“Everyone will have moments when their true identity is offered to them, their integrity and with it their life direction. Quite often it is when they are looking for something else. Anyone who has ever believed in them, strengthened their wholeness, and offered them their love will be there with them then, no matter how long ago it was or how far away.” -Rachel Naomi Remen
The above passage comes from a chapter called “The Link” in the book “My Grandfather’s Blessings” by Rachel Naomi Remen, one of the most inspirational books I’ve ever read. In this chapter, Remen relates the story of the young King Arthur. It’s a powerful story, how all of a person’s experiences can come together in an aligned moment to reveal some kind of collective purpose.
Taking this to heart, I am more able to accept present moments that don’t seem important and may even be annoying, realizing they could have some purpose for me that is not readily apparent. Believing that, I become more accepting of everything I encounter and everyone I meet.
Every minute has meaning.
This theme is actually present throughout Remen’s book. As the quote above implies, sometimes we get so busy moving from moment to moment or are so focused on the destination that we miss the steps we are taking to get there. In missing the steps, we miss out on what can make life so meaningful.
Interestingly, the more successful I am at appreciating each step of my day, the more moment-to-moment opportunities I recognize. On top of that, the more I do it, the more each moment seems to be perfectly constructed and the more I just feel I am in the right place at the right time.
Sometimes the experience is so profound that I get the feeling that each moment has been structured just for me. Considering this idea further, it really resonates. I don’t mean it in some egotistical way, that I am the center of the universe or something. Just that each thing we individually experience, each of us, has been structured just for us.
Why can’t my moment on the city bus have been structured just for me, as it was for the bus driver as well as the mom and the child also on the bus at that time? In that moment, our individually tailored experiences all came together for about 60 seconds. And in those 60 seconds were ample opportunities to meet.
Will I take advantage of a small one, acknowledging the kind way the driver greets me as I enter the bus and the kind way he bids me farewell when I exit? Acts of kindness like many bus drivers exhibit stay with me, although they probably mean very little to them. Practicing being in the moment, I want to celebrate these small acts of kindness.
This makes up the stuff in what I call my mindfulness journal, among my favorite entries.
Andy Smallman 