ve known that the beauty of Nature is not greater than the true beauty that is me and everyone.
Beautiful blog, Rod. I love your cheeky humor and the simplicity with which you express something so important and something I know I have experienced often and not really thought much about before the last year or so.
What you are expressing is nothing less than a miracle – that Nature and everything around us is a reflection for how we are in any given moment. To have this constant opportunity to know where we’re at and then make a choice in how we want to be in the next moment – that is true freedom.
“It all has to do with me.” Imagine if we really took that on board how very different our world would be. We have such a blame culture at present, which really needs to be change.
It is such a difference when we choose to just be busy with all that’s worrying us or just be, and experience that what’s coming at us. There is so much to see and feel when we are not in the mind, but connected to our body, there is so much joy reflected to us when we are connected.
I really enjoyed re reading your blog Rod, I resonated with many things you wrote as I walk in a Park most mornings near my home. “Don’t think experience” is especially a great reminder to not go into my head when walking but be aware of the magic of God all around.
I like your blog very much Rod, and while working at home as a freelancer, I realize the same phenomenon even just sitting there on my own. If I am more connected with myself, my view opens up and this is meant way beyond my eyes. It is like my whole being is opening up and my awareness for everything grows and deepens. Also the joy does. When I pass any mirror then, I am looking (striking) different. It is like the whole world is sometimes looking back at me, I am feeling the interconnectedness from everything. Walking openly like that, I feel you are the same, appreciative with your “scent” to everything and everyone around you, like Ralph : ).
This is so special Rod, thank you. It’s great to realise the difference between a good day and a great one. I know the times when I have been most present and most joyful in my body are the ones where it wouldn’t have mattered what the weather was doing or who was paying attention, they were just lovely, divine days full of me.
Rod your description reminds me of what was presented at a Universal Medicine retreat about being an empty vessel and when we do not cloud or clog the vessel, it clearly receives and expresses the divinity we come from.
Beautiful reminder Simon. Thank you.
I love what you’ve shared Rod. “So the next time I go for a walk, my experience will be a reflection of where I’m at. If it’s not amazing then the only person responsible will be the one who looks back at me from a mirror.” What a wonderful realisation and something for me to take on my walks whether they be in the supermarket, shopping centres or in nature.
Reading your words Rod I get a picture of how life for many of us is like being stuck in a wind tunnel. We are so focused on ‘what’s ahead’ and pushing through. Yet this whole driven way is not actually true, and just stops us appreciating the amazing beauty of what really lives around me and you.
So beautifully said Joseph, yes a moment to stop and appreciate were we are and who we are with, a huge appreciation for those who stop and pay equal amount of time and dedication to appreciate everything they have truly got!
Great blog. I got caught out yesterday by already having overthunk (that’s what it felt like ) a situation, I was faced with another to which I reacted. Actually in playing with words I feel overthought has ought in it and that too can happen, I consider what I ought to do, depending on certain parameters rather than just staying with my deepest feelings and keeping it simple.
I can relate to that Linda – the feeling of connection to nature and all things from connection to ourselves and our part in the bigger picture is amazing and yet so simple.
“It all has to do with me.” Yes Rod, like it or not we are responsible at some level for whatever comes to us. I enjoy how you present this with such humour and understanding.
This is gorgeous – just goes to show that we are the common denominator in everything that happens in our lives and that it is our choices which decide all of what we will experience.
Well summed up Michael, very wise
It’s stunning to walk with you here Rod through your experience. While you may not have shared your scent, the fragrance of you comes across in the playful but insightful way you deliver this walking revelation. Every moment is full of God’s beauty, waiting just for us to feel and appreciate it.
A blog that leaves me wondering just how much I’m missing out on by over-engaging with my brain at the expense of my connection and the wisdom it brings to everything, including problem-solving. Don’t think, experience. Great advice, Rod.
Rod I love your little note; “Note to self: ‘don’t think – experience’” So true when we think we are never open to receive what is before us. To experience is receiving what life is offering at any moment and to be present so we are aware what is happening. Crazy we need a note and yet we need to keep reminding ourselves because we learned how important it is to think and it was, and is, a way to escape the reality in front of us.
Hi Rod, thank you for the simple reality check – ‘So the next time I go for a walk, my experience will be a reflection of where I’m at’. Today will be more precious as a result of this simple and true sharing.
Nice one Rod,you really are on to something here ,what people and nature reflect back to us is just what we are projecting out. Taking the time, or should I say making the space to observe what is going on all around is something I will take forward out of this blog and do my own survey of how people and places change with my moods.
Dear kevmchardy I love what you share: ” . . . what people and nature reflect back to us is just what we are projecting out.” That insight is truly a thing to observe more deeply.
Kevmchardy, these two phrases you use have such a different feeling: “Taking the time” makes me feel slight pressure as if I’ve got limited time and if I take some of it I’ll take from something else that needs that time. When I feel myself “making the space”, time seems to expand and include all that is needing to be done and there’s no pressure to do, just a flowing with what is presented in that moment.
I agree Sandra. Making space is a life-expanding way of thinking about time.
Love this Kev. I used to go for walks in the countryside trying to fill myself up with the beauty but wherever I went it wasn’t enough because what I was really looking for is me. In those days I couldn’t even conceive of living in London – it was anathema to me, and yet now, here I am in the Big Smoke and loving living here. There are days when it’s grey and chaotic, even when the sun is shining, and days when I see the beauty all around me whether in the street or a park. It’s as Rod says, it shows me where I am, or where I am not. I love the magic of God. The messages are as clear as day.
I’ve read your blog before Rod and it’s just simply beautiful. It’s absolutely up to us for what we see, feel and experience around us. Eventually we will all get it – everything out there and right in front of our faces is a reflection of us. If we choose joy, we see and experience more joy. If we choose struggle and hardship we get more struggle and hardship. It’s that simple. Your blog reflects my joy and offers me more. Thank you.
Nature and the Magic of God is all around us all the time; we just have to make the time and space to be aware of all that is offered. It is fun to read the messages, sometimes playful, sometimes a warning to ‘be aware’ but always with love and truth.
That is a revealing blog Rod and some of us had to swallow a bitter pill – there is no way to blame others – the only one we can blame is ourself. Your wrote in lovely words:
“However the magic of nature and the glory within people is always there – but sometimes I’m not.” So it is my choice if I am with me or not and that is good to know.
Wise words, nature is so expressive of the ‘magic of God’ as are people when we connect “Yet when I clear my mind, like today, and simply take in what is around me and connect to it all, it is transformational.” I am reminded that this connection can come at any time, in the stillness of my living room as I write this morning, I paused and took a moment to appreciate the connection that is available.
Rod, I love what you have shared – and as I re-read your blog this time around, I could not help but have this sentence stand out to me: “Nature doesn’t turn on or off – it’s there – a constant in our lives. It’s up to us as to how we experience it. It’s up to us as to how we experience people.” – this is so very true! This explains how we can get up and have the ‘same day’ but experience it completely differently, just like ground hog day. It is about how much we are connected – when we feel people are being cold and distant and busy, it could well be a reflection of the way that we may be (without realising it), that there is a level of disconnection that has crept in. And again on a day when things look brighter, people feel more lovely and connected, it is showing us the connection, the way we are all in fact linked together and how everything we do and say has an effect on another.
Nature doesn’t turn itself off and nor does the divinity within each and every one of us, simply that we can choose to feel and experience it, or not. These days I feel that blaming outside of myself is becoming more and more of a flimsy excuse and rather when we take responsibility for what we are experiencing or believing or perceiving what has happened in life everything becomes much more still and simple.
So well said Leigh – it can be a bad habit to blame outside of ourselves when we are not having a great day…really what it comes down to is allowing ourselves to see that we play a role in everything, that we create or co-create our reality. And the more we take responsibilty for this, the more active a role we can play in how our day unfolds.
The word that stood out for me here was ‘play’ because in that blaming mode life get very serious, dull, exhausting and tense. Recently when I have clocked that I am in serious mode that the antidote is play, make things fun, walk on the balls of my feet, change how I am moving. This instantly lightens the mood
That is awesome Leigh – what a fantastic antidote and one that really does break the seriousness. You are onto it for sure, and a great reminder or tip for me (and us all) on how to shift things if we feel stuck! Thanks!
This makes so much sense to me Rod, I really can relate to that blinkered, driven feeling where I easily shut myself out first, then everyone else..”When I’m in my head thinking, focused on something I have to do in the future, or trying to fix a problem or solve some sort of issue, then nature and people fade away into the background. However the magic of nature and the glory within people is always there – but sometimes I’m not.” Being in my head was something I truly prized as the way I was going to get through life-My mode of operation was to be in survival mode : Head down and into it-just get through it-shut down all around and don’t resurface until the job at hand is done. That was me meeting life, literally Head-On. Totally devoid of what was happening in my body. Devoid of my True connection to God. When you affirm..”Yet when I clear my mind, like today, and simply take in what is around me and connect to it all, it is transformational. Spot on!
I can easily drift back to it…now I’m learning to really claim living in the body more and allowing it to be a greater more balanced part of my life and how I am living. Great question..”do we think far too much, rather than simply experience what is there before us? (Note to self: ‘don’t think – experience’). Love it! Thank you!”
This is a great article Rod asking us to contemplate the possibility that our experiences in life are reflections of where we are at and how we approach them… engaged and connected or not. I love that, for it then means that life is therefore what we choose to make it.
“So the next time I go for a walk, my experience will be a reflection of where I’m at.” Yes, my walking immediately exposes, where I’m at with myself and everything around me. My mind can go into stories, check out, but my body, my walking tells me exactly where I’m at at any given moment of time.
“However the magic of nature and the glory within people is always there – but sometimes I’m not”. A beautiful message and reminder; thank you Rod.
A note to me also Rod “dont think – experience”
Rod, you have such a great way with words, and you know reading today I feel how much effort I waste on trying to figure things out rather than just experiencing it and allowing things to arise – there’s such control and me in that and it’s not needed so a little note to self, lighten up and allow the experience of now.
‘the magic of nature and the glory within people is always there – but sometimes I’m not.’ – beautifully said Rod. Thank you for this powerful reminder that when we choose to connect to our hearts our mind receives, our eyes see and we can feel the magic of God that is around us all the time that is constantly reflected through nature and people. And that when we are not we easily get caught up in the hyperactivity of the mind and miss out on the magic. The beautiful thing is that we are only ever a choice away to re-connect to our hearts and appreciate the amazing divinity that is there and we are all a part of.
Lovely Rod, ‘Yet when I clear my mind, like today, and simply take in what is around me and connect to it all, it is transformational.’ As is your blog, asking us to consider so much more than just a walk in the park!
These days I just love to go for a walk and just be Me. And I know, the more I’m connected with myself, the more I’m part of the divine nature.
Dear Rod, this is a beautiful piece of writing, I enjoyed very much to read. Indeed even a stormy weather can have a beauty if we allow to see and feel it. And that’s the point – it is about us and how open we are to acknowledge and allow this.
I loved the connections you made between nature, and the people in the shopping mall, that it’s all part of life and has its own divine Rhythm.
When we are experiencing life and not in our minds and thoughts it gives us a constant reflection to learn from, should we choose to listen.
I love your humorous way of writing Rod. Nature is consistent and a great reflection, to feel and see nature differently is a confirmation that something has changed in us, not in the world around us. I can relate to events in the same way where I might see something as effortless or easy on one day, whereas if I am disconnected or troubled then on another day it might feel burdensome. This is great to know that this is my choosing of a consistency or not.
“Perhaps that lies at the heart of many of our problems: do we think far too much, rather than simply experience what is there before us?” – This sentence stood out for me Rod, as I sit at the park reading your blog, I’m pretty sure the children playing on the swings aren’t thinking and are simply experiencing what is there before them.
Rod this is a great blog and reading it again has reminded me of something else that I notice when walking our dogs and that many of our fellow walkers have noticed also. That is the difference with how people are generally in the early morning versus the evening. In the morning people are more open and friendly, connecting. They often comment on the river or the trees or the sun. They notice what is around them.The day is new to them filled with potential and possibly some anxiousness but not too much. They are starting their day with something for themselves, honouring themselves even.
By evening many are exhausted, stressed from the day and worn down. Most don’t say hello or even look at you, let alone connect. They are often squeezing in the walk, far from honouring themselves and the gorgeous reflection of nature around them goes unseen and unfelt.
That’s a great observation Penny (with a ‘subtle’ message for me to observe the changes in my energy throughout the day).
“There was a slight breeze and the leaves on the large trees waved to us. Of course I waved back and Ralph shared his scent with 487 trees to show his appreciation. I didn’t… honestly.” – Since I read your blog the first time Rod, I have noticed the trees waving, so I now wave back. Thank you for bringing this bit of fun into my day.
We are the ones who will miss out when we choose to think instead of feeling the divinity of nature. I had a walk with our dog the other day and I stopped to have a closer look at a lake we were passing. Small fish were swimming in a perfect flow it was beautiful to see and to follow them and then a coot showed himself in black and white. I could feel how they told me to go with what is presented and to not be afraid to stand out.
“So the next time I go for a walk, my experience will be a reflection of where I’m at” is so true Rod as you so beautifully reveal. It is not just walking. Life is constantly giving us reflections in everything we do in every moment and as you say, if that reflection is not amazing then we are responsible.
The outer reflection is a mirror to my inner reflection. Your story so well highlighted that relationship.
‘However the magic of nature and the glory within people is always there – but sometimes I’m not.’ and nature is reflecting back to us that we too can be ‘always there’.
Hi Rod and Ralph, just felt like revisiting you again today. I love this blog, it reminds me not to think, to appreciate, and to let whatever is ahead of me to arrive in its natural timing without the interfering impediment of thoughts. Loved what you said in a comment about going to the supermarket and remaining connected and present with you, your feet, so that the magic was equally present there in the connections and observations you made with all around you. Magic is everywhere when we are open to it. Thanks again.
Rod I could read your blogs all day – this is one of my favourites and I feel something new every time I read it.
Today I could feel how being stuck in my head is really like having a blindfold on that blocks out the magic of love. Who on earth would choose that… me apparently. Thank you for reminding me what I am missing out on when I choose to think instead of feel.
As you say “….the answers to those problems or issues I preoccupy myself with always come to me at the right time when I’m connected. So why waste all of that time brain bashing rather than simply enjoy what is presented to me, wherever I am?” perfect.
Gorgeous blog Rod – love it!
This is so relevant to life, how about experiencing life though ‘new eyes’ “So the next time I go for a walk, my experience will be a reflection of where I’m at.” Our experiences of life is so often controlled by the internal monologue playing out inside our heads. It is great suggestion to consider how the quality of what is going on in there, reflects on our experience. And how we experience life is matter of choice.
I can really relate to nature doesn’t turn off… it is us that turn off and refuse to see what is always there for us… waiting patiently for us to return when we turn off our head.
Nature does not turn off. We are nature and how different our world would be if we understood this more fully and connected to its rhythms and flows, instead of allowing our minds to take us so far way from it. Great read again Rod.
I love this blog Rod, a note to self don’t think just experience and to take responsibility for what I choose and therefore what greets me! When you talk about your experience of nature I could really feel it. Thanks
I had a great experience yesterday when I was walking through a small national park at Burleigh Heads adjacent to the ocean. Within the beauty of nature it was relatively easy to connect to myself and the surroundings, and whenever I drifted away, as I walked I just focused on my feet as they connected with the ground, which brought me back to presence and a lovely uncluttered divine feeling.
I then went to a large busy shopping centre to buy something and made a conscious decision to again focus on my feet which brought me to presence. I felt very connected to people around me and noticed all sorts of detail that I would normally miss. And what was quite remarkable was that the feeling was exactly the same as what I had experienced in the national park. Glorious.
This confirmed to me that wherever I am or whatever I am doing, the connection to glory and joy is always there, simply waiting for me to make the connection.
These great experiences are truly divine aren’t they, how lovely to have our awareness open up to us as we evolve, starting to trust and bring re connection more. Changing from the panic of thinking up answers to stopping, dropping in and feeling them.
‘Wherever I am or whatever I am doing, the connection to glory and joy is always there, simply waiting for me to make the connection’, this is gold Rod and has been my experience time and time again. When we see the world first from our glory, all issues seem very small and it opens us up to seeing not only nature in all its glory, but also the glory in all others.
“When we see the world first from our glory, all issues seem very small…” this is very true Anne, very true indeed. Once that glory has been felt, even for a moment, I realise there doesn’t have to be a struggle, it is ok to ‘let go and let God.’
‘And the remarkable thing is that the answers to those problems or issues I preoccupy myself with always come to me at the right time when I’m connected.’ I experience that too Rod. Overthinking does not really help it just keeps me busy, instead I have found to do something that helps me to let go of the constant thought process and come back to enjoying me.
What I take from your blog Rod, is how vitally important it is to be present in all situations so as to experience all that is surrounding us.
Agree Elizabeth, this blog is a great reminder of how, when we are ‘present in all situations’ the depth of what we experience can be life-changing. . . .
So true mccannelizabeth. There is so much to learn and appreciate in life when we are fully with ourselves and the whole of life around us.
How awesome it is to be able to appreciate the WHOLE of nature all around us. Many of us seem to be walking around blind to the true nature of nature, when all along nature is showing us the way. For me it would be like turning the TV on without any sound, you can see it but you can’t quite get it.
Thank you Rod, walking in nature gives me the opportunity to connect to something bigger than me. If I am present with my body as I walk I get to feel how my own beauty is reflected back to me by nature, and how we are all interconnected with everything the feeling in my body is very expanding. This is so much better than when I walk being in my head were I don’t get to experience this beauty and only makes me go into worrying and anxiousness about stuff.
While I was reading this insightful blog I was reminded of the simplicity of life and how often I complicate things by going into my head.
I remember as a child spending time in the bush cutting fire wood with my family. When the chainsaws were off and everyone stopped trouncing around, the absolute beauty of the forest would be so stilling and beautiful I couldn’t help but stop and appreciate it. Nature is constant and well worth enjoying for it’s simplicity and beauty, where ever you are.
I really enjoyed reading your article Rod – A great reflection for me as I realised when I’m out in nature I observe what’s all around me and yes it is amazing (I’m amazing) – in all its glory. When I am amongst lots of people – the thinking that can go on. So this tells me a lot about myself. In your words Rod “Do we think far too much rather than simply experience what is there before us”?
Beautiful observation and insight Rod. It is so true, nature is always there offering us a reflection, but it is up to us as to whether we see or appreciate this on any given day.
Yes, Lee, it is always our choice whether or not we appreciate the Magic of God.
And the patience of God. Whether we are noticing or not, the magic show is always running.
I love this article Rod, and the following sentence reminds me beautifully that whether I am present or no not, I am totally responsible for my experience and how that experience plays out, or seemingly plays out. “So the next time I go for a walk, my experience will be a reflection of where I’m at. If it’s not amazing then the only person responsible will be the one who looks back at me from a mirror.”
And doesn’t our experience of any situation reflect where we’re at – life is one big mirror.
Absolutely, Sandra Dallimore, the world is one great big mirror, and once we realise this we can truly begin to ‘shape’ our existence and work with these reflections every moment. How awesome are WE.
I love this line too Rosemary. It is truly amazing how connected everything in life truly is. EVERYTHING in life reflects how we are, back to us. All we have to do is listen.
True Joshua, listen AND feel. If we allow ourselves to feel, our body always tells us the truth.
I know it’s never merely going for a walk, but I love how you describe the magic of nature and the glory within people is always there. I am aware that sometimes I’m not connecting to me because I don’t always feel it, but when I get that reflection, it soon returns me back to myself in full.
I had an experience once whilst on a Universal Medicine retreat and we were walking around the hotel outside, and I just totally connected to my body and being fully present and it was like everything around me got turned into high definition it was remarkable, but what was amazing was we were walking in three’s and when we feedback one of the women commented that I changed at the point I chose to connect, I hadn’t shared that is what had happened but it had clearly been felt by all those around me. Amazing.
What an awesome experience Vanessa, imagine a world where everyone allowed themselves to be connected like this, things would change overnight! I had an experience like this once when I felt bigger than myself, my energy felt so expanded that I felt my house and my job were not enough for me, I was HUGE and it felt amazing, and others felt it too.
I had a recent experience like this Vanessa but on the different side of things…I was feeling pretty connected and amazing and then something happened and I felt less – it was very subtle but i happened. My friend – without any words spoken – said, what’s up? She had sensed that something had changed – you are so right when you say that it is always clearly felt by all everything we do.
I love this line: ‘So why waste all of that time brain bashing rather than simply enjoy what is presented to me, wherever I am?’ It irradiates the point of trying to work things out in my head and going in circles. It reminds me to trust in the simplicity of life and surrender to being held when I let go.
“that the answers to those problems or issues I preoccupy myself with always come to me at the right time when I’m connected. So why waste all of that time brain bashing rather than simply enjoy what is presented to me, wherever I am?” I love this Rod, thank you.
This is so true gyrae, whenever I let go and trust, without control or expectations, nature provides me with everything I need in that moment. So there is really no need at all for our minds in incessantly get in the way, even though it just loves to keep on trying…. and trying….
Sometimes we forget to appreciate the beautiful nature we have around us, we have lovely gardens and a terrace where we work and I find I do not take my myself out to appreciate this space enough. Something I plan to do more, enjoy these gardens and the space it provides.
Rod, this is so divine, and it really makes me aware of life and how
there is so much more going on then I can currently comprehend.
I have read this blog quite a few times, and have deepened in my appreciation of it. I have also deepened in my appreciation of my connection with what I feel is divine and also in nature and its expression.
