Be Astonished
I could write 700 entries about Mary Oliver, she is my patron saint of appreciation of nature.
“Instructions for living a life: Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.” - Mary Oliver
Oh how I love Mary Oliver. She has so many beautiful poems and offerings about the natural world and our place in it. She encourages us to be fully alive to ourselves and everything around us, emphasizing that indeed that is our only true calling.
Reading Mary Oliver takes me back to the summers of my childhood when my family traveled all over the western states camping and spending weeks at a time in nature. My days were filled with long walks with my dog, wild imagination, and having only the trees, streams, rocks, and plants as companions. A true lesson in the gift of presence.
Today, may we honor Mary and ourselves by paying attention and being astonished.
When you wake, decide to spend the day in full attention to your life. Decide to be present to everything, but more importantly, allow yourself to be astonished and to come alive with all of it. Start right from your bed, and notice one thing that is astonishing. Smile as you honor yourself with your attention.
Move through your day with presence. Make sure you are stopping at least once an hour to be astonished at something or someone.
At the end of the day, write down, or share with your family at least 3 things that astonished you today. Invite them to share their astonishments with you as well.
How do your feelings about the day change when you are paying attention and seeking astonishment? How does your nervous system feel? How does your sense of well being change?