The other day I went for a hike with my good friend, Robyn. Along the way, we passed a row of gorgeous roses. She stopped, smelled them and said she never misses an opportunity to “stop and smell the roses”. That got me thinking (of course it did!) about how often in our day we rush from task list to task list always looking at what we need to get done, and failing to see the beauty of what is in our life, our day, even that particular moment.
When we are at a meeting, are we really listening to our clients, feeling the blessing of having work and meeting new people, or are we counting the minutes on the clock waiting for the next to do item? When we are driving towards the hills, are we stressed about traffic or are we in awe of the beautiful place we live? When we are in mid workout, are we complaining about how hard everything is, or are we (albeit tired) grateful that we are able to use our arms, core, and legs to move? How about as you are staring at a big plate full greens and you are wishing for a huge slice of pizza…have you thought about how awesome it is to be able to eat something fresh grown from the earth…something which actually helps heal your body?
We have so many opportunities to stop and take in how lucky we are to have our mind, our bodies, our business, our friends, our health and our homes. Of course we have stresses, of course we wish and strive for better things in our lives, yet as we are wishing, dreaming, strategizing and mapping out our life, can we stop occasionally and smell the roses of our day?
Now’s a good time, the roses are in full, fragrant bloom!