How many times I have heard, “I am going for a walk to think it over.” How refreshing it is to go for a walk and not think, just totally enjoy oneself in nature.
Gosh, the years I have spent going for walks mulling the same old thing over and over in my mind only to arrive back home again with my head spinning. How refreshing it is to go for a walk just being with me and loving every step that I take in presence, being conscious of my breath and the way I swing my arms and how I can feel the energy in my fingertips. I am sure that not only does my body appreciates it, but nature does too. After all doesn’t nature feel our every movement, and that includes the movement that is going on in our heads.
Refreshing indeed Elaine, and it’s amazing how often the answer just pops in once we get away from focussing on what we are trying to solve and move the body.
Yes that is true. So beautiful how everything flows if we let it.
I like how you share “So why waste all of that time brain bashing rather than simply enjoy what is presented to me, wherever I am?”, it is crazy how we can waste so much time being caught in the mind, but if only we just connected to our body, we would be presented with truth which is clear and simple.
I am off to my walk in the park now, I already know that it will be a divine and joyful walk…
I live on a street that is faced by a large park. My morning walk to the bus and at night when I come home, allows me to start and end my day with nature. I love it.
I too live right on the edge of a beautiful park sjmatsonuk. I absolutely love the stillness of my morning walks and my journey home. The cherry blossoms are in full bloom at the moment, my heart lifts every morning in appreciation of the sheer wonder and beauty of nature.
I don’t have a park, but I do have trees and fields and lots of lovely sky, and I drive to work in stillness loving every minute, watching people on their way to work and marvelling at the wonders of nature from behind the steering wheel.
I usually stop by the pond or lake on my way to and from work to enjoy some time with nature.
That starting and ending the day with nature is for me a gorgeous way to connect with my daily rhythm, and I am so lucky that all I have to to is stand at my window and look as the early rays of the sun colour the sky in the morning, only to sink in a blaze of glory each evening. Is this a metaphor of how lives could be – that from that gentle dawning we become more and more light until we finally pass in glory?
Having just come back from a walk in the park with our dog Domino, I can so easily relate to this. It is a gorgeous spring day and people were smiling, enjoying the first signs of spring – and it is true to say, that the walk reflected where I have been feeling I am at today. I do agree Rod, it is in our hands – or in my case today, my choice to be more connected to my body and to feeling everything there is to feel. A very different way of being than the day when there are clouds of thought preoccupying me. Great blog – thank you.
I agree Richardmills363, once I become preoccupied with my own thoughts it puts a block on me feeling everything and allows the fog to obscure my connection to the true wisdom that is inside me. Of course, I have to take responsibility for these thoughts to run amok in the first place, I am choosing that… then comes the choice to STOP and re-connect to my body and not indulge in stuff that isn’t me. I don’t have a dog, so I guess I will have to take my feet for a walk, and my hands, and my shoulders…..
The over complication of ‘things’ and ‘stuff’ in our lives is such a key facter about how we can choose to live life. This is the surest way to not be able to see, let alone feel, the beauty of what nature offers us every day. And at the end of the day, all the goings on are just ‘things and stuff’. Ralph is far more interesting 🙂
I have always been interested in a presentation I heard at a Universal Medicine event; that our brain is an organ of reception -meaning if we are using our brains as we are meant to, we simply remain open and aware and act from this awareness. When there is no barrier to perceiving things as they are, without beliefs and expectations, emotions and judgements clouding our reception, what a wondrous world it is. I got this sense again from this blog and greatly appreciate the reminder.
An awesome comment Simon. By remaining open and aware without barriers how much is available to be presented to us? I suspect much more than we can possibly fathom (particularly if we ‘try’ to use our brains to do so).
An awesome reminder Simon. This to me reminds us to connect to ourselves first before attempting to connect with everything outside of us…
An awesome reminder Simon to allow ourselves to be open to receive what is there in each moment, without our preconceived judgements and ideals.
Thank you Simon and Rod for this. I am sitting here playing with this. There are two very distinct ‘modes’ that I can switch my brain in to. 1. Engaged. In this mode my brain is in charge, driving, seeking, thinking. Emotions, preconceptions, ideals, predetermined facts, and past events are its fuel. It has an insatiable appetite for more, it loves being in charge and will only go down paths that it knows. 2. Open. A directly opposite experience. The brain is a purely receiving. Life, sights, smells, are just passing through it. It is an essential cog in the experience of these things, but it is not filtering, selecting, colouring or affecting any of what is travelling trough it. It is purely a receiver, a gatherer. No other purpose. Totally different. What is amazing to feel is how in the “open” mode, the rest of my body becomes alive and an equal partner in the feeling of life. Every organ capable of reflecting something from life, telling me something, responding in some way. When my brain is ‘Engaged’ the rest of body shuts down and goes purely into functional mode. Fascinating and it literally is a switch between the two. A choice.
Love your comment ottobathurst…now where did I leave that switch???
Good question Rod – and which mode of brain are you gonna use to find the switch?!!
I recall hearing once that we only use 10% of our brain, so what awareness are we capable of and what would that look like in our world if we used more I wonder. Is it possible that the 10% is only the engaged part you talk of Otto and the other 90% is the open part that we are not accessing but are receiving from and therefore we might be receiving the knowledge of the universe and aren’t aware of it. Just a thought…from the 10%? : )
Simon, you remind me of another thing that was presented at a Universal Medicine event; that our eyes don’t look out – they receive images. When our eyes are out on stalks we must be somehow trying to perceive things the way we want them to be rather than just allowing whatever is there to present itself with no interpretation from our mind. I know that babies do this and were we to function naturally like this we would have no judgment, comparison or reinterpreted images. We would just see what is and we would allow people to be as they are.
I agree, Rod, when I have a lot going on or am feeling fragile, I find going for a walk really helps ‘ground me’. The exquisite beauty being offered every day, so effortlessly, makes me aware that as humans we really over complicate things.
I have always been interested in a statement I heard at a Universal Medicine event; that our brain is an organ of reception -meaning if we are using our brains as we are meant to, we simply remain open and aware and act from this awareness. When there is no barrier to perceiving things as they are, without beliefs and expectations or emotions and judgements clouding our reception, what a wondrous world it is. I got this sense again from this blog and greatly appreciate the reminder.
Whenever I take off from an airport on a cloudy day I am awed by the moment we break through and see the sun. It is always there. It is up to me whether I remember its constant presence or not.
The sun…what a reflection!
“However the magic of nature and the glory within people is always there – but sometimes I’m not.” I have noticed this too, Rod, whatever the weather, whoever the people, how I experience them will be a reflection of how I am that day. A great way to notice what is going on inside us.
Great blog simply written and so true.
Great point Rod, much as we may like to convince ourselves otherwise (or blame something else!), we eventually come to realise that whatever plays out in our lives, will always be traced back to us and the choices we made.
So true Rod. Magic is at our feet….our finger tips… accessible from the stillness felt within amongst the motion all around. Walking with that is Heaven sent.
Rod, I really enjoying reading your blog, it is so true. My experiences of nature and people and life generally can be so different day to day, if I’m feeling connected to me then I enjoy connecting with other people and feel open and often start a conversation with someone. If I’m feeling overwhelmed or have lots to do and am thinking about this then I feel like there isn’t time to connect to people (of course there is always time, it’s just an illusion that there’s not), and so I miss out on connecting with people, on the simple, lovely, magic of life, a great reminder, thank you.
An interesting point you raise about overwhelm Rebecca. When in overwhelm, is it nature that can help to bring us back to ourselves – or is it about taking a few quiet moments to breathe gently and connect to ourselves so we can then connect to nature?
I love this blog; everything is everything, and life communicates with us all the time. We do not need a mirror to get a true reflection.
Started out so sweet, then deepened at the end…Mmmm….that’s how I experienced your article! 😉
I keep coming back to your blog Rod and am reminded to experience, not think.
A timely reminder as I walk my dog, in beautiful parks and by the river, to be open to the magic of God
The greater the level of love that I have for myself in the day to day way of self love, the greater nature exposes itself to the intricacies and beautiful moments that are all around.
So lovely to revisit this blog today and remember that we have a choice in every moment to connect and feel the beauty around us. Thank you Rod.
Its totally awesome to realise and share that the magic of nature and the glory within people is always there – but sometimes you are not. Thank for this wonderful sharing Rod
Reading your blog again Rod and I love it even more this second time; it’s very funny and playful and also revealing a beautiful revelation for us all. We are responsible for our connection and bringing that connection into the world. The wonders that then follow are spectacular.
Rod, I love this blog. I like the fact that you now take responsibility for how nature appears to you in different situations. I agree, it is how we are with ourselves at the time, that affects how we in turn see (or don’t see) what is there in nature.
This is such a lovely blog clearly showing how everything in life is a reflection of how we live each day and the consequences of every choice we make – it is a beautiful way to learn – Our Experiences in Earth School.
‘don’t think…experience’ – a great fridge magnet I think – each time I say it I feel a little pressure release from around my head as I let my whole body experience something rather than, in isolation with furrowed brow, trying to work things out in my head alone. Thank you.
‘…the magic of nature and the glory within people is always there – but sometimes I’m not.’ This is such a great line. Beauty is always there – it’s us who are out. We determine whether we see beauty, or ugliness, based on where we’re at.
Beautifully put Victoria and very true. The first time this truth came home to me was when I was wandering around, what would be called a slum area of London, in winter with rubbish everywhere, and because of where I was at that day all I could see was the beauty of light shining through everything. So often we think something external has to be a certain way for us to experience beauty, but it doesn’t, as you say it is us who determine it.
Loved reading your blog again Rod, it’s divine…..
Mirroring the love we are and feel for ourselves, will be the love we receive.
Gorgeous blog Rod, more please! And what a beautiful reflection it provides in and of itself – clearly there are times when we can also be lifted out of our personal fogs and inspired to be somewhere else, for your blog has that quality. Thank you.
I love this blog Rod, I have read it before and went back to it today because I needed reminding that,
“the remarkable thing is that the answers to those problems or issues I preoccupy myself with always come to me at the right time when I’m connected. So why waste all of that time brain bashing rather than simply enjoy what is presented to me, wherever I am?”
Absolutely, I don’t think nature spends much time thinking about things and yet there is such a natural order and cycle to life.
I love how you express this, Jenny, ‘I don’t think nature spends much time thinking about things and yet there is such a natural order and cycle to life.’ Being in our heads has taken us far, far away from the natural order and cycle of life and yet we have the most magnificent reflection to bring us back the minute we step outside our front door, whether it be a wooded forest or the city centre.
Your blog Rod, has really made me realize that the environment that surrounds me is always reflecting to me my divinity, it’s just me who choices to not see this divinity.
The answers do come when we are connected Rod. Every time I trust and be open to the truth that is within me, there is a confirmation of that knowing. What I took from your sharing was the delight with which you approach life and the joy it returns to you. Thank you for sharing something so simple as a walk in the park and the profound insights it can have, if we are open to them.
Beautifully expressed Rod. So often we go into our head to escape feeling things we do not like or are painful but by doing that we stop feeling, which means we also stop feeling the beautiful things, too – The Magic of God.
Divine beings we all are, and every step we take can be divine if we chose to stay connected to what we inately are.
A simply beautiful blog of everyday day living in a divine way made me smile all the way through and for the rest of my day …thank you.
I love the blog Rod, it made me stop and re-consider exactly how I am interacting with everything around me in the day… whether on a walk, in the family, or at work. At the same time reminding me that its not everyone and everything else that changes each day, but to look a little closer to home – its my responsibility for how I am feeling that ultimately connects or disconnects me from everyone around me.
As a postscript to this blog…
Recently I spent 5 days with my wife on a project relating to work at Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam – a city of around 8 million inhabitants and what feels like 20 million motorbikes. It’s hectic, hot, humid, busy and noisy.
Before I left I was inspired by a comment on this blog by Frank Tybislawski in which he wrote about his city experiences and how “Sometimes the city/people/shops/cars etc. just feel like they flow around me, other times it feels like it is all against me.” He followed up with “The more constant and connected I am with myself the more fluid and flowing the city feels. It too can be a walk in the park.”
So we put that to the test at Ho Chi Minh City and found, to our delight, that by being connected, everything flowed and there was beauty in connecting with people on the street…and we were also offered some amazing constellations. Yet when our connection and openness dropped, the flow dissipated and the city appeared to be harsher. Fortunately we were able to quickly recognise what occurred and return to presence and our connection.
Overall, a delightful, fun experience with the conclusion that we do not need a walk in the park, or even nature to reflect joy. It can be with us wherever we go as long as we are open to humanity and whatever else is presented to us.
Life is a walk in the park.
Yes, Rod, and I really felt the sense of flow as you describe it and how lovely that it is and then when the connection drops everything does appear harsher, and I might add, I start to feel the separation rather than the connection between things. So great that you could quickly recognise what happened and return.
Again, brilliantly debasing the perception that things need to be a certain way before we can be connected and engaged with life and humanity. Thank you, Rod.
It’s really interesting, the first time I read this I saw a totally different story, but now I truly see what is being said and the responsibility we play in the quality of our life around us. It’s quite funny actually because I must have been closed and not truly open to feeling and seeing everything when I first read it. Thanks for sharing this Rod!
“…the answers to those problems or issues I preoccupy myself with always come to me at the right time when I’m connected.” These words are pure gold and supported me to realise that it’s when I’m in the business of the day and not connected that the problems I put a lot of thinking into can become overwhelming. But it’s when I’m in stillness the answer comes so easily. Thank you for sharing this blog Rod.
Thank you for expressing meaningful and real considerations with such lightness and humour … I can always do with more humour in my life!
Walking and being in nature is indeed truly divine! I never before appreciated the real consistency the natural world shows and what a true reflection it is of my potential to reconnect to my true essence. It has been so enlightening to claim that through our connection with ourselves we can feel our connection with the all, the beauty that we are and which surrounds us. I love the line . . . ‘So it really comes down to my choice as to whether I want to be open and connect with that or not’…. And, not surprisingly the answer is YES, I do want to connect – there really is no choice for me! A walk in the Park is my inspiration to be truly me in all my awesome essence.
Thank you Rod, an awesome reminder for me to be open and connect.
What else is nature there for but to reflect back to us our innate stillness and beauty. From the acorn to the oak, to the ebb and tide of the ocean, the cycles of the moon, and all creatures living in harmony. We can learn such a lot from nature if we only stop, look and listen.
I just love looking at the sky, the clouds, the stars, I love walking by the sea shore and in the countryside, I love listening to the dawn chorus and feeling the stillness of snow covered landscape, nature is awesome, and we are all part of it. Brilliant blog Rod.
I loved reading your comment here Sandra – I also feel that connection deep within me when I am in nature, whether walking in the old forests, taking in the breathtaking colours of the outback, or where we are now, beside the sea – being aware of nature I find is like a re-call to connect more knowingly with oneself.
We are so much bigger than the mind makes us believe. The spaciousness and interconnectedness of being present with self and nature is felt in your vivid description. Imprisoned in our mind the colours of life fade to grey.
I like how you have described this Alex, it is very much how it feels.
So well expressed Alex.
Beautiful expressed “Imprisoned in our mind the colours of life fade to grey.” and it litterly does.
Awesome Alex – spot on.
I love this so much rod. Your super sweet humor as well as your ability to show the world within your writtings that there is another way of taking responsibility for EVERYTHING we do and see is amazing.
Wonderful account of life, and how do we choose to see it?
“Nature doesn’t turn on or off – it’s there – a constant in our lives. It’s up to us as to how we experience it. It’s up to us as to how we experience people. Perhaps that lies at the heart of many of our problems: do we think far too much, rather than simply experience what is there before us?”- Great reminder Rod.
A lovely blog – thankyou. “Could it possibly have something to do with me? Mmmm. . . after due consideration, I am afraid there is nothing or no one else I can blame it on. It all has to do with me.” I was recently writing about my different experiences of moving house – pre and post Universal Medicine. During my last move I have found every trades person I have come across have universally been helpful and friendly, in contrast to some I experienced when moving house over 30 years ago. The difference? Apart from 30 years and more maturity was that I am now more accepting, loving and open with myself and thus of others. Self-responsibility has been a huge learning for me, as has bringing understanding and accepting to situations and people.
Beautiful Rod, you make it so simple – and that it is. Thank you.
I love what you say, “my experience will be a reflection of where I’m at. If it’s not amazing then the only person responsible will be the one who looks back at me from a mirror.” So true and a truth that can take some time to sink in because we are so outer fixated and used to blaming or attributing our experiences to some event/thing or person outside us – how liberating it is when we come home to the realisation it is all down to me.
You’re right Rod, it is divine and going into our minds lets us forget that oh so easily. Thank you for the reminder again today.
Gorgeous Blog, Rod. How true – we are either in the world observing and enjoying all or we are in our heads observing and enjoying no-thing. Thank you for the inspiration.
Janne its quite simple when we put it like that. I find when I first start to observe I go through a stage of feeling my body, if that does not feel so great then it’s easier to hop into my mind – a cycle that I’ve found only breaks when I take care and make loving choices. Then it’s enjoyable to be in my body, observing without such a need to be in my head.’
What you’ve added here Janne and David makes sense to me. If our choices lead to bad feelings in the body we escape into our heads to not feel those ill feelings. But in doing so we cut off the ability to feel anything! Good, bad or ugly. Thus even if surrounded by the glory of nature we won’t see it as Rod has experienced and shared – the awareness of what is going on inside reflects what is seen on the outside.
It’s great what you have shared here David, I am experiencing more and more how enjoyable it is to be in my body, and how this supports me to simply observe what’s going on around me, and then my mind becomes a secondary function. It is so much more of a visceral experience and a lot more fun than being in my head.
I know at times in the past I have used being in nature to escape from the world, seeing all the beauty around me, but not feeling it. As you say Janne, in my head ‘observing and enjoying no-thing’. Now when I am in nature I feel expanded. I am in it, and it is in me.
Janne, what you have written is so very simple, but so very true. My choice today, and always, is to be; “in the world observing and enjoying all”. Thank you for these wise words.
Sometimes it is so easy to get caught up in the thinking, rather than experiencing. When we walk in the park we have to experience and feel the nature, when we connect like this to nature it’s an amazing feeling.
Nature is a gorgeous gift to us all – an ever ready resource that constantly reminds of the real beauty we all have within.
I agree Dean, “nature is a gorgeous gift to us all”. Nature usually always helps me come back to my beauty within by helping get me out of my mind, out of the patterns of thoughts I may be in, and appreciate the world and myself.
thank you James for saying that, it’s so true – throughout my life nature has been a strong voice to remind me how beautiful things really are.
It is Amita, and it reminds me that it’s been a while since I strolled in a park with no actual goal but just being.
On re-reading this blog it made me think about how the way I am feeling will colour and change what I choose to see or be aware of. When I am open and not busy in my head I can see and feel so much more.
I have spent a long time, like many, attempting to protect myself by trying to close myself off from the world, as if I have a shield over my chest, saying you can’t get through that…a way of opening up is “don’t think – experience” Experience, observe and appreciate.
“Experience, observe and appreciate” – if we keep ourselves shut off from the world we cannot do any of those. I have always felt it is better to try something and learn from it, than not try it and remain where you are. With the support of Universal Medicine, I am now more in touch with my body and my feelings and so feel whether or not to do things, ie. will they be supportive or not? I do not always get it right but most importantly learn from the choices I make, something which in the past I did not do.
Love that Samantha, every day we wake to new experiences for us to observe. And I’m finding that the word ‘appreciate’ is one I use more than ever before.
Life is a walk in the park – but which walk am I choosing? The conscious or unconscious one! Love the blog Rod. Thank you.
Indeed Alison, which one am I choosing “the conscious or unconscious” path?
that is it or you could say “the responsible or not responsible” path?
So true Alison. We can take a walk in a park littered with rubbish or a walk in a park graced by the magic of God. What’s more is that both parks can look exactly the same, however it is our experience that determines if it is an unconscious or conscious walk.
I agree Vicky. My body is my true marker and ally that supports me to discern if I am engaged in true consciousness or on a walk of illusion.
By simply giving attention to the detail you’ll be surprise what you’ll find
That’s the wonderful thing about nature, Rod, that when we have gotten into our heads and stopped noticing our bodies and surrounding, it helps us come back. I do agree that a great majority of people spend too much time thinking instead of experiencing being part of all.
Rereading your blog I can feel even more magic in what you are saying. It is always everything there, we just have to choose it and we are blessed, connected to others every second we do.
Nature has felt for me like a reflection of our / my divinity. I am learning to see it all around me and in so doing, learning to be open…this is still a work in progress but something that I am clear on is it that is up to me to change it. I am responsible for this but I also have the choice. Cool to read of your walk in the park with your dog, lovely and open. Thank you.
I love returning to this blog Rod as your words, ‘don’t think, experience’ have been in my mind a lot since I first read your blog and whenever I feel myself getting a little anxious or hot under the collar about something they have often come to mind and brought me out of it so thanks for such an insightful blog. It is true that what we are missing when we are not present and simply experiencing the moment is probably much more than I can currently fathom, but even a little taste of it feels great.
I just love to switch off from the external distracting noises and the internal distracting head dialogue when I am out for a walk, and observe all that is around me. Even when I do the same route, the walk has such variety of birds, animals or different people to meet. It is a very important part of my day now.
Every moment in life is a mirror for us to visualize what we are up to.
This is so beautiful and supportive :o)
Rod, I have enjoyed reading your blog again and after returning from a few days in the southern states with rellies, the line that draws my attention is “It all has to do with me” is quite apt and apparent for I found no matter what is going on ‘out there’ if we but choose to be present and connected to our innermost all is beautiful.
