I have the great privilege of meeting some amazing people whilst on the island of Barbados. A perfect excuse for some 'me' time so I thought but in fact my interactions with people on the island, either those that are visiting or those that work and live on the island has been beyond any expectations.
Maybe it's just island life. People take their time to do things and notice their environment and others more than at home. They are naturally more mindful and happier.
Whether I am having breakfast and being mindful of the beautiful colours of orange, green and yellow on my fruit plate or the beautiful flowers in blossom, vivid in colour and expressing themselves boldly against the sapphire sky or the crystal turquoise ocean that sparkles in the distance, there is beauty in abundance.
Actually, I think the answer is within us, and not dependent on our environment. When a person takes time out from their routine and everyday responsibilities, our awareness is sharper; it can be hard to strip the layers and see the beauty in things because we simply don't hold a moment longer than we have to in our everyday lives. We don't reflect at all unless something we experience is a particular high or low. That is unless you already do Yoga and meditation regularly of course.
Try and take 5 minutes out before you go to sleep today. Rewind your day starting at the beginning and fast track the day. Stop and pause on aspects of the day that made you feel good and watch yourself in that moment as though watching a movie. Acknowledge the best parts of the day, focus in and magnify the experience. Remember whether you are happy and balanced has nothing to do with your environment. It all about how you treat the body and mind. If you are happy, you will see beauty everywhere. If you are unhappy, you won't and it doesn't matter where you are. Invest in 'Stop and Pause moments' in you daily life. You will begin to see yourself in a magnified state and can do more to have good moments and at the same time reduce the 'not so good' parts of the day or week.
Each day arrives and another takes its place, there are no two days that are ever identical or that can ever be revisited in real time. Appreciate the glorious beautiful moments, we all have them no matter how bad things can get - now go find yours.
