“Every now and then you step into a moment so golden that it makes all the other ones worth it.” I wrote that way back on the trail somewhere. On the stretch of path we’ve been walking lately, golden moments can seem few and far between. But here’s a secret I discovered about them this week: They’re always here, hidden in plain sight. They’re like love notes written with an ink that you can only read when you see it from just the right angle.
You can be having the most ordinary day when, all of a sudden, everything around you, everything that’s happening right now, seems perfect, just as it is, and beautiful. That’s a golden moment. For me, they always come unexpectedly. But they have begun to come more often lately and to linger longer, I noticed one day both with surprise and gratitude.
The surprise of it was due to the fact that I spend a lot of my time in observation and research into certain movements in the time-space that are less than pleasant to see. But the surprise was met with an understanding that the golden moments I was experiencing now let me maintain my balance in the midst of the turmoil. They gave me stability and allowed me to embrace all that was going on with compassion and appreciation.
I wondered for a while about how this gift of golden moments came to be. It was, after all, perfect timing. Exactly what I needed now.
And one of the things I was delighted to find is that part of the reason I’m experiencing more golden moments now is because I trained for it. I smiled at that. I could take credit for some of it. Cool!
I practiced games like labeling my experiences “pleasant” or “unpleasant” as I went through the day. Or like teaching myself to ask “What’s good here?” when I noticed that I was feeling upset. Each night I write three statements to complete the phrase “I’m grateful for . . .” –even when some nights it’s hard to think of three things. I spend time looking at the world through the lens of my camera as I silently ask, “What’s good here? What’s interesting? What’s beautiful?” In the morning, I dedicate the day to rejoicing (re-joys-ing) and gladness, because the day itself is a gift of Perfect Love.
Those are Joy Warrior practices.. They require commitment and discipline. But they pay off in countless way. They bring amazing lessons and teachers, all custom-tailored just for you. They push away the barriers and let you see how you are part of a grand and mysterious universe–and that you can see that you are. As one of my mentors taught me, “I am in the universe; the universe is in me.”
The benefits of looking for, and savoring, the good extend farther than just yourself, by the way. Any time you notice something touching you because it’s so good, or beautiful, or true, you tip the scale of the whole universe. In actual, measurable fact, your vibes ripple out a fair distance from you. Joy is contagious. (Pass it on!) It’s a wonderfully powerful thing. It kills fear, for instance. Think about that! Imagine how freeing it would be to live without a shred of fear.
And all you have to do is ask for it: Show me the good stuff. Then, as you see it, give thanks.
I smile, thinking of you, over there on the other side of this screen, reading this. I smile more as I imagine you smiling back. How golden! How deeply, beautifully golden!
Wishing you waves and waves of good stuff.
Warmly,
Susan