Rod, just had to revisit you and Ralph, you again took me through the park and reminded me to get out of my head and in fact, out of my house and off for a walk as soon as possible!
It was wonderful to to under stand that nature is a reflection of our divinity. Throughout my life, being in nature has been a way to ground my self, a place where things felt ok. Thank you Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine for for helping me understand the true role of our natural world.
I find that when there is an issue in my life, or a problem, especially if its a reoccurring one, then its quite useful to recognise that I am always the one constant thing in whatever the scenario happens to be. Therefore, it makes sense to look at what it is about me that is contributing to the issue, or not, as quite often I actually walk around just loving life too – I realise that its not all about the problems!
What a beautiful mirroring your blog is, Rod! Reading it reminds me of the fact that everything is every time always around me – offered to make a choice to see or not to see it. Accept it or not. Take my chance to evolve or not.
Rod I love the playfulness you have written with. I can attest to having the same sorts of experiences on my walks and my shopping trips. When I am fully present with my surroundings everything comes alive and people respond to this. As opposed to when I am stuck in my head and trying to get it done quickly, it probably takes just as long but doesn’t feel at all rich with the connection that is possible, but rather keeps me on the treadmill of feeling like I am just trying to get things done.
“Note to self: ‘don’t think – experience”. I love this. I am still learning to catch myself when I am letting the thoughts run riot in my head. When I manage to cut them and come into my body and just experience and feel, life becomes so much more simple and enjoyable. A walk around the park can be ruined and not truly experienced if the thoughts of yesterday or tomorrow are taking over. It is true that taking the time to feel how I am in my body enables me to feel what is going on around me. The joy of the birds is also within me!
Rebecca, reading this article and your comments have allowed me to feel more deeply into how I am when I walk in a park or a street. Although I am much more with myself these days there are still moments when the thoughts take over and I am also “still learning to catch myself when I am letting the thoughts run riot in my head”. I am now inspired to just be me and to ‘experience not think’, starting with my walk this morning. Thank you Rebecca and Rod
Rod I really love what you posed……It’s up to us as to how we experience it (life). It’s up to us as to how we experience people. This is so true, we can look at life and people and expect them to be a certain way or we can view life, that we constellate all that crosses our paths. This is not always the preferred way of looking at things, because it calls for us to be responsible for our choices and actions. But it sure allows for a lot of joy and accountability and love if one should choose it so.
There is so much that one can appreciate in one’s presence. The world is geared towards distraction and mentally checking out with all the different stimuli. When we stop, connect and feel, we can stop perceiving the world through a tinted lens and feel it’s magic and enormity. We are on a planet that is a part of a universe, all delicately balanced and seemingly effortlessly kept aligned. The planetary motions remind me how every moment is continuous – never starting or ending. A huge machine constantly working towards evolution.
Thank you Rod. When we are connected to ourselves and not caught up in our minds, we connect with everything the world has to offer us. One morning recently, I woke up to open up wooden blinds in a house Im living in. I do this every day. This morning, was different, I woke up and consciously stayed with myself moment by moment. I opened the blinds and saw something I hadn’t seen before, a huge camellia shrub to the left of the window, showered with hundreds of closed buds with a few deep pink flowerheads already opening. It was always there, yet deep in thought each morning, I had missed this beautiful gift of nature ready to greet me each day, if only I opened my eyes.
” Nature doesn’t turn on or off – it’s there – a constant in our lives. It seems to me that it’s up to us as to how we experience it, also up to us as to how we experience people. Makes me wonder if perhaps thats what lies at the heart of many of our problems: do we think far too much, rather than simply experience what is there before us? “- I love this and for me the answer is yes – when I think to much I stressed, tensed and in my head, when I just am me I feel so deeply connected and love the divine awesome of Nature and people, nothing effects me.
Love reading this blog. It is a great reminder that we have a choice..
I love what you have shared Rod and I really like what you have presented in using this and any other experience as a marker: “So the next time I go for a walk, my experience will be a reflection of where I’m at. If it’s not amazing then the only person responsible will be the one who looks back at me from a mirror.” Very inspiring.
Great article
This blog is so awesome Rod! I totally agree that so has to do with me – how I experience my days, my connection with others, my connection with nature. I love what you’ve shared here as it feels so clarifying of the marker in our every day of how we are experiencing what is around us. When it seems more ‘drab’ or ‘shut down’ then the first choice to make is to honestly assess if it is me that is choosing to be less in connection with me first. Brilliant.
Great observation Rod, I have felt the same. Everything reflects back to me how I am choosing to be at any time.
Love what you wrote, Rod. ‘Nature doesn’t turn on or off – it’s there – a constant in our lives. It’s up to us as to how we experience it. It’s up to us as to how we experience people’. So true.
Rod, your blog reminds me just how important it is to stay present with myself throughout my day, otherwise as you say, there’s so much beautiful and ‘grand’ stuff we miss out on, including my own reflection.
I love the lightness of your writing Rod. I have longed for the days when I walk in city streets and share connections from eye to eye with strangers and it feels like we touch through to each other. I have held those days as cherished memories rather than held myself as a cherished being.
It’s so lovely now to live in love and bring it to the equation of the world, nature and people. Thank you Rod and thank you Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine.
It is great how you highlight the difference between feeling something else as cherished when all alone it is you that is a cherished being. I can really relate to this Mark, thank you.
Mark, I too have held moments or days as cherished rather than holding myself as a cherished being thank you for writing this it helps to understand those times.
Beautiful sharing Mark. I have many memories that I have cherished and looked outside of myself, as if they are separate to me. As you say by developing and connecting to ourselves, these moments are felt in the body. We are not separate to the cherished moment we are the cherished moment. Beautiful.
how easy it is to blame things on the outside environment without checking on how we are feeling first.
Awesome Blog Rod.
What your saying here is something that I have come across as an idea in many different religions, or philosophies. Mindfulness in Buddhism, or many different schools of thought of best selling books. And Yet it has always seemed like a complicated practise and something you need to strive for or something you can do for a bit but has never been sustainable.
That the key to living life in a more connected and loving way is simply about being in touch with yourself and being connected to the moment you are in.
Brilliant.
And Life Changing. And from the workshops of Universal Medicine I have attended –
Naturally effortless as well.
So true Simon. When we complicate things and turn it into a disciplined and strict practice that becomes forced we are missing the point. The truth and simplicity of simply choosing to connect, feel and be aware moment by moment builds a much truer and sustainable connection to life.
‘Don’t think – experience’. Such a simple yet profound summary of how much wasted time we spend in our heads at the expense of all that lies around us and how we can therefore miss out on what naturally transpires to support us in all we need. A great reminder that it is simply down to our own choice to stay connected or not.
I love this invitation and reminder to live with all of me not just the chatterings in my head.
I just love what you have expressed Rod and how you expressed it. I have been enjoying a similar experience on my walks in the morning and am staggered how connected I am to my surroundings one second, and bam – lost in my thoughts the next. It’s like trying to pick up a radio signal in a remote area – strong connection one minute, fuzzy the next. The ‘brain bashing’ as you describe it is pretty consuming at times – but thanks to this great blog, I am now more aware of my own ability and responsibility to abate the mind chatter and instead connect to the joy of what is around me, in the understanding that that true connection will bring all I need to know which no amount of brain bashing could ever uncover.
“It’s like trying to pick up a radio signal in a remote area – strong connection one minute, fuzzy the next.” Love the analogy Gina.
Great reminder of the reflections all around us all the time. Hello to Ralph too. He sounds lovely and is a reflection too.
Walking in the quality of what you have shared, Rod, is therapy in itself.
Great point Rod that so often we think we have to solve everything on our own and that we can think our way out of every problem or dilemma, meanwhile missing out on the tremendous support and communication with nature and the universe that is occurring every second and may even be giving us the answer to our problem if we only looked up for a moment from our self isolation?
I have read this beautiful blog a few times and pondered on the content. What keeps coming to mind is the English idiom ” a walk in the park” which means easy. Yet like Rod I often over complicate my walks by rushing and being too much in my head even though I know when I just listen and feel nature with its cacophony of sounds, smells and sights I feel truly grounded and calm. Thank you for the gentle reminder
Thank you Sue, for adding a great comment to such a beautiful article. Complication is an interesting past time and one that I endeavour to recognise and let go of. Interesting to observe where it pops up and at times even in the simplicity of a walk in the park.
Love it Rod! Life is very simple if we choose to make it that way.
I agree – this blog really shows how simple life is. I also love the last line ‘it’s not merely a walk in the park. It’s divine’ – it could be a t-shirt slogan!
I am so much more aware now, when out walking, with this understanding from your blog; when something is different, I look at what’s happened to me, not what’s happened to the outside. It’s up to me what I experience. Thank you Rod.
A very beautiful blog Rod. I felt my being lighten upon reading your lovely words.
I love how we all get the reflection back where we are at. it’s is everywhere all the time. Things constantly constellate for us to learn and be who we truly are.
‘do we think far too much, rather than simply experience what is there before us?’
I can relate to this and love your reminder.
I agree Monika; things always constellate for us to build on our awareness and learn the lessons we need to.
So true the magic that unfolds and constellates for us to learn from and become aware of brings me joy and appreciation for life.
Monika it’s so true things constantly constellating, there is so much learning and growing in this awareness. The beautiful reflections we have in every moment is a blessing and healing.
Yes agreed Monika, that is such a graceful comment, and so often I can completely miss the beauty and magic of God sitting there quitely waiting to be seen because I am busy thinking about something else. It is a great reminder to stop, observe and appreciate throughout my day.
You take me on a such a glorious walk here Rod, being in nature is indeed divine, I never before appreciated the real consistency the natural world shows and what a true reflection that is of my potential. I love this line….’So it really comes down to my choice as to whether I want to be open and connect with that or not’….Brilliant-thank you
Such a simple message, and very beautiful. Thank you Rod.
So beautiful Rod. Thank you of the reminder of the simplicity of the beauty that is within us and surrounds. All there awaiting our connection.
Being in the moment, experiencing, I am learning to do this and I love the fullness and warmth this brings to my body.
Very beautifully expressed Rod. Through our connection with ourselves we can feel our connection with the all, the beauty that we are and which surrounds us.
Yes Katie, when not feeling this connection the world can feel imposing and we can find ourselves going into reaction.
Rod I love your blog! I keep coming back to it because it is so full of joy and so true – thank you so much for sharing your walk in the park with me! It is such a beautiful reminder and how much more is there to see as we become more and more aware of ourselves and surroundings! It is divine.
Agree Debra, defiantly a confirmation of the beauty around us which highlights there is something more (divine)
Luke, Debra I agree with you both. When we let go of the pre-occupation, the constant train of thoughts that we sometimes have and enjoy being with the simplicity of what is around us, the magic of God is there in front of us and all around us to enjoy.
I loved it too. A gentle reminder that nature is always there for us to connect to the whole of life. When the sun shines and the birds sing, its so much easier to appreciate. The grey, windswept days also give us an opportunity to connect with the cycles of nature, and all who live in it.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this blog and it made me wonder about so many other aspects of life, if being out in nature I am reflected where I am, i.e in my head or in my heart then surely all of life must be like that? Something for me to ponder on. Thank you Rod.
I agree with others, a great read. I am now noticing how when I am in full swing busy mode, I miss or ignore the birdsong of the early morning, which when stopped and enjoyed, is such a simple and lovely start to the day.
I enjoy doing this too.
There is so much offered to us at every single moment.
That offering for me resembles humanity – that what is there for me to see is there for all to see.
But if I go into my head I don’t even notice whats going on around me – therefore how can I support others if I’m making the moment all about me.
But if I choose to be aware – to make it about everything – then I see all that is offered, whilst being part of something much bigger than just myself.
It is so easy if we so choose to allow the intensity of life to become overwhelming and dominate how we live. If we just stop and choose to see the magic around us then we are constantly supported to not live like this and just be who we are. Really it is that simple, we are masters at complicating it.
‘Not think – experience’ – Love that!
What an opportunity to consider the choices we make, to consider the fact that our lives are up to us, to consider that our relationship with nature is one brilliant way to see how we are doing. Thank you, Rod. When I walk in the mornings am I beetling around in my head, chattering and problem solving whilst ignoring the moment I am in and what is on offer? OR am I open to everything I see and all it reflects, setting a foundation for the moments and day ahead of presence and awareness? Having built a walk into my daily rhythm I have an every day marker to honestly see what is going on and how I am responding. This is super cool because whilst I no longer want to, I now cannot pretend that things are a certain way when my marker says otherwise. This means I can take responsibility and choose to turn things around before another ill pattern gets entrenched and habitualised.
This is a great blog, Rod. I loved it even more on the second reading. Taking responsibility for how we are in the world is huge yet it is so simple. When we are not taking responsibility the world fades as our mental stuff takes over and yet, in reality, taking responsibility is much more fun!
…”taking responsibility is much more fun!”…
Wow, you’ve opened up a Pandora’s box with that comment Janne. And it feels absolutely spot on. We often waste so much energy and time in avoiding responsibility, yet as a result, how much are we really missing out on? So much to consider here.
“Note to self: ‘don’t think – experience’.” I love it, a great note for self.
This blog is simply delicious. I love how you capture the essence of your surroundings, Ralph and the people you come into contact with. There are no bad days when you see life through the lens of how you are choosing connection to yourself or not. When we are in rhythm on the inside then our outer world reflects this back to us and gives us the opportunity to enjoy our connection with nature and people or to see that we need to stop being in our heads and get back in our body and simply be with life.
If we’re honest I’m sure we can all recognise those times we’ve wanted to make it all about ourselves, yet when it comes to something going wrong, ourselves is the last place we’re inclined to look! Love your light heardted self reflection Rod: “Mmmm. . . after due consideration, I am afraid there is nothing or no one else I can blame it on. It all has to do with me.”
This is such a great reflection for our connection, so simple Rod, thank you. When I realise hoe sometimes I’m not noticing what’s around me, it shows me how quickly I can disconnect and hadn’t realised it. But it’s also getting easier to re-connect too.
Your expressive words have left me with a sense of inner serenity, a simply divine read. Thank you Rod.
Being consciously present causes us to receive everything coming towards us when we are walking, in so much more beauty and brightness. We feel so much more connected to nature and to God. Thank you, Rod, for your great blog.
Thank you Rod, what a gorgeous Blog, I too have felt those days where you just don’t connect and nature just seems to be taking a day off as you said.
Thank you for reminding me its up to me to connect, that the reflection of God is always there if we chose to see and feel it.
After re-reading your blog Rod it serves to remind us all of the importance of how we approach life always looking at our own responsibility with this, And keeping to the simple things. Appreciating the beauty all around us that is forever reflecting the beauty and delicate-ness within.
Yeah, how much are we really missing out on when we are missing from the moment?Mmm
I am so taking note of your “Note to self: ‘don’t think – experience’”
Today I went for an amazing walk. I’ve moved away from the seaside and had attributed that feeling of expansiveness I feel when looking out on a glistening sea to the sea and not me. Today my country walk didn’t have a vast view though the sky was blue. I felt that same expansiveness I feel at the seaside and realised more fully that that feeling is me connecting to me. Thinking it’s because of the scenery is me choosing to not fully appreciate who I am (probably so that I can choose to ignore my responsibility for when I’m not feeling expansive!).
This has been a great reminder that it is myself who is responsible. I have gone for walks recently to make myself feel better hoping the walk would do everything for me. Thank you for reminding me that the walk is the reflection of where I am at. The beauty of nature is always there sometimes I am not there to accept her beauty.
Life can be a “walk in the park” as they say. The energy we choose is up to us. Beautiful blog Rod. My experience is nature, it is all around me no matter where I am even in the city there are parks and gardens, creeks and rivers. Nature is right there in our own back yards for those who don’t have a back yard sitting on your balcony or deck if we are connected to nature, it comes to us we don’t have to be in bush to connect with nature. Just sitting here inside my home looking out the window nature is there, bees and butterflies, dragonflies hovering over the swimming pool. The usual pair of top notch pigeons sitting on the fence looking in my kitchen window of a morning, some days they face the other way and poo in my yard that’s got to be the days I’m not connected.
So beautifully expressed, Rod. It is through the eyes of a true and consistent connection to ourselves that we can truly see what is truly there for us to see and appreciate. When we are present we recognise that God is in everything and everyone around us.
Thank you, Rod.
“It all has to do with me”… Very true Rod, accepting complete responsibility for everything.
“A reflection of where I am at” I will take that one with me, amongst others, playful and supportive blog. Thank you.
I love the picture you’ve painted here Rod. If we were to learn something from the effortless beautiful constant that nature is.. we would go a long way to understanding and living our own true essence. In observing and experiencing Serge Benhayon for the last 4 ½ years I can say with absolute certainty that he is one human being who lives as constant and consistent as nature… and so much more.
Thanks for sharing your experience Rod! I’m Inspired 🙂
It was such a blessing to read your blog this morning, just perfectly timed. I’ve been finding myself get dominated and preoccupied by thoughts of future tasks, potential situations and things I still need to finalise from the past. Speaking from experience – this really does sever the connection to all the beauty that constantly abounds. Thanks so much Rod, a gorgeous support before I start my day.
It’s so easy to let our minds take over and miss the beauty that is always surrounding us. We are actually in control of what we allow in and out, always..it’s just a case of retraining ourselves.
As a child I didn’t know the word boredom existed, everything was always vibrant and engaging in one way or another. I remember that feeling very clearly. I never lost it for nature, but did not have the same connection for people – or myself. How beautiful it is to engage and connect to Love within, with myself and with others, and know that what I receive is purely the reflection of that, that I am.
Thank you Rod for this very insightful blog. There are some great observations here presented and ones I recognise all too well, but how amazing is it to know that we have the support of everything around us to bring us back to ourselves.
This is something I have also noticed in the last month or so where there are times where I am reading something and it feels like there is a distance between us, especially so when I am thinking about something or playing songs in my head. By allowing myself to feel what I am doing I am noticing this disconnection with what I am doing more and more. That disconnection with what is before me is a reflection of the disconnection closer to home within me. Likewise when I am out on a walk just for me – not to walk to the shops or take the long way to work just so I can tick off the ‘daily walk’ box – I feel much more open, lighter and I can appreciate what is around me more from nature because there was the initial focus to just go out for and with myself and not to do anything or be anywhere, just with me, which I had started the walk with.
Thanks Rod ‘don’t think – experience.’ Be yourself in every moment.
I love this Steve
I love re-reading this blog Rod. It constantly brings a reminder to me to be aware of truly being present with me or when feeling when I am viewing the world through the old tinted glasses of illusion, just how dull etc things can appear to be. Remove the lenses by returning to be more fully with me and the dullness disappears!
Rod this blog is so beautiful, It is up to us how we experience our every day. No one can make it more for us. Great blog!
I loved reading this Rob and I’m super glad it’s only Ralph leaving his scent on those trees! It’s a great reminder; the beauty of nature is always there as a steady and constant reflection, holding its self without question, responding without justification, patiently waiting for us to notice. I often think of my flat mate when I think of nature, for she embodies such simplicity and grace, always moving in rhythm, allowing things to be and embodying understanding. She has taught me to appreciate the finer details of nature, the colour of the flowers, the shape of the leaves, the textures of the trees, something I had never really paid attention to until meeting her. Now when I see fresh wattle flowers I always think of little baby chickens huddled together, all soft and warm, or carnations and the ruffled skirts of Spanish dancers as they get ready to tango, or maiden ferns and the delicateness that resides within us all, so gentle and precious we could they almost float. When we allow ourselves to see and appreciate such beauty it is endless what wisdom we can come to know. Thank you for this reminder Rob, this is a beautiful sharing.
I love the way you express the truth with such simplicity, humour and love Rod. A walk in the park, a stroll along the beach or watching the sunrise or sunset is a beautiful way to bring us back to a stop and to truly enjoy what is being so divinely reflected to us. All supporting us to get out of heads and re-connect to our selves and our hearts. Thank you Rod a beautiful and timely reminder.
Beautiful comment Kirsten; there are some incredible features of nature that are great opportunities to stop and appreciate what is ‘being so divinely reflected to us’.
I love what the clouds and trees, the wind and the temperature all reflects to me when I’m out on a walk… anything that was bogging me down before being out in nature, soon dissipates and I feel lighter, as I’ve focused on something that is full of beauty, which in turn reminds me that I a that as well.
” Nature doesn’t turn on or off – it’s there – a constant in our lives. It’s up to us as to how we experience it. It’s up to us as to how we experience people. Perhaps that lies at the heart of many of our problems: do we think far too much, rather than simply experience what is there before us?
(Note to self: ‘don’t think – experience’).”
So true Rod and love how you have expressed it so simply & lovingly through the written word ~ divine. Thank you.
What a beautiful revelation – yes, it is our responsibility to open our own eyes and heart to the magic of God around us. How awesome is it when we become totally aware of who we are and seeing through all of our senses, including our sixth sense of truly feeling what we are seeing. I, too, like Rod, on my daily walks beside the River love the reflection that Nature gives in how she is feeling for the day – some days the water is sparkling, glistening, flowing freely down the stream, the sun pouring down her rays of light and love and yet, it can also reflect a different view. The river is bubbly, rough, dark and dirty and the sun is hiding behind dark grey clouds – is it really a reflection of how Nature feels or is it reflecting back to me how I am?
