Ponderings Along the Pathway...APPRECIATION

Welcome to this month's edition of Ponderings Along the Pathway, an exclusive feature over here on the Path of Positivity. The purpose of this column is to continue with the goal of this blog which is to create a space "designed to inspire, nurture and provide support for the soul by creating a positive path to follow, one project or post at a time". Providing some motivational introspection on the themes we cover each challenge period, is one way of achieving this goal.

This month it is all about APPRECIATION and PAT is here to share her thoughts on the subject...

Walking through the forest recently, I was about to pass a fallen tree when I paused to really look at this unexpected gift of nature. The trunk was massive, lying like a submarine lying stealthily along the ocean's bottom. Covered with thick moss, what little sunlight that fought its way through the partly cloudy skies and the bare branches of the trees pulled a host of colors from the tree's coarse bark. The longer I looked at this fallen soldier, the more he revealed to me. Colors, shading, insects scurrying along its spine, old cuts long healed...Some time later, I left the forest with a smile on my face. I felt blessed to have stumbled upon such beauty on my walk in the forest. I left with a better appreciation for the planet and how connected we all are.

It's difficult to really appreciate things if you don't take the time and energy to do so. Appreciation takes time. If you go through life at the speed of a bullet, you won't be able to see things that make that life valuable. If you live in the past, which, let's face it, is history; if you angst and anticipate the future, which is not guaranteed for you, then you will have wasted the amazing and unique present.

Appreciation takes awareness. Be mindful of the wonders that surround you. Open your eyes and fill them with the dazzling colors and fluid movement of what you see. Taste the puckering zing of a dill pickle, the burst of tartness from your apple, the frozen sweetness of your ice cream. Run your fingers through the silkiness of your cat's fur and the warm scratchiness of its tongue. Open your ears to the tinkling of a child's laughter and the noisy knocking of a neighboring woodpecker. Breathe in the crisp Autumn air and the pungent spiciness of mulled wine.

Live in the moment, because that's all we really have. Don't text while walking your dog - do look around you. Don't use the TV as your grandchildren's babysitter - do get down on the floor and play with them. Don't rush through your lunch to get back to work - do savor the taste of each bite. Appreciate your life along the path with all its pleasures, discoveries and mysteries, as I appreciate mine and the bits of time we share together along the way.

There is so much in life to be thankful for and it is important that we actually take the time to do so. As you walk your own unique Path every day, try to pause and think about what you most appreciate.

Well folks, that is it for today but please be sure to join us on Monday when we'll be back with the winner announcement for last month's challenge.  Enjoy your weekend everyone!