Etern Hope - Counselling That Matters
Anchoring Hope in Daily Living
Looking at Clouds – A Clue to More Lasting Well-Being
Most of us would have come across or heard about Mindfulness in one form or another, whether at a fitness class, in therapy room, in coaching and/or schools and workplaces. One key aspect of Mindfulness is the practice of observation without judgement. In plain language, it is to simply notice (and name) what we see, hear, feel and smell in the present. Just that. No evaluation, no opinions, no going back in time and no imagining the future. This practice helps one to stay in the present and gradually regain a sense of calm.
For those of us who are new to this practice of observation without judgement, the initial attempts can feel intentional and “difficult” because we are so used to staying in the past or jumping into the future in our head, and jumping to evaluation or conclusion. Literally, rushing from one thought to another, not really focusing on one thing, at one time, in one place.
I have discovered something interesting for myself in the practice of staying present and making observation without judgement – a clue that points to a more lasting state of well-being. This happened through watching clouds in the tropical sky.
Slowly watching the clouds in the sky on one tropical afternoon with a client, a quiet sense of calm and contentment settled in the room. In the simple act of just noticing the clouds in the sky, a space opened up within that seemed to point towards something greater, more vast and there is a quiet settled calm that came with that invitation. This quiet settled calm lingered for longer and expanded one’s experience.
In recollection of this experience, it felt like “hope” that came with peace, that stayed. No longer closed in, hemmed in.
The sense of calm from practicing staying present and making observation of man-made objects seems to be more “fleeting” and insular.
And, it dawned on me that as humans, we need something/someone who is more expansive than we are, than what can come out from our minds, inventions, imaginations and hands to buoy us up in storms of life and offer us hope, the kind that is firm, true and able to withstand ANYTHING.
So, peeps, one of the clues to a more lasting sense of well-being is that the source/subject needs to be something/someone way beyond us.
It’s high time to tune our antenna, and discover yours!
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Etern Hope - Counselling That Matters 