I love how playful you are in this blog Rod – and what you have shared is so very true. You have given me much to feel into 🙂
Wow, beautiful written Rod! It is awesome and magic how the outer can constellate with us depending on how we are… mmmh really a good aspect to ponder on…
Thanks Rod, what stands out for me is how we see a ‘problem’ outside of ourselves first, before we begin to look within. I know this one for myself throughout all areas of my life, how different life is when the immediate instinct is to look within first.
Hey Rod the other day I drove past a dog taking a woman out for a walk at about 5.30am or could have been 6am in the morning and that was the first time I had truly appreciated the service a dog offers!
What a great observation Kathleen…are we doing dog’s a favour, or is it the other way round. I asked Ralph and he said, “Go figure”.
Dogs certainly have great enthusiasm with everything around them when they go for walks. They connect with everyone and everything. I agree we should let our dogs take us for walks more often.
Well I cannot imagine walking without the dog would be an option for some as they could think that it was not enough, when they could be jogging and jarring their bodies instead all in the name of good health. By the way Rod, whenever I ever asked my dog anything she always just said “woof!” Or she just bit someone.
I like the idea of dogs taking the humans for walkies Kathleen. It would be interesting to see someone tied to the railings!!
Gorgeous blog Rod! I love the way you have written about nature. So true. Such a great way we can check in with where we are at. And what a great reminder to get over ourselves – to let go of whatever is preoccupying us from simply enjoying being wherever we are – in nature, in a shopping mall or driving the car (that’s my contribution – where I often need a reminder). Love it: “DON’T THINK – EXPERIENCE” thank you for sharing this simple three-word piece of gold.
So beautiful Rod… I felt I was dancing there with you, relating to all you express and feeling the fact that yes, when we connect with stillness we are able to feel the fact that everything is connected and that we are all moving together… this experience is so much freer then the noise our mind can create and from here we look out to the world around us from the beauty that is already within.
Thank you Rod. I love the way you talk about our responsibility for the way we see the world in such a fun and playful way. What we see on the outside being a reflection of how we feel inside and also reflecting to us if we are open to fully experiencing life around us or not.
Hi Rod, I have revisited your blog and it is really clear to me that it is my responsibility how I engage with the world. And what I get back is a reflection of how I am in the world at that moment.
Thanks Rod I love how you have expressed something so profound so playfully and am grateful for this simple reminder ‘Note to self: ‘don’t think – experience’’ to remind me to get out of my head and appreciate the boundless beauty of life around me that is always my choice to experience or not.
It is a beautiful remind, and can be applied to a lot of areas, not thinking or worrying or over analysing, but instead just experiencing and enjoying life.
I love those days when I can connect to the rhythm of nature. It immediately leaves me feeling more calm and still. It is hard to pinpoint this feeling to any one of the senses, for it is a scent, a sound, a taste, a touch all in one and more. It is a beautiful feeling that is within me, that is then confirmed as being on the outside also. What your article reminds me of is that this feeling never actually leaves, rather that it is me that leaves this feeling of grace and interconnectedness. A super supportive reminder that there is always the choice to reconnect to the beauty that is eternally waiting there for us all.
Well said Jonathan and I agree with you 100%
I love it – completely my experience too, it’s so true there is always that reminder of beauty somewhere nearby.
This is the power and joy of taking responsibility. Being present, choosing how we relate to and with the world – we are in the driving seat, rather than at the mercy of the weather, someone else’s behaviour etc. Thank you, Rod.
Love it Rod, thank you.
Since the first read of you blog Rod, I have had the image of Ralph’s appreciation for tress. It makes me smile; the simplicity of how dogs enjoy themselves and their surrounds. When I see trees in parks it brings me back to a connection for light hearted appreciation in that moment.
Indeed we often get so caught up that we forget to experience but not only that, we also forget to respond, we loose our interaction with what is going on in the moment and thus our connection with the world in that moment is gone.
I also experience that when I am fully present I feel connected to and astutely aware of all that is around me, wether that be nature or people. I love this feeling.
So true how we are affects how we see the world.
“So true how we are affects how we see the world”. absolutely Kylie and how we see the world affects the world. Which in turn makes you question what and who is truly responsible for the cause of Global Warming.
This is a beautiful sharing Rod and really does illustrate that how we see life comes from us how we are feeling connected and loving and beautiful or disconnected and lost. A walk in the park is a great marker and reflection for us and the magic really is always there its our choice to see it or not. Thank you
I love how this offers such an empowerment for our lives. In other words we are not just at the mercy of a good day or a bad day but we are instrumental in the experience.
I love that!
‘We are not just at the mercy of a good day or a bad day but we are instrumental in the experience’ – Absolutely Rebecca; it is all up to us and our choices.
Thanks Rod, very cute piece of writing and very universal concept.
It is so powerful in its simplicity. At times in my life I have felt overwhelmed with what is on my plate and convinced myself that it is a waste of time walking unless I double up and solve a problem at the same time or make that important phone call, catch up with that friend or family member I have not seen in a while.
This blog you have written, inspired by the presentation of Serge Benhayon has reminded me of all the wonders of joy in nature and myself I choose to ignore when I get caught up in my head. The old trick I play on myself is to kill two birds with one stone…
I have decided from here on in there will be no more bird killing on my walks. LOL
Rod I can so relate to the way you describe that it can all ‘fade into the background’ – the back drop is the 2 dimensional view on life we can all hold – flat and empty of all the abundance that life truly represents. When we choose us we are in fact choosing that very abundance and it ‘pops’ reminding us in glorious detail of where we are from.
Reading your words Rod, I could feel myself connected to nature and the amazing feeling this brings. One early morning last week, I heard some cheeping outside on my balcony. Looking out there were three lorikeets sitting on the rail. It had been raining and they were a bit wet, but still calling out so beautifully. As I am up high and on the beach, I was surprised and so joyous they had come to visit. It’s the first time I have seen them here, usually it’s the pigeons who come to visit. They stayed for several minutes before flying off.
The next morning another one came at the same time and sang for me again. I had a huge grin on my face for ages after these visits.
Magic all around definitely, just looking, seeing and feeling the connection.
A simple choice that I know I can personally make complicated some times, thank you for sharing this and keeping in simple and light “So it really comes down to my choice as to whether I want to be open and connect with that or not.” Keeping open…feels great.
I too love walking my dog and enjoying all that nature has to offer. There was a time a while back when it just wasn’t doing it for me. I felt down, and turned to my walks to give me the joy that I usually feel, but of course they didn’t. I realised, as you have shared, that for the magic to happen it took both nature and me; nature couldn’t simply deliver it to me, and I couldn’t look to nature to cheer me up, or sort me out, I had to do that for myself. If I looked to nature for an answer it was as if it shut up shop. Once I stopped looking to nature to cheer me up I could instantly see the beauty and feel the joy in the trees and fields again.
“….do we think far too much, rather than simply experience what is there before us?” A great question Rod. I can certainly attest to that one. Not wanting to feel all that there is to be felt makes me feel that I can reduce the ‘unpleasant’ feelings, (which then just get buried in my body) but certainly also reduces the wonderful ones. So yes to feeling and no to thinking is my motto for today.
Thanks Rod your blog sums up exactly what I have observed in my customer service role. Some days used to be a real drag, people were rude or just absent in our interactions but as I have learnt to bring more of me to work and not react to where I see others being, the joy and level of connection I share with customers now has become the daily norm. It really does come back to me choosing to be with me in full.
I love Rod how you comment on the fact that Nature does not turn it on and off, reminding me that it is a constant choice of remaining open to life or shutting off to life and people
I read this on the train Rod and feel what you have written in a whole new light. It is far easier for me to gind the beauty in nature but when it comes to people the reflection is far more in my face. I spend so much time putting up invisible walls and blocking people out I miss out on their beauty. This train trip just became a whole lot lovelier.
Opening up to people on a train…that’s fantastic Leonne! It just goes to show that it’s up to us.
Exactly we all, myself very much included, wait for another person to open up or start a conversation – yet it is up to how we are, how we feel in ourselves. It’s great to consider how often too, I “go about my business” without being open to everyone else around me.
That’s a good point David about waiting for another to start a conversation. I guess the more open we are, then the more likely we are to engage and connect with another.
I was really open on my shopping trip today, chatting with the guy behind the perfume counter and then assisting a lady with her outfit for an event (she thought I worked there), she was most shocked when I said I was a customer too. Everyone just wanted to talk to me. It’s amazing how open others are when you are open to them.
This is gorgeous Rod. There is so much magic in every moment within ourselves and all around.
A divine blog Rod Harvey, with credits to Ralph Harvey of course.
You are a poetic writer Rod, with a beautiful way with words that melts the heart as it delivers the goods…in this case “if it’s not amazing then the only person responsible will be the one who looks back at me from a mirror.”
This blog is a lesson in the art of appreciation, an underdeveloped and quality that brings the world to life, even in the busiest shopping centre, a trip to the tip, waiting in a queue…
There is great richness all around us awaiting our attention; a meeting of our eyes with another’s is a divine experience.
Thank you, Rachel, for the reminder – to make sure we take the time to appreciate.
I love your comment Rachel, and you’re spot on – appreciation really does bring the world to life.
This is great, to be reminded that life and people reflect back to us…to what is happening inside of us. A key to taking a way blame on the outside and seeing the power within us to how we experience life.
Everything is a reflection of where we are at, when I walk out of my house today and I look at all the people that I will meet, they are all a reflection of me.
Great article Rod, I love how you so simply share that our experiences with the world, good or bad are based on our choice to connect or not, this is revolutionary. Often it is easier to look outside ourselves and blame everyone else for why our day, life, is not going smoothly, bringing it back to a simple choice of connection is life changing. Thank you for sharing your divine day with us.
I remember when I was a child, I loved going to the park and play freely on the grounds, I could be there for hours enjoying myself. The freshness, the beauty and openess was so welcoming. I could feel I was just with my body, and not in my head. As I grew older and my head started taking over the park visits got less and I got up in the busyness of the world. Now when I walk through the park it brings back that feeling of joy of when I was a child, it is an amazing feeling and I feel an expansion in myself.
Oh, me too Amita,I have always remembered the childlike freedom of being out in the park, but as an adult, lost that connection with the other head stuff often overtaking my awareness. Now I’ve returned to seeing what is around me when I walk and feeling that connection of myself and the world as one.
This writing is like a fine work of art, the loveliness of your description of nature is very touching, the beauty of the world is apparent in your words, and most of all the wisdom of “it is up to us to let it in” is nothing but wonderful.
Thank you Rod for reminding me as you have so beautiful written on this actually “simple” and deeply true correlation between me and how everyone and everything is answering me! So I really want to be more and more open to the miracles in me to meet them in the world : ).
Our joyful existence on earth is completely in our own hands – if this is the case (which it is) then I will do what ever it takes to support myself to make these totally possible choices with ease and grace. Since I have been working on this and attending Universal Medicine I never would have thought life could be so Joyful just in the ordinary things in life that we think are so frivolous.
“Joyful just in the ordinary things in life that we think are so frivolous”…now that’s a great line Natalie. It goes right against what’s considered ‘normal’ in society such as entertainment, events, parties, social media, the next holiday and whatever distraction comes along.
Joy from ordinary things in life. What a lovely way to live. So simple.
Loving the playfulness of this article Rod. How easy it is to miss this absolute blessing we have in every moment of having a ‘mirror’ held up for us to see what we are choosing for ourselves.
Hi Rod, yesterday I went for (another) walk with my daughter. And I noticed afterwards that I felt re-vitalised. Where I used to have the idea that I always need a rest when feeling tired, I now have so many times the experience that my body’s actually calling for action. And in honouring / listening to my body there’s so much to be enjoyed. Or not… That’s up to me, as you’ve beautifully written about in your blog.
Floris, who needs energy drinks when we have presence to revitalise us? And it’s free!
Yes Rod, no one does… What if we were taught from very young that by walking in presence we’re actually re-vitalising ourselves by magnifying the energy that comes from our heart, to our feet and than back up into our kidneys. I’m not experiencing that always but when I consciously feel this ‘science’, it is just the most Gracious feeling and confirming that I’m worth it to be looked after!
I really love what you write here Rod. Magic happens all around us and its up to us to choose whether to see it or not.
Yes there is always something to enjoy and appreciate and nature never stops communicating with us. Mind you 487 trees now that is a lot for one little dog!
Nicola, he likes to share himself around.
I love coming back to this article as it is a beautiful reminder that I can’t blame it on anyone and it is always up to me as to how I see and experience life.
I know when I am pre-occupied in my head and I go out for a walk, I am missing eye contact of people I meet, missing seeing nature around me, missing appreciating bird songs or flights. And then I get a sudden realisation of that, and the walk changes completely, but what’s changed is me, not the walk.
Hey rod,
Iv been thinking about your blog since I read it a week or so ago. Each time I walk outside and have some spare time I look at the trees and the sky and feel the quality of your blog that you posted. I smile quite a bit when this happens and feel a big bundle of joy 🙂 It is truly so magnificent to be able to be wholeheartedly free and walk that freedom in nature …
Hey Natasha, love your words…”It is truly so magnificent to be able to be wholeheartedly free”
What a great and playful article
Nature certainly doesn’t turn off and the more you are aware the more you notice, what a shame and waste of beautiful moments if we choose to be unaware.
What an amazing point you have raised Rod – the steadiness and consistency of nature and also our divine nature – if we feel either of these have gone anywhere or we are unable to feel them, then we have gone somewhere and are unable to feel ourselves. Brilliant, brilliant point! Thank you. It does indeed always come back to us and our relationship with ourselves which allows us to have a relationship with all that is around us. To be reminded of this in such a light hearted way is deeply appreciated. Thank you Rod.
I just love this Rod, so true, so apt, so me!
This piece or reflective writing really struck me as a revelation and a wise insight to our way and state of being. How our approach to life and living it can be so profoundly different : simple , joyous or dull, isolating and so on. I have been experiencing something like this myself recently. The duality of opposite experiences and thoughts depending how i am in that moment. Apparently the same but not. The inside experience and what we feel about ourselves and notice about our world and people. Thank you Rod, wonderful!
Well said Michelle, it is so true, it is from our own choices moment by moment, how differently we can experience the same thing at different times. “How our approach to life and living it can be so profoundly different : simple , joyous or dull, isolating and so on”.
Like Rod on his walk, I find that the birdsong sounds more full and joyful when I am feeling this way with myself. Nature does not change, only my awareness and presence with myself changes everything.
What a beautiful piece of writing Rod. Of course I have felt the same thing. The world is a mirror of what I am feeling inside. The grace and the beauty of everyone and everything is all around me in every moment of everyday, they don’t go anywhere. Knowing this is an incredible incentive to stay connected to me and therefore to all.
Very true, Rachel. We know deep inside that beauty and magic is all around us and in each of us, so it’s crazy that we don’t let ourselves feel it most of the time. Rod’s blog has reminded me to take the time to connect to what’s really there for all of us.
I’ve found that too Rachael; the world always seems to mirror exactly how I am feeling on the inside.
“So the next time I go for a walk, my experience will be a reflection of where I’m at. If it’s not amazing then the only person responsible will be the one who looks back at me from a mirror.” Thanks Rob, I really enjoyed reading your reflections on the significance of our own choices. I’ve also grown to realise that every detail of our experience of life, is down to the choices we make along the way.
Answers always come at the right moment, when we are connected, so true. I am experiencing this every day, especially at the moment, while things in my life are going through big changes. The answer is always there, and in the meantime, stay open, be open and have trust, this is what really works for me ( :
“Stay open, be open and have trust, this is what really works for me” – what a lovely way to live Mariette.
Yet so often throughout society we see the opposite and we don’t have to dig too deeply to see the consequences.
…”the magic of nature and the glory within people is always there – but sometimes I’m not”….so so true these words. Sometimes I rail against that awareness and other times I am so glad that I know it because it is super to know it is always there and I can re-connect to it the glory at any time and it is me (and only me) who chooses to turn away. A life-changer for sure.
Well said Sarah. I agree it is always our choice to feel the connection with the all and the glory that comes from this.
Great exposure – nature is always there for us, yet we often put ourselves in the way and do not get to experience all that is on offer to us. When I truly see everything before me I cannot help but feel the divinity that surrounds and is within me.
Thanks Rod, your post is one that I can relate – the energy around us being such a reflection of the energy within us. Natures rich tapestry is one that never fails to amaze so long as we are prepared to observe and feel the awesome spectacle that is truly everywhere.
This is profound.
I totally agree with this blog – the difference I can feel when I am out in nature between seeing something incredible that nourishes and inspires me (no matter what the weather or situation) vs a perfunctory walk where I take everything I’m thinking or worrying about along with me. Nature always provides me with the opportunity, its just a question of whether I am open to it or not.
Yes, I can relate to what you are saying; nature is an amazing reflection of what we’re in.
“When I’m in my head thinking, focussed on something I have to do in the future, or trying to fix a problem or solve some sort of issue, then nature and people fade away into the background. ”
With most of us walking around this way, disconnected, most of the time, could this perhaps be the reason for so much misery in the world?
When I’m with or in nature I have no expectations, I just accept it as it is, and love it.
In a supermarket, with people it’s not so easy. I have fears, expectations and judgments that are just automatically in the back of my head, even when I feel there’s no need for it and ignore them. I had a lovely experience when I made a real effort to be consciously present with every move while shopping and not give any room to those old programs in my head – 3 different people came up to me to ask for help with a product within the next 15 min. And I definitely didn’t look like an employee.
I love this blog!
I once lived in a way where I thought I was at the mercy of life…just letting life ‘do’ me. In taking responsibility and seeing how my life is actually the total sum of my choices, I now know how to actually ‘live’ life and make true choices to support me and those around me. Thanks Rod for your beautiful insight!
Amazing reading yet again Rod – another serve ace article… I was amazed by the power we all bring to wherever we go – this was only one man’s experience yet it felt as if the whole universe was invited to be part of it.
Yes it certainly feels like there is an invitation in this blog. Well said Matts.
It is a beautiful invitation Robyn and Matts. I love how Rod so eloquently sums our potential experiences in the world with nature and people as in :
‘ So the next time I go for a walk, my experience will be a reflection of where I’m at. If it’s not amazing then the only person responsible will be the one who looks back at me from a mirror.’
This is one of the most powerful things I have learned from Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine – that my experiences are due to me and my choices – not other peoples. So do I choose to be love and see love or create a problem and see problems.
“This is one of the most powerful things I have learned from Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine – that my experiences are due to me and my choices – not other peoples. So do I choose to be love and see love or create a problem and see problems.” Absolutely agree Kate. This has also been my experience too.
What a great blog Rod! I love this following sentence as it fully takes responsibility for how we experience a day or our life in general, and reminds us that that which we see around us is just a reflection of how we are within, “So the next time I go for a walk, my experience will be a reflection of where I’m at. If it’s not amazing then the only person responsible will be the one who looks back at me from a mirror.” So true!!
I love the playful way you write Rod about such worth while subjects. This blog reminds me of the time I had a guy start working for me and we had to tend the plants on the forth floor of an office building balcony, I had done this many times before but on his first time he remarked how good the view was from up there. I ashamedly admitted never really looking at it properly as I was too focused on getting the job done without taking in the surroundings.
Kev I love your comment. It reminds me to take in the bigger picture whenever I get tunnel vision from fixating on a goal – aka caught up in my own agenda at the cost of seeing the impact of how I am in the world.
Kev and Karin I know that tunnel vision so well. It is such a common way of being in life, yet that way of being deprives us of the magic that is being offered us through nature, our own bodies and life around us. It is wonderful that articles such as Rod’s and these comments are here to remind us all.
Great point Kev, even though I drive from A to B in my bus, I am not really looking at whats going on around me. Thanks for the reminder mate.
Like Rods walk, I have just had an amazing walk along the beach with my beloved. On the one side the tranquil waters of the ocean, an on the other, the forest of trees, than stem back over 10 million years.Peope are walking the beach, hand in hand, chatting away, other are doing their daily walks. As we walk, and observing people actions, it is noticeable that they are in harmony with their bodies. If only the rest of the world could be in that space.
Shows that ‘how I am’ and so ‘what I bring’ into the world has an affect – at me and the world. I’ m worth it. I count.
I’ve observed that the state of the weather is used so often in conversation. It’s either too hot, too cold, rainy, ugly outside, too humid or windy. Rarely do I hear its beautiful or lovely no matter how it is. Do we use this as a statement to express how we are really feeling without actually bringing the full honesty in the expression. To criticise the weather is a way to divert any attention off of the person speaking and in a way blame the weather for the way it is rather than saying, ‘I feel average today’.
Such a beautiful blog Rod. It reflects to me how much I walk in my head. It highlights to me where I am at and its like a wake up call. I love reading your appreciation for everything and the reminders you share. Thank You.
Thankyou Rod for the beautiful and simple reminder to bring all of ourselves to every walk, to every activity and we will experience all in its fullness.. all of the time.
Thank you, Rod, for revealing how our internal world dictates our relationship with the external environment. This feels true without exception and changes everything, if we are willing to look at it responsibly.
I love your blog- first because it is so playful and funny, second, because it reminds us all of responsibility in life. We can be the magic, if we choose to.
What an honest way to see the world. With responsibility for what happens around you and within you. Complaining about a situation isn’t going to do anything. Being the change will.
A beautiful blog and a lot to be inspired by.
Kristy with so many of the “English” always talking about how the weather affects us perhaps thats a great reflection to see how much we are missing out on the loveliness of nature, life etc.. I know if I’m not feeling great in myself then sunshine or thunder storm and it makes no odds – yet when i feel content the beauty in the rain or thunder is seen – however the sun always seems to peer through as well.
