Awaken! from jadedness 2

7 Feb 2013

A friend told me she liked the term 'jaded' in my last post on the dancing fishes. Why jaded? I have been walking along the Lam Tsuen River over the years; afterall, it is the usual path of my two-hour evening walks whenever the weather permits. Did I as much as look into the river? or notice the herons flying by? No. I would walk on automatic mode, oblivious to my surroundings, lost in my thoughts, my mind far away.

That was when I was still working. My job took me round the world, but more frequently around the Asia-Pacific region. So if I was not travelling, I would be in front of my computer, writing reports, gathering data, producing graphic representations for the next management meeting; or projecting sales volume and revenue. Then there was the daily grind of emails that needed to be addressed. The technology world has put us on the fast lane. People expect instantaneous response. Needless to say, I was on fifth gear all the time, zooming through each day and doing the things that needed to be done. Soon, without me knowing, I became jaded to the wonders of this natural world. 

Since I stopped work last year, I  have learnt to slow down. I become more aware of the people around me and my surroundings; and of the beauty and marvels of nature in the crisp morning air, the dew drops on the leaves of plants, the tender shoot of new leaves sprouting out, and of the birds chirping so freely.  In the evening, I stop and marvel at the beautiful, warm orange, yellow glow of the sun, setting in the horizon....

Yes, I have been jaded for a long time. Time flies and I'm so glad I am still able to pause, look and smile at the wonders around me. I have awaken from jadedness! and able to appreciate the gifts around me. As Rod Stewart sang in his song, 'Have I told you lately' - "at the end of the day, we should give thanks and praise to the One, to the One...

                   
                   "Your living is determined not so much by what life brings to you
                    as by the attitude you bring to life; not so much by what happens
                    to you as by the way your mind looks at what happens."

                                                               -Khalil Gibran-