What a beautiful blog Rod, thank you for sharing. I have experienced the same thing and when you were going through the different options of how it was possible that nature and people around us could change, I was getting caught in this scenario, I was hoping that you would come up with a magic answer, but not the mirror one, meaning that I am responsible for everything that I am interacting with and how I perceive the outside world (even though I know the answer deeply). But I must say that to be aware of this is also magical!
Your joy in nature is gorgeous to read Rod and what is highlighted for me from your blog, is that we are in fact therefore responsible for our own experience of joy in life.
Very true Rosanna and these experiences can come from such simple things. Our joy is always there and ready to be shared with all and the playful way Rod has shared his joy with us is a living example of just how simple it can be.
I love the reflection this blog gave me Rod and especially the part where you wrote “However the magic of nature and the glory within people is always there – but sometimes I’m not”. This is a great reminder to be aware of how I am feeling every time I go for a walk and how that affects everything and everybody.
I love this gentle reminder too Deidre, and feel it is good practice to ‘check in’ with oneself throughout the business and activites of the day whether you are at work or taking a walk in the park…
Nice one Rod, yes the connection with people and nature is far more enjoyable than being stuck on issues in ones head and when I connect to people or nature the issues always get smaller let go of or dealt with easy!
A lovely reminder Rod that we are each responsible for our own experience.
Hi Rod,
This is a lovely, light and humorous sharing! I am often aware of how I contract in public places based on how I feel in my body that particular day. For instance, if I am feeling very tired, then I am reluctant to engage with anyone at all. If I am feeling more vital, then I like to make eye contact and I can feel the ‘little girl’ in me wanting to go up and ask people ‘what’s your name?’ and engage them in conversation. I often hold back, thinking this is silly, but you have given me yet another point of reflection and something to work on… Thank you…
Linda
Another insightful blog, Rod! The reflections in nature are a constant and that includes the nature in people no matter where we are. There’s the joyful cloud dancing days and the expansively still aliveness days, the tree waving days and the gurgling, giggling baby days, the powerfully majestic days and the contented acceptance beingness days. All Divine, all Me and when the reflection is anything less than that, it’s always a reflection of me being less than I am…..it’s a simply magic, really.
‘Note to self: ‘don’t think – experience’ – I need to type this on a piece of paper and stick it on my fridge as a reminder.
I really enjoyed reading this piece, thanks Rod. Playfully, it reflects that we’re either experiencing the fullness, or a contracted version of everything and that’s merely our choice. A great reminder to start the day with!
It is so true what you say, that a walk in the park can be so different, it can be full of joy and union and nature in all its presence and meaning, or it can be a bit empty or flat, or just lovely on the surface. I can enjoy every step and every breath and feel my body embracing nature or I can be just moving and not seeing nor feeling the glory of nature. It depends on how I am inside.
This is beautiful Rod, so simple and playful in one. I love your words ‘the magic of nature and the glory within people is always there – but sometimes I’m not.’ I can certainly relate to that. Sometimes I am at work (on the checkout) and I have many people coming through and yet I am distracted and so not fully there to connect with people. Other times (and a lot more these days which I can celebrate), I am fully present, not in my head, but there in the moment with the person across from me and it is awesome. It might not always be ‘a walk in the park’ and sometimes the interactions may challenge me, but so long as I am there with me and open to sharing who I am, there is magic and learning to be had. Great blog, thank you.
“There in the moment with the person across from me and it is awesome”…Wow, what a great opportunity you have to make someone’s day Anna (many times over and over).
Brilliant blog Rod, you certainly brought a greater dimension to taking a walk in the park. The experience is what we bring to it and that applies to everything we do. It is amazing to develop this awareness and realise how much we shape our perspective of the world.
You have given me a different perspective for the next time I take my dog to the dog park, thanks Rod.
Beautiful Rod. It’s funny that it’s so easy to blame the whole world for being a certain way, before looking within to question what is going on…
Could it be that we play a bigger part in how we see things than we realised?
I love your reflection on our responsibility in life; and that feeling amazing is up to us!
I love how you have summed this up Kylie, that feeling amazing is up to us! I have recently discovered this. What responsibility to self and to others truly means. It is very empowering to know that your life, your feelings, your every single way is of your choosing.
I relate to this Rod and to the responsibility that we have when we look at life this way. On an ‘in my head’ day, I could walk around blaming others for being unfriendly, not giving good service in a store, being reserved etc rather than asking myself ‘how am I today?’ and ‘what am I putting out’ – are people reflecting back to me where I’m at? Then I have a choice as to how to continue my day…in my head or in my heart.
It’s not the world…it’s US! It’s so true that the world around us is purely a reflection of how we are feeling inside. We can feel bright, warm and joyful even on a rainy day if we are staying present and taking care of ourselves.
It’s true, Rebecca. Even in the depths of winter here in the UK, you can still see and feel the beauty in nature if you are feeling that glow within yourself.
Very true and sums up exactly what Rod is saying.
Such a great blog I really connect with it myself and being with nature and walking is my real support in life where I feel totally at home and me. If I don’t feel this for any reason I know something is up and walking brings me back and the space and clarity returns with a joy i cannot deny .Beautiful sharing Rod thank you
Yes there is nothing better than walking in nature for me to re-connect not only with myself but to the wonder and beauty of all that is around me and the joy that is naturally there if I let it in.
This is a lovely article Rod, so true that any situation can be transformed when we choose to be fully present in our gentleness.
I love reading this and brings another level to ‘life is what we make it’ it becomes about how willing we are to see, feel, hear, taste, smell it all and I find when this is so, nature and everything around me has so much to offer 🙂 Beautiful – thank you Rod for sharing lightly.
I can relate to everything you have said Rod, thank you for the reminder.
That reality of realising that you have the key to the door to all that you do and say has a fundamental impact on how you see and do things is crucial. Instead of being locked in a certain way of being you are free to make changes and walk through the door. Forever opening and willing to see truth, beautiful!
Well said Natalie, whatever way we decide to look at things and the way we live our lives, it will always come down to the fact that it is of our own choosing and we have a choice in every decision we make.
As one humanity we are always either supporting each other to be all that we are or reducing ourselves to a sort of heads down isolated existence. This is the magic and responsibility of connection: with self first and then naturally so, all those around us.
Gorgeous Rod, a whole new light on ‘a walk in the park’! Thank you.
“Note to self: ‘don’t think – experience’” – pure Gold. Blows it all out of the water. Thank you Rodney.
Those transformational days are magic, but like you say Rod, nature is a constant so it relates to where the head is at. I also notice when I am connected that there’s a different sense of time, there’s a stillness and timelessness which feels very familiar. I too feel there is much more to be comprehended.
It is so true, all we need to do is to be present and connect. When I go for a walk, I see so many people walking and jogging with headphones in their ears and just looking down on the path and not even taking in the beautiful scenery at all. I suppose the good news is that whenever these people are ready to connect, nature is always there (as written in this beautiful article).
Ah the weather in England … the topic at the beginning of many conversations … or talked about to avoid being honest in speaking the truth! I love what you write here because you deeply appreciate nature and your surroundings but are honest enough to dig a little deeper to see that actually could this be a reflection of what you are feeling and how you are living? The answer is as you have said, yes. Maybe we need to be a little bit braver in the UK and not just skim the surface with ‘lovely day’ or ‘oh what a miserable day’ and talk about how WE are really feeling not what the weather is doing!
I agree Vicky, its time to dig deeper, and to connect to what we are feeling and what is being reflected to us, in all situations.
Imagine if every time we started talking about the weather that was taken as an opportunity to connect to nature, the other person, and go a bit deeper into how we are actually feeling, rather than as an escape or finding something a bit meaningless to say.
I love this Rod… I love your sense of humour in this blog as well, it makes it so enjoyable to read and I actually hadn’t considered before that maybe I have something to do with the way people are interacting or not interacting… I might observe to see if in those times that people don’t want to look or talk to me if I really am in the space where I want to connect with people or if I’m just judging them for not making eye contact etc.
I agree Ariel, Rod’s humour is beautiful and makes the blog a joy to read. And I can definitely say since reading this blog that I have been more aware of how I am in nature, and now it is time to bring the same awareness to how I am with people.
Thanks Rod, that was a beautiful inspiration for me today to stay out of my head and simply experience all the wonder and beauty around me, and the answers to my problems will then simply present.
I loved reading this blog Rod. I too realise the different way people react to me at school depending on how I’m feeling
I agree Anna, everything comes back to self and how we are feeling that then sets the tone of all the interactions we have. Rod’s blog is great reminder to keep it playful and simple.
It was great to be reminded Rod, that I am the one choosing constantly whether to be present to the world, others and my own experience or switch on and off like a light bulb.
“After all – it’s not merely a walk in the park. It’s divine.” This line will stay with me forever
Thank you Rod, enjoyed reading this blog! Choosing to re-connect to ourselves opens up a different world that is always there and always connected to the web of life where people and nature are all one and in it we see the true divine nature of it all.
I went for a walk yesterday by the lake and noticed all the drops from the melting frost in the sunlight – everyone a jewel. As Jennene commented above, “how my world looks to me is my responsibility!” Now to stay connected so I see the magic of God everywhere, everyday.
I love your blog Rod, I know when I am distracted life seems dull or boring, so true that we miss all the beauty and wonder around us when we disconnect. Thank you for the gentle reminder – was a joy to read.
I agree Anna, and what I have found is that often it becomes a cycle – you aren’t feeling yourself so life seems dull or boring, so then I checkout and think about things to make it less boring, but it only succeeds in disconnecting me more and so ensuring I am actually further away from seeing the interesting things in life
“So the next time I go for a walk, my experience will be a reflection of where I’m at. If it’s not amazing then the only person responsible will be the one who looks back at me from a mirror.” Absolutely divine… and so true – how my world looks to me is my responsibility! Thank you for an enjoyable blog, Rod!
“How my world looks to me is my responsibility!” – how true Janene! and more importantly how we look – what we reflect – to the world, is also our responsibility.
‘How my world looks to me is my responsibility’ – Absolutely true Janene; it is up to us to shape our world, but more importantly how we are in it.
Well said – I completely agree – ‘‘how my world looks to me is my responsibility.’’ It is so easy to place the blame on something outside of ourselves, but where in truth does this get us? Absolutely nowhere.
I have been thinking a lot about my physical heart lately. And it’s just like nature, it never turns on or off – it’s just there – a constant in our lives, no matter what the event, what the mood or what the circumstance. We have nature beating right there in or chest 24/7. That gives me a very warm feeling inside.
A great point Dean. Our heartbeat is a constant pulse that never stops, much like the pulse of nature, it is always there. We are in constant interaction and therefore can be in tune with pulse of nature. Simply choosing and allowing ourselves to be interactive with the energy of nature builds our connection rather than living in a way the disconnects and unplugs ourselves from the awareness that this brings.
The awareness and stillness through connection to nature and then to ourselves is magical. I remember as a child feeling super connected to everything outside and I clearly remember how this made me feel in my body – everything was absolutely ok with the world and I was very present. As an adult there has been less time to enjoy the outdoors (and let’s face it – less inclination to go out into the cold, especially in the UK winter), however when making the choice to connect to myself I am more drawn to feeling what is outside my window and to appreciate it and to go out and enjoy it!
And your comment has just given me a very warm feeling inside Dean. So lovely to connect to…24/7
Deans comment is contagious : )
This is beautiful Dean – “We have nature beating right there in or chest 24/7.”… so true!
A gorgeous point Dean. We have a constant right inside us 24/7. Regardless of what is going on, all we need do is reconnect to that constant pulse.
it blows my mind, the pulse is there working quietly away in every single person – whether they’re short tall, fat skinny, smart not so bright, northern hemisphere or southern… no matter what the difference every body has the same warmth inside.
Lovely comment Dean. I have never thought of the heart in that way, but you are right, if we ever need to feel what nature is all about, we just have to feel and appreciate what an amazing job our hearts do.
I agree Tim, even in the most difficult times there is this extraordinary organ giving life to our body. And then there’s our lungs allowing us to breathe. This may all sound a bit odd to some but I find what happens within our bodies to be quite magical. Forget about how much we know, just to breathe our own breath and feel our own heart is already gorgeous.
Wow Dean, I have never considered that our hearts and we are a part of nature. How gorgeous to feel we have our own piece of nature right there inside us, as a constant.
A beautiful awareness Dean. Our hearts are quite magical, beating away with tremendous strength for such a tiny muscle, powering our lives with its constant motion, responding to everything we feel, think and see. We walk around with this little drum inside us, creating the beat to nature’s song and it is so gorgeous to feel its warmth and become aware of its rhythm.
That is gorgeous Rowena.
Very succinctly put Rowena; our heart is quite incredible when you think about how just a small muscle fuels our entire life, and as you say – responds to absolutely everything we think, feel and see.
Dean, thank you, the pulse of nature there physically beating in our chest, always constant, it’s just up to us to connect and be present, or not…..I love this analogy . I also enjoyed your sharing Rod about it all being about US! Focus on our own connectedness and it is all ALL-ways reflected for us.
A beautiful heartfelt revelation there Dean, thank you. Connecting to the physical heart in this way seems to open the inner heart as well, allowing a greater connection to the emanation from here also. A very big ‘wow’.
Yes you’re right, our physical hearts are an opening to something much deeper, something divine and beyond this world.
That is a beautiful reflection Dean, i remember feeling like this when i was studying Anatomy and Physiology, the way the body works, if unimposed upon, in such exquisite detail to maintain harmony was to me a beautiful reflection of nature and the divine all in one. What a beautiful and constantly present reminder of who we truly are.
“When I’m in my head thinking, focussed on something I have to do in the future, or trying to fix a problem or solve some sort of issue, then nature and people fade away into the background. ” this is so true and as you say it’s nothing to do with them but how we are. I love feeling my connection with people and nature.
I am interested in your inclusion of the example of the Mall experience, Rod. I visit a hospital twice a week, and notice that if I step through the entrance with a feeling of lightness and openness, then people will glance at me and our eyes meet for a second, and sometimes there is a smile, but mostly just an acknowledgment of each other’s presence. However, when I feel heavy and down, no such glances come my way. It feels to me as if it is about not having any expectations, but just paying attention to being continually in my own presence, and then the magic happens and brings the gift of meeting from another’s presence.
Joan, you provide us with a wonder-full example of the way our experiences are related to how present and open we are to what is around us. It appears to be spherical: what comes back to us reflects on where we are…time after time after time.
I agree that it’s not about expectations, otherwise we would lace our experiences, rather than simply allow life to unfold.
Your last sentence is magical.
Yes, Rod, more thoughts on expectations. If I have expectations of how I “ought” or even “could” be, then I am trying to be something, and even if it feels better it is still separating me from that natural divine impulse that walks me in my presence. That is such a very different feeling, spherical and whole as you say, that comes from the way I have been living my day, not suddenly becoming aware that I am going to step through those hospital doors so I had “better be present” and expect myself to be that! Being present is feeling what is going on and being honest about it and walking with that.
I agree Rod, having an expectation on how a situation should play out just prevents it for being the way it should be and the gift that it can bring. I love Joan’s example, because it brings it into everyday things, like food shopping or at work etc.
Great point Rod; if we hold expectations over how a certain event or interaction will go, then this can easily affect how the situation does play out and prevents life from unfolding naturally.
Hi Rod, After reading your blog on Monday I have been paying so much attention to seeing and feeling everything around me on my morning walks these last few days, mesmerised by the magic of nature that I haven’t actually even thought of your blog whilst on the beach. I have only been inspired by it.
Now that is fantastic to read Nick…and it is so simple for us, wherever we are.
Awesome Nick, and I completely agree, I can’t say I have thought about Rods’ blog on walks, more that it has inspired me to see and connect with nature so much more.
I love how you take responsibility for how things are within you, which reflects back at you in how your walk in the park changes. It’s great example for me to follow, thanks Rod, the reflection is where I’m at, it’s my choice to see it on a daily basis.
Exactly Gill – instead of blaming the outside world, Rod has taken more responsibility for how he is in himself first before judging the outside.
I have been thinking about your blog a lot recently on my morning and evening walks with my dogs, using things like listening out for bird song, or noticing the sun set or clouds as a marker for if I am focused on the thoughts in my head or on the world and the beauty around me. Just yesterday I tuned in to hear the most beautiful bird song, and watch the most beautiful sunset.
Magical!
‘Do we think far too much, rather than simply experience what is there before us?’ Definitely Rod, thank you for a powerful reminder. To me it feels that when I used to think too much it meant that I was not present enough in what I was doing/experiencing and anxiousness crept in. Feeling is a key to clarity.
I have always found that nature will always being me back to myself no mater where my head has tried to take me. Your blog Rod is a great confirmation that nature will always be waiting for us.
Or is it possible Shirley-Ann that we can ‘defeat’ our old constructs of time by being connected – irrespective of what we are doing? And would life then simply flow along harmoniously, giving us all the time to do what we need to do? Maybe we have to work out how to ‘smell the roses’ without having to take time out to do so. As you say, it is so upside down from what we’ve been taught.
Beautiful Rod an amazing true and very real sharing about the magic of God and shares the joy of walking and being in connection with nature ,oneself and the whole . Thank you
When I first started reading this blog I was wondering , Where is this going? Is this the rantings of a mad man? But as I read on it all fell in to place and I can see how it all happens to me. I work in nature but how often do I get too busy to notice what’s going on around me? Thanks Rod, I like your style.
Thanks Kev…although I’m sure there are some who would consider it the ravings of a mad man – well at least until they gave it a go for themselves. 🙂
Beautifully said. You bring back the responsibility to where it belongs: ourselves. We often tend to blame other people, circumstances etc. but it is us who create our reflections. I love the way you sum it up at the end: “So the next time I go for a walk, my experience will be a reflection of where I’m at. If it’s not amazing then the only person responsible will be the one who looks back at me from a mirror.” So true and empowering. 🙂
Absolutely beautifully Rod, I loved hearing about your walk with Ralph great revelations you share here with us thank you. “I am afraid there is nothing or no one else I can blame it on. It all has to do with me.”
Apart from being super fun to read, Rod, your article shows so simply the true wonder and potential of taking responsibility. One thing that bounced out for me was your reference to the fact that the ‘answers’ to our questions come without struggle when we relinquish the effort to try and find them and just let ourselves expand into the moment we are in, which naturally prepares us for the next one. Thank you.
“Could it possibly have something to do with me? Mmmm. . . after due consideration, I am afraid there is nothing or no one else I can blame it on. It all has to do with me.”
This is such a great question to ask. It’s so easy to think today is worse than yesterday or being outside is not as nice but normally when I stop making life all about me I can then see that nature is always the same, beautiful, fresh, inviting. It’s me that has closed off. Nature is such a great reminder to us because it is constantly showing us what we have inside also.
That an interesting point Rebekah where you say: “when I stop making life all about me I can then see that nature is always the same, beautiful, fresh, inviting”. So does that mean that when we put the focus on ourselves then life is less fulfilling? And if so…then where should we put our focus to live a fulfilling life? Wow…that’s huge.
Thanks Rod for bringing attention and focus to something that can be done anytime if we allow. It is quite magnificent when we allow, it’s like we open a door to another consciousness or simply let ourselves experience what is already around staring right back at us.
Matthew, as Jenny Ellis commented… “it’s thanks to Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine that I know exactly how to flick the switch between the two, and for that I too I am deeply thankful. Receiving one of the fundamental keys to living a truly enriched life is not something that comes along every day.”
I love reading this blog – reminds me to feel the extraordinary in the ordinary, the ordinary in the extraordinary.
Wow! You’re taking responsibility to the absolute far-reaches there, Rod. Yet certainly worth pondering on – could we in fact be responsible for..due to our relationship with the Law of Free Will..everything that happens around us and in our lives?
But it is also deeply liberating, in that it – and you, here, Rod – teach us of the power of choice, and reveals the extent to which our choices can affect the entire reality we experience: choose to ‘go into the head’ and get caught up in life’s problems, and this is what we are reflected in the people and nature around us; but choose to live truly connected to life and its lessons, fully observing everything that unfolds in front of us, and life suddenly becomes a lot more joyful.
Great blog.
Life certainly feels so different when I am stuck in my thoughts or if I am feeling everything around me with all of me. Thank you for this delightful light-hearted blog beautifully reminding of the choice we have with how we live our life.
A walk in nature can be a truly profound experience when I stop to appreciate it.
I can really relate to “When I’m in my head thinking, focused on something I have to do in the future, or trying to fix a problem or solve some sort of issue, then nature and people fade away into the background. However the magic of nature and the glory within people is always there – but sometimes I’m not.”
Why would anyone want to miss out on so much glory.
Why indeed Bernie? It’s all there for us, yet sometimes it feels as if there’s a battle going on inside our heads and distractions all around us that attempt to deliberately take us away from that glory. After all…it’s purely a choice. Surely this joy is much too precious to choose otherwise.
A great reflection Rod, on how we create the world around us and how power-full we truly are, how amazing we truly are.
Great read Rod. This adds another dimension to the saying “the world is what you make it”.
The world is indeed what we make it and we have that choice in every single moment.
“The world is what you make it” – This blog definitely takes that saying to a deeper level.
I keep wanting to come back to this blog, as it makes me feel so joyful every time, to be reminded that “Nature doesn’t turn on or off – it’s there – a constant in our lives.” Thank you, Rod, for sharing this with us.
Thank you Rod. You’ve inspired me to keep noticing the magic around me, in nature, in people and everything around me. Sometimes it’s as obvious as a butterfly dancing around me and sometimes it’s in the heavy rain as I’m driving on the motorway or the helpful shop assistant. It’s always constant but up to us to bring our awareness and appreciation to it.
Oh yes, the way we are, affects all we see around us, it’s very interactive and dynamic. Thanks for describing it so well Rod and Doug.
A beautiful walk Rod – I have enjoyed every step with you! It is a lovely reminder that nature is always there, we are the ones that ‘leave ourselves’ and then have a completely different view of its natural beauty.
What a great blog Rod and your words came with me today as I walked in glorious sunshine around my local park, stopping to enjoy the wonderful concert put on by the birds celebrating the day. Then I watched the playfulness of a retriever/collie mix dog who had such fun anticipating, then chasing a ball, showing me how simple things in life can bring such enjoyment. He bounced up to me, full of the joys of life, sharing it all with me. I chatted to the owner and found out he was the runt of the litter, cowering in the corner and that despite the owner telling them to leave him and take another of the litter, they chose him and gradually his confidence grew into what we saw today, a dog celebrating being all that he is and sharing it with all around him. It was a true gift.
Everyone has a story…even puppies 🙂
With your inspirational blog and the many awesome comments still with me, I went for a walk in my own lovely park. It was late afternoon and the sun was shining, but as I walked it began to rain very gently. Instead of seeking shelter under a tree, as I normally would have done, I stopped, closed my eyes and tilted my head up to meet the rain, allowing the delicate rain drops to roll down my face. The feeling was so delicious that I didn’t want it to stop, but I finally opened my eyes and there in the distance, arching over the hills was a beautiful rainbow. The moment was so divine that I couldn’t do anything but remain still and allow myself to truly feel the beauty in the magic of God that was being presented to me. And just when I felt the moment couldn’t be improved on, two ringed-neck doves flew out of tree and towards the rainbow. I could feel myself breathing in this moment in full, knowing that these magical moments are always there for us; we just have to take the time to stop. I was fortunate to be raised to truly appreciate nature and everything around us, but at this particular moment, thanks to my deepening awareness from this amazing blog, I knew that I was feeling me as much as I was feeling and seeing all that was around me. There was no separation, just a feeling of one-ness and total joy.
Ingrid that is so joyful…and what a lovely, living, magical confirmation of glory from simply being present and connected.
Yes, divinity is there as a constant in every moment – it’s up to us to notice it or not. How glorious it is!
Thanks Rod for this – I like the bit at the end where you sum it up when you say that if what you experience is not what you like, then it is because of you. It puts the responsibility back onto us completely. How right you are that when I am in my head and not focused, I miss the beauty and the walk in the park is not the same. As most days when I chose to just be with me with no agenda, things look and feel very different.
Beautiful blog Rod. Having experienced the same feelings, I can so relate to what you say. Thanks for the reminder that it is our choice to be or not to be with the glory of what nature brings.
Thanks Tim, and doesn’t this put another spin on Hamlet’s words: ‘to be or not to be’.
I agree Rob, I have noticed that when I am feeling fantastic I love what’s around me and notice the trees, the sky and all the nature around me more. I just find it all wonderful. But then when I am focused on things that are going on, narrow minded or when I am not feeling so great I don’t notice and appreciate things as much, they kinda pass me by (or I pass by them with no notice) it’s a shame. Cause in those times I am missing out on so much…Me, and everything around me as well.
“I have noticed that when I am feeling fantastic I love what’s around me.” I completely agree Emily.
A great reflection and huge reminder Rod – where was I with myself in the moment that I wanted to ‘blame’ something on someone or something else? This applies to every aspect of life.
Thanks Rod, you’ve captured something beautiful, mystical and very practical in one short walk. The times I’ve truly wondered at the beauty all around me just happens to be the times I’m not stressed, and am actually walking with myself, yet so many times I’m completely lost to it. A great reminder of what we have with us all the time if we but choose it… and can so easily miss out on.
Hi Rod I love the way you share your experiences with us, as you say nature does not turn on and off. I certainly do at times!
Lets turn our light on! Thank you Rod.
“Don’t think – experience” – love it Rod, thank you!
While there is a light heartedness in this blog, I connected to the reality that so many people do walk around thinking that things happen to them with no acknowledgement that how we view things really count. There are some grave situations that occur because of this, such as how people can judge another and develop a very fixed idea about another because of how they may have perceived being treated in the past. Not to take away the joy felt in the blog, but highlighting the importance of taking the message seriously as well.
The constancy in nature, and what it reflects to us. I love this blog – simple and at once profound wisdom, written from the deftness of your pen Rod, and asking us to consider that the same constancy can be in us too. Thank-you.
Here, here to divine walks in the park, wherever and whatever that park may be! Today as I went to town, shops, physio, etc, I felt connected with me and it was easy and natural to take a look into the eyes of everyone I came across, even if only for a moment. And being truly seen, in each moment, me and my stranger/connection buddy would break into smiles of recognition, acceptance, appreciation and awareness of the love within the other. So simple, so available.
And here here to simply walking everywhere too. Yesterday I noticed that I had such a light spring in my step and as I walked and openly greeted and chatted to others I remembered this wonderful blog . . . and thought ‘Ahh rhythm, nature and reflection.’
That is truly beautiful…a lovely, living example Dianne of how the world responds back to us when we are connected.
‘So simple, so available’. I agree Dianne, when I am connected with me, I am connected to everything and everybody in my environment whether it be in a town or in nature. I feel one with it.
Loved reading your blog Rod. Thank you. It gave me more awareness of how I feeling this morning when I was in Byron Bay – pretty connected and with joy in my step. I connected with many strangers in the street with smiles and my eyes. I was browsing outside a shop window and the butcher looked up and smiled, I smiled back and then the other butcher smiled. Was lovely to feel the reflections.
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
Rod, your blog is pure joy thank you !
Thank you Rod for a delightful blog.
Hello Rod that is a very wonderful blog. I love what you describe so easily because I know this by myself. When I am with me nature and people are reflecting my joy and that makes it even more joyful.
Once reading your blog and taking that with me it highlighted even more where I can let go of running thoughts and allow myself to be and enjoying the moment. Awesome thanks Rod
Nature doesn’t turn off or on. I love that line and a clear reflection for us human beings. It is indeed up to us and our choices to be present with it all and experience in full what is around us or choose for thinking, presence in the head. I will take this into my day, bring me and experience me and all the beauty around me.
The huge response in such a short time to this article shows us Rod that you have touched on something very relatable for a lot of people.
Beautiful Rod. You describe so well here the choice to experience life in the moment or to make it complicated by thinking about the many things that can distract us from it’s simplicity.
Great reminder Rod that we miss so much of the world when we are in our head and the world misses all of us at the same time.
A great observation. And isn’t that the great shame…that the world misses out on us when we are in our head. So by retreating to the ‘comfort’ of mental activity – we are indeed bringing a great disservice to the world.
This is one lovely blog Rod, you sum up so much of life when you say – ‘the magic of nature and the glory within people is always there – but sometimes I’m not.’ I totally agree – it is the way we feel in life that makes the difference.
Absolutely Meg, being connected has such a profound effect on the way we perceive everything around us.
Definitely 🙂 Imagine that being confirmed to you as a child!
I agree, a delightful blog – “the magic of nature and the glory within people is always there – but sometimes I’m not”, such a lovely reminder – keep your light on.
It’s definitely a get reminder to ‘always be there’!
I agree, the common theme when I don’t notice the world around me is because I am wrapped up in myself and my own struggles, or feelings.
I love how you describe your walk in the park of this day. “the birds – so many flying overhead showing off their translucent wings against the backdrop of the sun, while hundreds of others called out and welcomed us to their home…. I saw so many different shades of green and other colourful hues… a constant process of regeneration. It is rich, grand and vibrant. Even the clouds danced, evolving into different patterns.” This is celebrating for me! And I get that, to celebrate nature and the world around me, I have to be connected with me, accept & celebrate what I am first. When I embrace my magic being I am able to receive the magic around me – if not I do not see it. The beauty is always there – if I do not notice the beauty around me – there is something disconnected with me. Thank you Rob for bringing this into the focus.
I love how you have expressed this Sandra ” to celebrate nature and the world around me, I have to be connected with me, accept & celebrate what I am first.” So true, when I am connected with me and feel an acceptance and celebration of myself, I notice the beauty and the magic around me – otherwise it is as if the light has switched off to all of that – and that light is me!
Ahh beautiful Golnaz – If I do not see the light and love around me then this is reflecting my dimming (holding back). It is me who can switch on the light on again.
“There’s water, waves, sand, seagulls and whatever the weather dishes up. Sometimes it appears to hold itself back – almost in the background, yet at other times it’s effervescent, welcoming and magnificent.” It all comes down to staying with myself, being present – simple but not always easy. When I show up, nature shows up – though its there all the time – unlike me!
Indeed sueq2012, us human can be such inconstant, moody and self-centered beings ! God and nature never fail us.
“The magic of nature and the glory within people is always there – but sometimes I’m not”. I agree with you Rod, thanks for sharing – Its soo true as I often find myself getting caught up with things and then look outside and see an amazing cloud formation in the sky that makes me stop and appreciate life – it is as if I am connecting to the fact that there is far more going on than what I am simply caught up with doing, so it brings some perspective to me.
Thank you Rod. Perhaps there is some truth in the saying “Life is what you make it”, which means we always have a choice. I particularly enjoy where you say “Nature doesn’t turn on or off – it’s there – a constant in our lives. It’s up to us as to how we experience it. It’s up to us as to how we experience people. Perhaps that lies at the heart of many of our problems: do we think far too much, rather than simply experience what is there before us?” So true.
Thanks Rod, this is a great reminder, because for me most of the time I go for a walk the conciousness of ‘doing exercise’ kicks in and I have noticed I went too fast, too harsh, too focussed on training the body. I like to allow myself a new experience next time I will go outside.
And through connection, we can walk and exercise at the same time with the added benefit of being able to feel what’s appropriate for our bodies at that moment.
Thank you for taking me to the park with you Rod, it’s beautiful. As I walked through the shopping mall today I noticed that people seemed to be really looking at me. I was a little alarmed initially thinking maybe I’d left some spinach between my teeth. Then I just enjoyed meeting everyone I passed, as you say, so much more enjoyable for everyone. Feels like humanity is ready for more connection.
I cracked up when I read your 3rd sentence Alison. Regarding your comment: “Feels like humanity is ready for more connection” – I wonder if that also means: “Feels like humanity is craving more connection”?
Great blog, thanks Rod. It’s very true that when we are singularly focused on problems we cut ourselves off from the world around us, in fact the internal environment can colour a whole day that would otherwise be lovely. I love the reference to “brain bashing” as opposed to connection – where all the answers flow.
Thank you Rod for your wise and light-heated reflections on how our days or walks can reflect our openness and playfulness when we allow that.
So that’s what it is! On those days when I feel light the world smiles back. On those less than connected days…not. Thanks to my association with Universal Medicine, I have more light days than not and how lovely that is. Thanks Rod for the sparkle.
Don’t think, experience says it all Rod, thank you for this reflection
On my walks in future I will be aware of your very wise words.
OMG a walk in a beautiful park with a dog, one of my favourite things and I also had a really big beautiful walk in my most favourite park with my sisters big beautifull dog too at the weekend : ) and I love nature, it’s amazing and so beautiful. But I get what you are saying about no matter where we are we take us with us in how we are feeling and living, so you could be in the most amazing place yet not truly appreciate any of it because stressing about something else, or thinking about something else and not just being in the moment. I am also learning about the importance of how we walk. It sounds simple right, just walk! But there is so much more to it .. in a very simple way … Universal Medicine and Serge Benhayon have taught me a lot too : )
Your blog was lovely to read Rod and I get what your saying. Our everyday experiences are up to us and you highlighted that so beautifully.
I love how the magic of God always provides a reminder exactly when you need it, to bring you another step closer and pull you back to the knowing that the world is not linear but spherical. We can then appreciate the awareness these moments bring.
Magical Matthew. And when we are out of step, it’s amazing how often we are reminded in other subtle and not so subtle ways such as a bump on the head, a sore muscle, a reaction to someone, feeling bloated, illness, stress, feeling racy and so on. Each can provide us with a marvelous opportunity to consider where we are and how we are living.
What a lovely way to start my day – I will be taking a walk in my local park at lunchtime. I too sometimes see so much and at other times see so little.
Wow Rod – thank you for breaking it down so gently that what we see and experience in life is down to us and what we’re choosing to see. I’ll remember this next time there’s any temptation to escape into the wanderings of the mind.
A stunning blog Rod. I went for a walk this afternoon meanwhile listening to some music, and all of a sudden my phone ran out of battery (a teenage girl’s worst nightmare haha). I noticed that when the music stopped, similar to what you shared in your blog, nature came back into focus and I had a lovely time observing the sunset and trees around me.
That’s gorgeous … how Love gently nudges us to stop for a moment and take a look around us. You end up with a beautifull moment with yourself and a moment of reflection that could have been missed.
A wonderful blog Rod. Thank you. It is absolutely up to us how we experience life. When we open our hearts to the world and to people we can’t but experience the amazing lessons and wonders of life. Beautiful.
An amazing blog Rod. I have experienced many times being so focussed on something that I do not notice anyone or anything around me. It feels awful. However it can simply change if I make a different choice. Its up to me.
Beautiful Rod I felt like I was walking with you and you reminded me when I was up in my mind thinking thinking and then I would trip or twist my ankle. For a period in my life I was often nursing a sprained ankle and I learned through the pain I did not want again so I became more aware and conscious of simply being with me walking feeling the joy of movement and how my feet felt …this took me right out of my thoughts and simply enjoying walking where ever I go and at the same time experiencing life around me is a joy to behold.
Thank you, Rod , for sharing your walk in the park. I also love to connect with Nature and the “Magic of God”.
So true Rod, how we are feeling inside, or where our mind is at has such an effect on what we see.
Yes Fiona. And, this reminds me, it is always our choice as to which thoughts we choose to run.
Rod I just read your post again and loved your note to self “don’t think – experience”. I was reading a book last night which talked about the incessant need to “Do” things and it made me realise that we can think we are experiencing things when we are doing stuff, whereas we’re so caught up thinking there is no true experience. I’m all for the way you’ve shared.
David your comment reminded me of tourists who are so busy taking selfies and group shots that they are missing the experience (the focus appearing to be inward rather than all inclusive). Or people together at a restaurant messaging on their phones, when it is all there before them.
Thank you, Rod, how simple it is that nature and everything around me is a reflection of me.
Isn’t nature such a beautiful reflection of how we are choosing to be in every moment?
My rose garden for example- do I focus on the roses spent and withered? For I am feeling a little low and run down. Or instead do I see the beautiful delicate petals open in full bloom with such sweet fragrance there for everyone to admire and appreciate -revealing to me my delicate sweet nature and exquisite inner beauty there for all to see as I appreciate myself more.
It is a choice I make in every moment. I choose the later.
The magic of God is all around us. (You could write a song about that.) Consistently present. Different at times, but always there. It is me that at times does not recognise or feel the joy that nature is. Thank you Rod for writing this blog. It is for me, a reminder of the magic of nature and my connection with myself that allows me to be a part of that.
Thank you for the reminder, Rod, that there are wonders all around us all of the time, and that we are part of something greater than the narrow world we can sometimes inhabit.
Thanks Rod, a great reflection on how we can get so busy existing in the world that we simply miss out on all the really good stuff.
I just loved my time as a child in the years before I started school. I had time to simply observe the beauty and harmony in nature, time to be in my own body and really feel it and no pressure to be anyone but me.
I lost most of those precious times for many years, in fact even the years seemed to go by in a flash and I suffered greatly as a result.
Universal Medicine has presented that I can find my own path home to that innocence, that wonder of the world, that joy of life, people and nature and, that I can have it all whilst working hard, being a parent and having responsibilities.
Now I get to appreciate the world and the world gets to appreciate me. Seems like a pretty good deal!
Beautifully expressed Rob and I appreciate the healing within your words. So many are discovering the pathway home through Universal Medicine. And, it’s readily accessible for all.
Lovely Rob, ‘Thanks Rod, a great reflection on how we can get so busy existing in the world that we simply miss out on all the really good stuff.’ This is so true, there is so much beauty in nature and in people and it is so easy to not notice and appreciate this.
I hear the word ‘responsibility’ calling my name when I read this blog, but don’t worry Rod I will welcome this calling with open arms.
Beautifully said 🙂 I agree.
‘When I’m in my head thinking, focussed on something I have to do in the future, or trying to fix a problem or solve some sort of issue, then nature and people fade away into the background. However the magic of nature and the glory within people is always there – but sometimes I’m not.’
Beautifully put and the same for me here. What I put out I get reflected back, sometimes to my own frustration, but also as a confirmation and celebration.
I enjoyed this walk in the park with you Rod. Life is so much easier and enjoyable when I let go of thinking and instead observe, feel and connect.
How connected do I allow myself to be? Not to be fully connected seems to be an age-old pattern, that has a strong momentum in me. To observe this with a twinkling eye is what nature and life is inviting me to do.
Great blog Rod. You expressed something really important in a very simple way. Be present all the time, that is the message!
An awesome reflection Rod. Thank you for your inspiring sharing.
I can surely relate Rod, my walks with my dog are touched by magic from the moment I leave the house or they are a bit dull, sometimes grey and void of the magic that I am and am part of.
I notice connection between how I feel to how everything around looks like. When I feel great-everything looks great. When I feel not so great-I might not even see things/people nor appreciate and admire their beauty. Knowing that everything around is reflecting how we are with ourselves we can stop, look at our choices and change them. Thank you, Rod, for your beautiful expression
So very true Rod, I have experienced both sides of what you describe, when the willingness and openness to experience life is there what is on offer is always more and always enjoyable, contrast this to when I am shut off or absorbed in my own problems and life becomes a struggle it need not be.
Beautiful Rod what a great reflection and honesty and I too find the same and yes it all comes down to me and how connected I am as to the depth and joy of what I experience in my day and is espcially highlighted by nature and people .It is an amazing beautiful sparkling day today and the joy around is infectious in the tenderness and wisdom it is offering and I am feeling and how I started my day and honoured it with a sunny walk and came in to find your beautiful Blog waiting for me.Thank you
‘the magic of nature and the glory within people is always there – but sometimes I’m not’. A beautiful reminder Rod and an absolute delight to read.
Yes a very beautiful sentence Jacq, a lovely reminder to us that the glory and magic is always there, sometimes we have closed ourselves down to it. All Rod’s playfulness and joy can be felt in his words and they are a great reminder to stay open to the day and all we meet as we journey through it.
Gorgeously playful and a delight to read – the world is so animated in what you describe Rod. Leaves waving and clouds dancing, theres a sense of the song of life and the harmony of God. I can only agree that this sweet sound and melody is actually always there when we are truly present in life.
I walk in our local park with our dog most mornings and I also find this a great time to see how connected i feel to the nature around me as it is a great reflection of my connection to myself. Sometimes the birds sound like they are in stereo, and the smells are sharp and distinct and I notice and am interested in the people I pass. Other times I can be busy in my head disconnected from everything and everyone. I use this time to check in. If I feel disconnected and sometimes it can be half the walk before I truly notice how disconnected I am. Then I can begin the process of reconnecting, and feeling why it is that I chose to disconnect in the first place. Like Rod – Serge Benhayon’s presentations at Universal Medicine events have shown me how I can open my eyes and my heart to all that is around me (and beyond) and simply reconnect.
Awesome Nicole, it is amazing how nature can be in stereo so to speak, when we tune in, and it is only our decision to not be aware that tunes it back out again.
A walk in the park! I love it! You have encouraged me to look at why I experience the days as I do. Thank you.
So beautiful to read how you being present with yourself enables you to be with, and to appreciate, Nature and people in such an intimate and glorious way, Rod. Gorgeous. My dog loves that another dog made it into the blogs!
The most simple and beautiful things in life are all free! It never ceases to amaze me.
Can agree with everything you have said here Rod, and you have written it so beautifully!
Rod your observation is so true … the magic is all around us when we are present and not preoccupied in our heads … and I bet that cute Ralph is wagging his tail every walk without fail, never missing a moment!
Note to self… don’t think experience….that one goes straight to the pool room wall Rod… golden.
Love that note to self and the sentence about leaving aside the brain bashing – I have found brain bashing can become a familiar mental activity and can take me out in a seductive and cunning way, it usually involves over emphasizing a problem or issue to justify the investment in the distraction. Sometimes brain bashing can be disguised as ‘nutting things out’ or ‘figuring something out’ and similar to indulging in ice cream or chocolate for the numbing effect. Thanks Rod for bringing awareness to this and the great tip that runs through this blog how the whole world changes when we choose to connect.
Deanne…I can really relate to what you say and I had never really paused to consider before that ‘brain bashing’ has a numbing affect. But that makes so much sense because I feel that mental activity can become quite addictive, much more so than sugar. And what affect do addictions have on us…they numb us and as a result we become more separated from our bodies and our Soul.
‘Brain bashing’ is insidious and still a default position that I can find I readily drop back into.
But, fortunately Universal Medicine have provided us with very practical ‘tools’ we can adopt to strengthen our connection to ourselves, people and all that is around us. And through that connection we find that the answers are there…without having to go through all of that mental anguish.
Wow Rod, what a gorgeous blog. Nature doesn’t turn on or off, I love that sentence. So then it is us, who turn that switch. And the beautiful thing is, in every moment we have the choice to be ‘ON’, in other words, to be open, connected, eyes and heart wide open and to just be with whatever is there. Thank you, I am so ON today!
Love that Mariette; ‘in every moment we have the choice to be ‘ON’, in other words, to be open, connected, eyes and heart wide open and to just be with whatever is there’.
Thanks Rod for opening up this discussion, it is a fascinating topic and one that we shall come to understand fully in time. I feel that it is not only about whether or not we are disconnected and in our head or beautifully connected but also about the nature of our thoughts. If I am walking along thinking that life is crap then what I see will reinforce my thoughts. It feels very much like each of us is the centre of The Universe. Our view creates our reality and if we could see another’s view of the same scene I think we would be flabbergasted at the huge range of interpretations.
Alexis, you bring up an interesting ‘viewpoint’ about how we can view a scene yet have so many different interpretations. We also see how people can be offended because someone has a different point of view to theirs (we even see that amongst different religious groups).
So perhaps we can ask: Are our viewpoints of a scene, people and the world around us affected by our connection? And is it possible that by being connected, our interpretations of the world would be consistent? And if so…what affect would that have on the world?
You have put something I didn’t think you could put into words – into words – marvellous! This blog makes me truly appreciate the way Universal Medicine and Serge Benhayon have supported me to open my eyes and my heart and begin to appreciate the world around me. I am reminded that it is easy to connect with god through the everyday miracles all around us.
A gorgeous reflection to share with us Rod. I love the days when I am feeling so still and somehow uncluttered, when I can’t help noticing how nature is turning on so much colour. The greens are so vibrant they are glowing, the sky looks unbelievable and every little bug or animal that flutters or flurries by me has my total respect. These moments are the magic we live in every day – if we take the time to notice.
I really enjoyed this walk with you Rob! There is so much colour in connection – why choose anything less? A sweet reminder of the divinity at play always… some days I forget to remember, thank you.
This is so lovely Rod I could feel myself walking in the park with you. How true it is the more we are with ourselves the more nature speaks and we appreciate the beauty of life. A lovely remind to stop, feel then see how I am truly viewing life.
Love your blog Rod, so well expressed, I felt I was there with you enjoying your openness to the magic of God all around you (and me).
In the same way as we often approach nature itself, wanting to give us a delightful experience, we are also caught up with what the weather will be and what the day is like and we give all our power away to it, instead of accepting it is just weather, and however it is we can respond appropriately. The longing for something to be beautiful for us comes when we are not feeling beautiful in ourselves, and we are responsible for tarnishing our own experience of it. So simple, and thank you Rod for the story of your walk that makes it so clear what happens.
Love it Rod, this is sooo true.
So true and so divine Rod. The times I can be somewhere and not notice what is happening around me because of some crazy preoccupation in the mind that’s completely blocking my feelings. I love the way I felt drawn into the blog at the beginning to realise as you did that ‘hang on, it’s always there, but my choice whether to see it or not”. The magic of God and the glory of people is all around always for us to choose to see.
Reading this I felt cruising around the parks and beach and malls. One thing I found in common is Connection with me from inside and then projecting it outside. Then breathing in and out through my expression and the whole world seems to be beautiful the way it should be. Thank you Rod.
Thank you Rod for the beautiful revelation that ‘everything’ around me is always a reflection of where I am at. So now I have no need for the bathroom mirror to ‘see’ what state I am in.
Aahh yes Andrew, yet sometimes it’s nice to look into the bathroom mirror as it reflects back exquisite beauty, love and tenderness (and a big smile).
I just loved this blog too Rod. Your expression is alive and your joy at taking responsibility for how and what we experience is infectious. I smiled and smiled some more!
Super cool. A great blog and a friendly reminder to always take responsibility for where I’m at.
What a beautiful walk in the park – thank you Rod mmm. I find when I walk out in nature if I am or am not seeing, feeling all that is around me this is a marker to where I am at in myself. I am learning the key though is to maintain this openness and awareness in all areas of my life, not just out in nature.
I love the simplicity of this Rod, the simple responsibility to come back and communicate with ourselves and ask the questions of where we are at.. I too experience the wonder and magic of nature in my day and I am aware of the beauty in the smallest details when I accept and celebrate this wonder and magic within my very self first.
A great post Rod, thankyou. “When I’m in my head thinking, focussed on something I have to do in the future, or trying to fix a problem or solve some sort of issue, then nature and people fade away into the background. However the magic of nature and the glory within people is always there – but sometimes I’m not.” Appreciating nature is so easy when I am connected with myself and my day flows. Feeling – from my body – not thinking, is the way.
I love the way you write, Rod, there is such a light and gentle touch to it, and yet at the same time there is plenty to ponder on. Life does seem to be all about how we choose to experience it – either as something to control or something we can allow to unfold in a way that is natural and flowing.
Rod, I just love this. It really is down to us, and how clearly you put it, experience not think – there’s such an openness in that and of course with that openness there’s the possibility that we will see another way. With thinking we’re locked in on the issue and therefore likely to just regurgitate something we’ve done previously and it’s from the head, not the body, whereas experience that feels like a gateway, a way to keep us centre of our own experience and to feel life from the inside out – I love that. I feel the playfulness of being a child when I consider this, thank you.
When I am caught in my brainbashing, for sure things will happen like I bump into someone or the lid of my daycream box will fall on the ground under the washing machine, or I don’t know what to wear, all signs to come back to my connection. Actually very simple as well, just have to listen to those signs.
Thanks Rod great blog. I can really relate to your sense of wonder and appreciation of nature and how it can all so easily be missed if I am distracted by a problem or unsolved dilemma. I really like how you put it when you said, that the answer to a problem always comes along at the right time when we are connected to ourselves so why waste time brain bashing? Spot on and a great reminder for me.
Wow this is beautiful Rod, ‘So why waste all of that time brain bashing rather than simply enjoy what is presented to me, wherever I am?’ such a great simple and true article, I have the same experiences, if I’m feeling connected to me and feeling amazing then everything and everyone around me feels amazing too, if I’m feeling disconnected then I can not notice the absolute beauty of nature and people.
What a gorgeous blog! I could feel your joy and appreciation of nature and the people around you. Being in my head is a sure fire killer of joy. Note to self – feel and don’t think. Sounds simple!
What a Pure Joy to read this blog Rod. It’s like a birthday present:-) (on my actual birthday today). I love the way you’ve writte this blog Rod, very light, very ‘taken me on the experience’, very relatable, very humerous. Wow, what a great example of Divine learning. Seriousness about a subject, but very light in the way it’s presented. Thank you Rod for the inspiration.
Birthday greetings Floris…and I’m delighted to share a present with you. I guess every day is like a joyful birthday when we’re connected to all that is around us.
What you have shared is so true, when we are in our heads we miss so much of nature, ourselves and others.
I do find this article a joy to read. “So the next time I go for a walk, my experience will be a reflection of where I’m at. If it’s not amazing then the only person responsible will be the one who looks back at me from a mirror.” This is such a powerful statement.
I agree! It makes me realise how much of the time I am in my head. Definitely looking forward to seeing more birds, and the glory in people’s eyes – because I choose to see it.
Well said Rod. Love your lightheartedness and love for yourself in noticing where you are – here? or there? in your heart? or in your head? Awesome!
Great reflection for us all Rod. I have noticed that when the head thing is going on, that I miss my stop of the train going to work or miss the turn when driving. The more I am with myself the easier it gets for me to come back when brain kicks in and everything else around me is lost.
Awesome Blog Rod, you have taken a walk in the park, and everywhere else, for that matter, to a whole new level. There’s no escaping our own responsibility on how we go about in our day – “It’s up to us as to how we experience people.” Thank you for the inspiration to stay open and ” ‘don’t think – experience’ “.
“Mmmm. . . after due consideration, I am afraid there is nothing or no one else I can blame it on. It all has to do with me.” – strong point here! Facing my choices, my responsibility about all what happen in my life is sometimes quite uncomfortable…but also the only way to enjoy life in full.
Awesome Rod, so powerful, so simple, I can feel the space and openness within me from just reading your blog.
A great inspirational reminder thank you Rod. So true.
Thank you. We have all had that experience I feel. Sometimes nature jumps out at us and other times it doesn’t. It’s just our truth and clarity which determines the apparent oscillation between the two.
I guess the trick is to be able to build on those moments of clarity – somewhat like adding more stepping stones across a pond – until eventually, through our loving choices, we are able to walk solidly in presence throughout each day.
Thank you Rod for showing us that there is more to life than only what we see, and that we can also take responsibility for what we perceive is going on around us.
Beautiful Rod! Through Universal Medicine and Serge Benhayon we got a greater awareness of ourselves and of the importance of our choices. Thanks to them we got a greater awareness of how things in life reflect us back where we are. Both, and a greater understanding of how things fit together in the big picture. Not a bad package!
Hear, Hear!
Your bang on the money Rod – or you have hit the jack pot! This is such a simple yet profound sharing and it really is that simple. Life is in our hands and hearts being open.
Awesome sharing! I totally agree.
“So the next time I go for a walk, my experience will be a reflection of where I’m at. If it’s not amazing then the only person responsible will be the one who looks back at me from a mirror.”
Oh this is all so true Rod. I often go for a walk around the gardens near my work place and I notice how some days it can take a few minutes for me to really see and feel the magic that is all around me. These are the days I know I’ve been stuck in my head at work and not as connected to my body as is possible. I notice on returning to work that I feel more connected to me and work feels lighter and simpler. I now deeply appreciate the reflections of nature as reflections of me.
What a glorious article. I felt I was with you in all the experiences you shared. I have certainly felt the difference between the moments that are alive and vibrant and those that are distant and not so welcoming. It is great to know that it is I who brings on this difference by how I am in the moment, which means I have the power to affect it.
It’s a beautiful blog and gives great reflection of how we as human beings change our way of being. I very much can relate to this and I love the words: ‘Don’t think- experience.’
Rod this is a lovely reminder of how much I can miss out on when I am locked up in my head thinking, rather than just experiencing what is there to be seen and felt. The way you described your walk in the park was beautiful.
I love the simplicity of what you have written here Rod. It really does boil down to how we are feeling within ourselves as to how we experience life. I have certainly found that.
I also love the simplicity Elizabeth. The simplicity of Rods sharing really makes the blog.
Great blog Rod. It’s amazing what we can observe when we get out and about, if we choose to. I noticed yesterday as I was walking I was on more of a mission that I normally am as I was taking a different route in my walk. I realised this and stopped and was captured by the absolute beauty of the river I walk along and how this absolute beauty is always there, non stop, always giving her all. I feel we can learn so much through nature if only we took the time with nature that nature takes with us.
So true Rod, nature and people around are all there to tell us how beautiful we actually are if we are open to meet it. Thank you for presenting your joy and playfulness in this blog.
Very true, what do we bring to the table and how does this affect what we see and experience.
Absolutely beautiful Rod. I can really feel the difference between those two ways of experiencing and relating with the world – the expansive and magnificent days and those ‘ordinary’, slightly shrunken days – and your writing really conveys this. It is so true, the responsibility is ours. We cannot blame it on anything out there – even the so-called testing times. Just be with it and embrace what comes and joy is always there, in some form or another. Thanks for the great blog.
Also, on the subject of ‘brain bashing’, I have mastered dramatising my attempted morning walks. I can feel my body just wanting to get outside and walk up the street and greet the day. My body knows it’s a simple move, ‘just walk outside Rachael, you live in paradise’… However, my mind has other plans.
‘What will you wear? Where can you walk? There is mosquitoes out there! My shoes are in the car’ etc… After all the mental fuss I have run out of time to actually walk!
Your blog has inspired me Rod to just walk and feel what is on offer and the living pulse of life within and without me. All the drama doesn’t matter and is only there to complicate a very simple and highly beneficial experience. Note to self; just walk.
Rachael, I love how you expose the drama and mental dialogue the mind can bring and can take up so much precious time to keep us away from supportingthe simplicity of being present with ourselves and the beauty of nature –
‘What will you wear? Where can you walk? There is mosquitoes out there! My shoes are in the car’ etc… After all the mental fuss I have run out of time to actually walk!
So splendid to read and share your joy Rod. Love your ‘note to self’ addition!
It’s so true, nature doesn’t turn off – it is a constant – like the love in our inner-hearts and the stillness and grace in our bodies. They are always there, ready and waiting to be connected to and divinely expressed. It’s all in us, if we choose to feel and be with ourselves.
I like your ‘don’t think experience’ .. I’m going to give it a try!
Your descriptions made me feel like I was there walking with you Rod, thankyou for inviting us along with you on your walks and for the gentle reminder. 🙂
Thanks for joining me Laura. Now wouldn’t it be cool if all of the people commenting on this blog (and anyone else who feels inclined) got together for a walk at a park and then we strolled through a shopping mall. How would that feel? Pretty amazing I’d say. Yet by connecting to our bodies and being open, we can experience that…wherever we are.
I love this Rod – I like how you have brought it back to you instead of ‘blaming’ the outside
Rod I could feel the divine openess and joy throughout your blog. It is so true if I’m with myself and open so many wonderful things happen around me.
Beautiful Rod. How truly beautiful it is to truly connect with everything and everyone and see beauty everywhere. Everywhere. For that is within us all.
Hi Rod, thank you, what a joy-full reminder that nature reflects everything back to us
Thank you Rod – what a beautiful perspective. This is taking responsibility to a new level. Nature is there to offer us a reflection. If the birds are not singing the reflection may be that we are not signing in our heart. The more we are in the present and open to what is there, the more we will see and hear.
Thank you, Rod. A beautiful reminder. “Nature doesn’t turn on or off” – hadn’t thought about it like that. So true, where I am at with myself defines how I experience nature, people all around me.
Thanks Rod – a great Blog – and exactly what I’ve noticed working in the city. Sometimes the city/people/shops/cars etc. just feel like they flow around me, other times it feels like it is all against me. I used to wonder what was going on ‘out there’ to make the city seem hectic but now I realise it isn’t what’s ‘out there’ that changes, it’s what’s inside that changes. The more constant and connected I am with myself the more fluid and flowing the city feels. It too can be a walk in the park.
This is a great comment Frank. I’m pleased you added your reflections of the city, an environment that we might see as chaotic. But here again is the common denominator – the way we experience life is up to us.
I love your last sentences: “The more constant and connected I am with myself the more fluid and flowing the city feels. It too can be a walk in the park.”
Rod I love your descriptive post, you capture everything so well that I’m there with you, enjoying. Is true – the reflections we see and experience in nature, people and life show us ourselves and the way you’ve described this beauty, is beauty itself.
You are onto it Rod. Such a lovely read. The basis of everything is the connection first and how much we allow ourselves to feel what is around. Like a radio, do we tune into only one wavelength (station) or tune into the whole spectrum and let it all in.
Love the analogy Matthew.
I wonder what radio station the joggers are tuned into through their ear phones.
A divine walk in the park indeed – and as you so aptly describe, always available and always on offer, if we are present with ourselves and open to the magic of it. Nature and other people don’t actually take a break, but it is us who check out.
Thanks Rod for this vivid display of the reflections all around us that are simply there – to connect to their messages, or not, is simply my choice in every moment.
I so enjoyed reading your article Rod. How could one read it and not feel the light-heartedness and playfullness of your expression. I agree the joy felt in nature is always there and the magic of God is always present if we but take that moment and use our developing awareness to connect to it in full. When you think about it Ralph (the little dog) would never go into his head and be worrying about what may have to dealt with in some point in the future, or why such and such occurred yesterday – just purely enjoying the fact of being.
What an enjoyable blog, Rod. I was with you every step of the way. In a lighthearted way you have exposed how much we miss out on in life when we try and figure it out in our minds, and how crazy that really is, as the magic is so clearly there all of the time.
Rod what a great blog! It is so joyful – thanks for the reminder.
I loved reading your blog Rod, nature has an amazing way of showing us where we really are. I know when I am preoccupied with my thoughts and I go for a walk I am aware of very little other than what is in front of me. When I walk with nature, it becomes 3D, it jumps out at me and everything is more pronounced and clear, I hear the birds singing, the rustle of the leaves, the colours and I am aware of how I walk, the steps I make, everything comes alive. Thank you Rod for this beautiful reminder.
Beautiful Rod, its so true. How life feels to us each definitely hinges on how open and aware we choose to be when we step out of the door. This is a great reminder to stop trying to find a reason why and just come back to the simplicity of being, observing and appreciating all the magic just sitting there waiting to be seen.
How gorgeous, Rod. Thank you. I relate to your revelation so well and find it truly inspiring. “the magic of nature and the glory within people is always there – but sometimes I’m not.” So true.
So beautiful Rod, I love your expression here. What you say is so true, it is the connection to ourselves which then shows us how the world is around us.
Great blog Rod, it’s a lesson in not trying, and allowing ourselves to experience what is being offered to us.
So apt Harry. 🙂
A fantastic reminder of the joys of celebrating the love that we truly are and all that is reflected back to us. Such a beautiful sharing Rod thank you.
Thank you Rod for reminding us that divinity lives inside of us and that we are divine, always!
Rod that’s really beautiful – thank you for sharing. The body is so much more glorious to be in than the head. To feel life in that way everyday surely is the ultimate in Joy!
What a beautiful read, thank you Rod, I really enjoy your exploration of nature and how it reflects back to us where we’re at; if we’re present with ourselves or if we-re in our head, going through the park unaware of the magic around us.
I love your blog, both what & how you shared. It is so fun & descriptive – I could ‘see’ the park that you describe (& Ralph sharing his ‘scent’). At the same time your message is huge: we have to take responsibility for EVERYTHING that we do, say & think, & we should stop living in our head & experience the beauty of nature & people. What an amazing way to choose to live life.
Thank you for the reminder that all the beauty around us hasn’t gone anywhere, it’s us that can at times retreat into the (what it feels like to me at times) depths of our head. There is so much to experience and enjoy that I am missing out on but need not miss out at all.
Your blog just makes a lot of sense Rod. Your sentence “Could it possibly have something to do with me?” just did it for me, yes how everything is around me has all do to with me and is not mere coincidence!
Thank you so much Rod for such a fabulous blog. I love it. I so love being in nature, but can so relate to what you say about how one experiences it from time to time. Yes, I tend to go into my head so much, makes me realise how much I miss at times when I am within nature. Being out in nature offers such an opportunity to just be with myself, needing to do nothing, but just be, making a time now in my diary to spend some me time down by the beach for a while today. Thank you for the reminder.
A Beautiful blog Rod…..one I shall reflect on often to remind me to check in and ask the question……am I thinking or experiencing? My walks will never be the same again. Thank you.
Dear Rod, I loved reading your story of how the world around you appears when you are truly connected. I have loved learning that everything is a reflection of how we feel and therefore we have so much more control over the outcome of all our days. You express beautifully.
A great sharing Rod, the open heart and connected self brings the same connection back, whilst the in head one can leave us flat or closed off, disconnected to what the world and nature have to offer.
So well said! I have definitely experienced this before, but never really considered that I may be the keeper of the magic key to the experience….much to ponder!
‘The magic of nature and the glory within people is always there – but sometimes I’m not.’ Beautifully said, Rod, you’ve pointed out how simple it really is to connect. Yet when the sun goes behind the clouds how often do we forget it is still there and focus on the clouds that cover it?
Ah yes Sandra, and when we return from our joy-filled walks to our home or workplace, do we carry that joy throughout the day?
Rod, I can so relate to this. When I am focussed on getting things done and all that I have to ‘do’ in life I miss all that is around me. Often my dog or my daughter will remind me as they point out (in their own different ways) what it is that they are noticing. These moments are a reminder to me that while there are things to do in life, if I am just focussed on that and not connected to myself first then I miss all that is on offer – ‘the magic of nature and the glory within people ‘.
Thank you for sharing yours (and Ralph’s 487) experiences in connecting with nature. I dog walk most days and somedays I am so connected with both the environment and my dog Nyx, I see the beauty in all types of weather- from the rain clearing to the still early mornings. But I too have moments where I do not appreciate all that is on offer and sometimes I can be in my head thinking, meaning I miss out on the amazing connection I share with my dog and nature (and therefore all of humanity!)
A fabulous reminder Rod, on how we can experience the true wonder of nature, if we choose to open up and connect to ourselves first. The irony is, that the Magic of God has been there all the time, right under our noses, and I am only just beginning to appreciate it. As of yet, I don’t feel that we can fathom our true power, it’s awesome, and I’m sure we don’t realise yet, just how awesome we all are.
As for Ralph, I am sure he experiences the Magic of God every time he goes for a walk…. dogs are like children, they seem to embrace every moment naturally.
I love your blog Rod and your comment Sandra. I have been walking dogs all my life. For ten dogs and thousands of walks and I have been experiencing the Magic of God on and off for nearly sixty five years. What Serge Benhayon, Universal Medicine, Rod, Sanda and all these comments this morning are teaching me is to be aware of the Magic of God every day, all the time. Thank you.
Thanks Rod for reminding me that the gift is always on offer. It’s just up to me to accept it. Do I choose to see the pollution or the divine background the pollution has arisen in?
Beautiful sharing Rod ,when we are there we are there and when we are not we are not
Great point Rod sometimes we’re pretty quick to blame others for our experiences and not look at what were bringing to “the park” so to speak it’s like an on off switch we have, thinking we should superglue it to the on setting
Aha…the antidote to superglue: presence!
So awesome Rod. What you shared with all of us is so true. I know if I don’t allow myself to be overcome with the trivia of live I too can share in this connection. It is very special to have that connection but at the same time it is also part of our every day.
I agree Rod (and love your prose) being in my head and thoughts shuts me out of the wondrous connections with people and nature.
So fun and fresh Rod, thank you for great awareness of where and how we can observe ourselves. Particular connected to each experience as it presents is Ralph: he has no problem enjoying being in every moment.
Sandra, maybe there is something in the expression ‘it’s a dog’s life’
“It’s up to us as to how we experience people” – that sentence blew me out of the park! So true Rod and it is through being connected to Serge & Universal Medicine that I am re-claiming that because it is SO SO SO different to what is being presented/reflected in the rest of the world. It IS up to us how we experience people. And I am re-connecting to how much love I have for people and since re-connecting to that, love reflects much more back to me. Pretty cool heh.
I love the playfulness in your blog Rod and also the truth of how it is all up to us what we reflect to the world. Some days at the shopping center I notice people lighting up like lights as they reflect me back to me.
Rod that was a joy to read, a great reminder that nature is speaking all the time if we choose to listen.
Great blog Rod, the thing you describe is very familiar. After reading your blog I can feel how much I miss when I am only thinking about everything and not really experiencing what is around me, thank you for this inspiration.
Rod – you have really reminded me of something I have been letting slip – just staying with me and using my senses to notice what is right there in the moment. Sometimes when I walk I am so locked in my thoughts that I have very little connection to what is being offered around me and I lose the appreciation of the moment. It makes such a difference when I stay present and notice the details and can’t help but respond accordingly. There is always something divine waiting for me and it is thanks to Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine that my eyes have been re-opened.
Helen, I can relate to all you say. I also become “so locked into my thoughts” that I am not aware of what is around me. But when I am connected, wow, the magic, especially when I am out in Nature, but also just walking down the shopping mall.
Thank you I so enjoyed my walk in the park with you. It reminded me of how there are so many ways to explain things, and how we can look to the runes or the tarot, the i-ching or the pendulum – there are so many ‘divining’ tools to tell us what is going on when we are the greatest divining tool of all time.
I love your comment Elain, especially “we are the greatest divining tool of all time”. So unto themselves is the dog, the birds, the flies, the ants the trees and every form in nature.
Lovely Nick, yes – how amazing if we choose to connect to nature. I just sent out an email for celebration of my birthday and while I was typing I heard the joy of the birds partying outside…
So true Rod, life is constantly reflecting back to us. A lovely way to remind us where we are at with ourselves and how open we are to letting the world in.
Yes Victoria, nature is a true marker of where we are at with ourselves.
Beautiful expression Rod. A ‘walk in the park’ when I am connected with my body, can bring great joy, magic and a feeling of true connection with the world. A ‘walk in the park’ when I am in my head is just something I do.
It is up to me to choose what the quality of my ‘walk’ in life will offer. When I choose to be truly present, the birds really do sing! 🙂
I agree, a walk can either be a time for me to completely focus on myself and get really holed up inside my own head, or it can be a chance to enjoy the sun set or sun rise, the clouds or colour of the sky, the trees and the birds and the wind, all these things that I would otherwise miss and that often can actually be what helps me to realise what ever is going on for me is not as big or bad as it may seem
When it is all about me, whether walking or at the shops I don’t seem to see or connect to anything but when I am aware of the world being more than what’s happening for me it opens up and I get to see and experience so much more. I’m looking forward to my morning walk this morning!
Your blog brings a smile to my face and an appreciation of what is reflected back when we are with ourself and just feel and observe the beauty all around us. Thank you Rod, it is a beautiful read
Having just “experienced” your walk in the park Rod I almost feel I have been on my walk in the park already this morning! You have opened my eyes to understanding how I feel on some days when there seems to either be a beautiful magic of God day or one where I don’t seem to connect with other walkers and joggers at all, so it is me after all. “Don’t think- experience” feels so right. With Thanks.
I can relate to what you say Roslyn. I remember saying to my wife a while back that the very early walkers/joggers were not as friendly as those later on. Mmmm…who was I kidding?
It is all so simple really isn’t it, everything around us is there to support us, we only have to be present and then be open to what is reflected back. Thanks Rod and thanks to Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine for holding such a steady reflection.
Beautiful Rod. I have experienced the same thing, life is truly amazing and nature is always speaking to us, as long as we stop and allow ourselves to feel all that is being shared.
Oh how much I miss when I am too busy to stop.
I loved reading this Rod. I can relate to going to the mind to find a solution and then everything else gets pushed to the background, but when I am connected the problems are not so important.
So true and so in your face. I often find that when I get home from a walk I realised that I’ve missed the whole thing as I chose to stay in my head instead of being with me.
Hello Rod, this blog is no walk in the park…
It is great to see what you are saying here, appreciation for the moments and not wandering off into something else. We have it all in a moment if we would only stop and appreciate it. We often think to far ahead or we are locked in something from the past. I have found the more I appreciate the moment the better I am prepared for what I step to next. What if that was to become a way to live? I love that you have taken us for a walk with you in this, thank you. There is never a bad time to be reminded to appreciate where you are at.
I like your comment Ray “the more I appreciate the moment the better I am prepared for what I step to next.” And through appreciation we can continue to build a series of moments throughout the day and allow the heady stuff to simply dissipate.
Your blog is very poetic, it’s beautiful and I know what you mean Rod in every detail. But sometimes the energy of some place or other is not really that lovely, and if I let that affects me, if I fall from feeling light and open into flat and closed off it is because I am reacting to what I am feeling.
What I have learned from Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine is how to ‘observe and not absorb’. This has been a huge revelation which like what you say, puts all the power back in to my own choices of how to be in the world and to interact with it and others. I am still experimenting with this but it’s pretty cool stuff!
That’s a good point Jeannette…because there are places that are not really that lovely (like shopping malls) and we don’t always have the accessibility of nature as a reflection. But through Universal Medicine I have realised that what we do have is a choice to connect with something within that is truly awesome, and in turn, that can support us to handle whatever life throws at us.
Rod what you have shared is also divine. It’s so easy to lose connection to the beauty in everything around us and in the people we meet and get caught up in thinking our way through life. This is a great reminder for me for my next walk and next issue that presents in understanding I have a choice to connect to the divinity that surrounds me!
Well said Sharon – I agree! How beautiful is it that regardless of where we’re at, nature doesn’t stop reflecting the divine, and it is simply a matter of opening our eyes and hearts in order to connect to this fact.
This is beautiful Rod and I can totally relate. If I’m caught in worries, preoccupations and strategies in my mind as to how to sort things out I’ve disconnected from everyone around me — and I get more worried! Whereas when I stay open and connected, the answer to whatever is needed is there.
Rod, this is amazing. What we see, experience and feel is our responsibility and I love how you have made this so clear.
Really well put Vicky – it clearly demonstrates how we cannot see ourselves as victims of circumstance.
Wow, Rod, what an amazing blog – with so many aspects to ponder on.
I can very much relate to what you say about the difference between thinking far to much and simply experiencing.
Since a few days ago I suddenly managed to let go of some old hurts and patterns, I just feel like springtime and could hug the world all day long.
What I noticed with some astonishment is that since I want to hug the world, the world suddenly seems to do the same and beautiful moments unfold where I never would have thought them to be possible.
Yes Michael, the more we let love out the more we can let love in and so the cycle goes – a never ending cycle of deepening. Thus it just flows naturally that when you “want to hug the world, the world suddenly seems to do the same and beautiful moments unfold”.
What a great reflection Michael. It appears that by opening ourselves up to the world we liberate ourselves. And by getting out of our minds, could this be the ultimate freedom?
I love the imagery in your writing Rod, thank you for your beautiful expression. I have definitely felt how being absorbed by my thoughts can keep me away from experiencing the moment at hand and the dullness this choice creates. I have also felt how beautiful and vibrant it is to experience the moment and be open with people….I am learning, without perfection… that I am responsible for how I am in every moment.
This was such fun to read, thank you Rod and very true. Everything is our reflection coming back to us.
I agree Rod we do often think far too much instead of just be and perceive. Thank you for the beautiful walk in the park.
I’ve had a similar experience Rod. I love the last line,” After all it’s not merely a walk in the park. It’s divine.”
That is so true Rod, when I connect and am in the moment, the anwsers to problems and issues come at the right moment, just as this blog.
Loved your walk in the park, Rod – was right there with you at every step. You are so right: “Nature doesn’t turn on or off – it’s there – a constant in our lives” and it is forever speaking to us in so many ways, bringing us endless messages. It’s how we are at that moment that will determine if we receive them or not. I have learned that truly being with me and allowing myself to see with the eyes of my heart opens me up to a world that is constantly beautiful and forever changing, and, then when nature speaks to me I am ready to hear.
I love your honesty here Rod. ‘The magic of nature and the glory within people is always there – but sometimes I’m not. This is so true. I can totally relate to what you write here. Too much brain bashing makes for a pretty dull outlook. Feel flat and the world is, feel connected and in the flow and all around me dances. As you say, if it’s not amazing then the only person responsible, will be me. Great piece and I giggled hearing that Ralph scents every tree (glad you held back there). Dogs hey, what a hoot.
I held back Candida…Ralph didn’t. And dogs – they are a hoot – and we’ve noticed how often they reflect their owners.
A beautiful blog Rod, I love your playful humour 🙂 I can completely relate to the way that a day can be completely different for no other reason than the way that I chose to look at it, and that therefor the way I experience life is completely up to me, either focusing on my own thoughts or focusing on the beauty that is around me and enjoying it.
What an empowering take on how we all can control how much connection and beauty we can have in our lives once we decide to drop the addiction to thinking our way through life, even when the thinking doesn’t really get us anywhere (especially when it is something out of our control at the moment, as in a future task to be completed). I have noticed that when I over-think things that have happened in the past or things I need to do in the future, I end up feeling racy and un-nerved, really just spinning in place. What you proposed here Rod is such a simple and easy way to live, just trusting our feelings moment to moment, and how that opens up our appreciation of each other and the wonder of the world around us.
Thank you Rod and Michael, to living in moments is truly inspiring!
You know Michael, we see research that’s saying that sugar is one of the most addictive substances. But after reading your comments, it occurred to me that ‘thinking’ is indeed more addictive. It is something that I have wrestled with for a long, long time. You mention to trust our feelings moment to moment. So simple, so liberating.
And as Greg says ‘living in moments is truly inspiring’.
“If it’s not amazing then the only person responsible will be the one who looks back at me from a mirror.” This is a fabulous observation Rod, some days can feel like there is an invisible wall between me and life and it is always me who has built that wall. I can’t help but keep picturing Ralph trotting around fully engaged with everything that is around him, feeling and noticing everything, appreciating nature and those 487 trees. What a great reminder he must be for you.
Thanks Jeanette – Ralph is a good reminder of presence for myself and my wife. Perhaps that’s what he’s here to teach us.
Rod this is such a meaningful blog for me-I can so relate to it. It is so easy to check out when out in nature and to not connect to what and who are around us. When I am truly feeling where I am I feel the magic of God everywhere- I notice the beautiful colours and contrasts of nature, a different coloured leaf lying on the ground, an avocado having fallen off the tree at my feet, the playfulness of my dog, the different terrain I am walking on and so much more.
I love this Rod. I walk every day in the country, and notice how the energy I am connected with that day makes such a difference to how I experience what is around me. I remember after my late husband died and I went into depression, the whole of the landscape seemed grey and flat and lifeless to me, and the ache in my heart was longing for it to give me some sort of comfort or fulfillment. Thanks to Universal Medicine those days are over now, and I no longer look to nature to give me something back, it can’t, nature is nature, and what I bring to it, either my own fulfillment or something less than that, will be a reflection of how I am. What a gift!
Thank you Joan; what a gift and inspiration you have given us by sharing your story.
I really enjoyed this walk in the park with you Rod! Really beautiful how you see the reflections in nature or a man made construct… Our choices are always with us and are reflected back to us all the time. I too am very grateful to have Serge Benhayon in my life to help me have this understanding.
So true Rod, thank you for pointing this out! I can so relate, when I’m ‘not there’ with people or in my surroundings, its all just ‘so so’, connections are more like small talk and glimpses of caring but when I’m fully me, not focusing on anything else in my head or what I need to do next and in the moment… there is magic everywhere, in every meeting with another or as you shared, so much appreciation for what nature so eloquently displays everyday. I love this line and will take it into my day – “If it’s not amazing then the only person responsible will be the one who looks back at me from a mirror.”
Hey Aimee…maybe that could be a great mirror sticker!
Rod what an inspiring story and great reflection – I felt like I was there in the park. It really brings home how much our day, week or month is all down to us and not being caught in the head or we miss the magic.
Brilliant example of what can occur when we choose to be either present or not in life. I have felt myself do this and still do, in fact I was talking about this experience, just this morning. “..the magic of nature and the glory within people is always there – but sometimes I’m not.” As you say “don’t think – experience”. Beautiful – Thank you.
Love how you write Rod. Such a lovely message delivered in a very playful way. I will take this to my day, thank you
I loved reading your article Rod, and the way you write about nature and your walk with Ralph. I know for example that even if it’s a grey day we don’t have to be in a grey mood to match .Its all down to us. It’s also revealing and a great reflection how people are towards us,depends on how we feel about ourselves. It is also my experience.
This happened to me only yesterday. Early morning, clear sky, sun just risen and that nip in the air that makes you aware of every breath. People walking towards me made eye contact, said, “Good morning”, and the prevailing comment about the weather was “Gorgeous!” And it was really just that. I felt uplifted, so much so that later I ate my lunch outside in the sunshine, and for the UK in February that was really something! Today, however, I was feeling stressed, my ankles did not want to co-operate, grey skies – and my usual walk took seemingly ages. People coming towards me didn’t give me a glance, straight past eyes down as though I wasn’ even there. What was it all about? I realised that I was in the wrong energy. Far from attracting people, I was putting them off, no ripples of good will! What a difference! Maybe I should have stayed at home??
Thanks Sheila, what I like about your comment is that it shows us what a gift it is to be able to reflect on other peoples ‘attitudes’ to provide us with a marker of where we’re at. Then we have a simple choice – to remain lost in thought, or, be present and open to the world around us. We can also choose to make that change instantly.
Thank you Rod I enjoyed very much reading your blog. The way you described the details of your walk in the park including your dog and especially how you described nature.
Rodney this is so gorgeous, and I can feel everything you experience. Yes, you’re spot on….. the beach, sand, water, the trees, birds and breeze, the people, smiles, daily life…they do recede into the background when we’re not present. The pulse of life is forever present within and all around us. I think…no.. I KNOW I’ve always felt this but didn’t trust myself to accept its truth. Finally, and once again, I’ve allowed myself to feel the abundance of the Love that is always there holding us in the dance of Life.
Wow -it was a true joy to walk through the park with you and a clear mind, Great experience – thank you Rod.
Thanks for joining me Lynda.
This is an awesome blog that nails it in one with the words, ‘It’s up to us as to how we experience people. Perhaps that lies at the heart of many of our problems: do we think far too much, rather than simply experience what is there before us?’
I too have found I’m either in the moment enjoying what it has to share with me or muddling along in my head oblivious to the nuances of life and living that are around me. It all boils down to what I choose for myself.
So True
I love this “Nature doesn’t turn on or off” – imagine if we all lived with this ? never shutting people out, never hiding who we are and never putting up a guard or protection, and instead being a constant reflection of the joyful, powerful and loving people we are.
Wise words Rod. Nature (and life) is always right there and its really a matter of whether I am lost in my mind or firmly in my body when I am with it.
Rod I loved this! What a blessing nature is, lovingly reflecting back where we are at, a never ending opportunity to wake up and evolve…
Ahh Rod, it’s like you wrote this just for me today. My new note to self is ‘Don’t think – Experience’. Thank you!
I loved that phrase Amelia. Don’t think, experience. Rod wrote so playfully about his experience in the park (487 trees? Gosh the dog must have been exhausted!) and so clearly, I could feel the breeze, smell the grass. Thank you Rod. Great experience.
Catherine, thankfully I don’t have to emulate what Ralph does.
It’s amazing how dogs have such short memories… what I mean is that no matter how bad things seem, even if the dog has a mean owner the dog’s always up for it, always ready to play to lick you to death, full of death. I could learn a lot from a dog.
Hey Dean, imagine what it would be like if humans greeted each other the same way that a dog greets us. Dogs don’t say…”Oohh I’ve had a bad day so leave me alone for a while” or “I’ll hold back because I’ve got an issue”. Nope dogs just go for it and show us they love us and miss us and say “Come and play we me now”.
Yep it could be quite comical seeing humans jumping up and down when they meet and licking each other’s face…but wouldn’t it be fun!
Yes very fun… a whole less serious too!
So true what you are sharing here Rod. I also experience the world as a direct reflection to how I choose to feel. It is amazing how powerful we are in our perceptions and what a difference we can make to our own lives and others!
What a beautiful blog – so simple, relevant and inspiring. I agree there is a depth of grace and learning and constant mirroring back to us of where we are at at any moment in time available to us all – to deeply connect to the world around us is key and a walk in the park when we are. When we connect, the world is shinier, brighter and can’t be denied and when we are not, we will not see its radiant Truth for the trees (487 was it?)
487? I may have missed a couple
Beautiful Rod. Yes I have found and experienced that there is a natural flow and rhythm to life. It is obvious when I am in it and a part of it because if my choices and way of being just as, it is obvious when I am not. I completely relate to all you have said.
Great blog Rod. Life most certainly reflects back what we are choosing whether we consciously realise it or not. Each moment, each minute, each hour, each day we have choices…and those choices come back to greet us full circle. Universal Medicine has been a great catalyst in showing me how powerful my choices are and how amazing life can be when lived from an open heart. And when I take a walk in the park with my heart wide open, what an amazing walk and experience I have found this to be.
I smiled when I read your article, yes choose how we view the world.
Life is always more pleasant the more connected we are with ourselves. Nature is always beautiful and a lovely marker for us.
Dear Rod, your writing is so very beautiful and so very profound. How much do we miss when we are in our heads? I am just beginning to feel just how much I have missed. You are so right nature and people are always there, but are we? This so beautifully exposes just how busy we can let our heads get and just how far away from the present we allow this behaviour to take us. I so love the feeling of being with my body and being present with what I am doing. I also so love your clear message that it is a choice to either let the business of our heads take us away or to stop this behaviour and allow ourselves to be fully present, full of light and love for all to see. Even us when we look in the mirror.
I agree Leigh, ‘I so love the feeling of being with my body and being present with what I am doing’, and yes it is a choice to be busy in our heads and so disconnected from ourselves and others, or to stop this behaviour and allow ourselves to be fully present.
Fantastic Rod, you’ve shared & expressed so beautifully. I love nature too & often feel into my relationship with it. It can be my marker for my connection & stillness while always reminding me of all the beauty & glory of being simply me as it’s reflected back to me everyday. And my dog loves the walk too 🙂
Very beautiful Rod – I love how you write in a lyrical, whimsical and humorous way plus what you state makes every sense in my experience. When I show up it’s all there to meet me, in fact it never wavers, I do, by taking a leave of absence from presence….
Thank you Alan. Love your comment ‘by taking a leave of absence from presence’. Yet why do we do so when it is all there for us? Mmmm…it really is time for me to obliterate my outdated default switch.
Beautiful blog Rod, it is absolutely true…if life is flat, dull or boring, there is nobody to blame but your self! I once needed a constant flow of things to do, or entertaining things to watch, or yummy things to eat in order for life to feel it was somehow alive. Now, I just need to be connected with myself and true to that… and what would once have been infinitely boring, comes to life. And yes, it’s thanks to Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine that I know exactly how to flick the switch between the two, and for that I too I am deeply thankful. Receiving one of the fundamental keys to living a truly enriched life is not something that comes along every day.
Oh there’s gold in your last sentence Jenny. How fortunate is the world to have access to that switch you refer to, thanks to Serge Benhayon.
‘Receiving is one of the fundamental keys to living a truly enriched life and is not something that comes along every day’. I too Jenny, am so grateful to Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine to have shown me that there is another way.
I have experienced this Rod when you feel flat the world is flat, 2-D. Letting people in illuminates and deepens all your interactions.
Yes I agree Rebecca. When I let people in and really choose to be here I feel alive and all around me is interacting. I am truly in the world and feel wonder.
What a great blog reminding me it’s me who can choose to get out of my head and connect to being in the world when what I’m seeing is dull and flat and not vibrant and alive.
And Rebecca, isn’t 2-D is sooo last century? Now it’s about 6-D…and loving it!
This is so true, I just was walking around our pond forest that is now in the middle of winter, and I was just appreciating the beauty of the landscape and remembered this time last year I couldn’t see the beauty all I could see was that it was not the intense colours of NZ in the summer where I had been visiting. I literally could not see any beauty. I was laughing at myself and my limited perception at the time, this year when I got back from a visit I was 100% happy to be back in london in winter, nothing has changed about the location but a whole lot has changed about how I feel about myself and appreciating myself much more, hence I am no longer limited in my perception of what is around me.
Vanessa, you have clearly shown us that the way we view the world is a direct reflection of the way we view and appreciate ourselves. This is a wonderful example of what Serge Benhayon has been presenting for 16 years on self love…and why.
Well expressed Vanessa, I can relate to this too – how we see and feel things so differently when we connect to ourselves everything is viewed differently –
“a whole lot has changed about how I feel about myself and appreciating myself much more, hence I am no longer limited in my perception of what is around me”.
We have recently adopted a dog so I could really relate to what you shared and love the simplicity in how you write, that it really is our choice in how we see things, it is our perception.
That’s great Rosie…take a counter with you to clock the number of greetings your dog makes to trees, bushes, bits of grass and anything else he/she wants to connect to. But then again…you’ll probably be too connected to the glory around you to be worried about that.