The Art of Being

The eighth wonder of the world is close by


 

 

People travel to wonder at the height of mountains, at the huge waves of the sea, at the long courses of rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motion of the stars; and they pass by themselves without wondering. —St. Augustine

Like many others, I’ve gone to Hawaii to “get away from it all,” to seek the wonders of the world through nature and to connect more deeply with spirit, which at times seems so difficult to do in the hustle and bustle of our dayto day existence.

On returning, I fully and humbly realize that I have just spent special time with some of the most beautiful, pristine, precious, serene and amazingly unique expressions of God on the planet, all of which I felt deeply inspired by and spiritually connected with.

I bet you think I’m referring to the stunning beaches, brightly colored birds, playful porpoises, majestic waterfalls, gentle trade winds, swaying trees and plentiful plant life. But I’m not. While all those things also meet the description, what I found the most wondrous of all were the people I encountered on my sojourn. Other human beings!

I ended up going to Hawaii to have a spiritual epiphany about my relationship with other people. How wild is that? What I was trying to get away from became the high point of my journey.

What was it that caused this to happen? The spirit of generosity and authentic, loving kindness of those we met along the way was truly overwhelming. From our fellow travelers to our hosts and the local and native people we encountered at every turn, all seemed to embody what has been referred to as the Aloha spirit.

Food servers in the restaurants, the airport personnel, the car rental representatives, the sales clerks and the people on the street were extending themselves with what I chose to interpret as a sense of authentic joy, love, respect and, most important, reverence.

Then the most amazing thing happened.

Upon my return home, I discovered the very same thing with the people in my own home, church and community. Nothing had to change but my perception of life.

The realization I had was that I didn’t need to travel 2,500 miles to experience what I really went to Hawaii for—to get away from the world by seeking beauty and peace in a distant land and culture. Granted, going there truly helped inspire me and realign my perspective, but the fact is that the real beauty in life lies within the hearts and souls of all the people we share our planet with, our family of the earth. The real peace we all seek lies in spiritually connecting with that family, not escaping from it.

When we lack the ability (awareness) to consciously look into other people’s hearts and souls and feel that connection, we miss the opportunity to have a conscious relationship with God by means of Its highest form of expression: human beings.

The saddest part is that we may also miss the real exquisiteness of life, for if we can’t see the authentic beautiful, pristine, precious, sacred, serene and amazingly unique expressions of God in one another, we could sail the seven seas and seek the wonders of the world and would not find it there either.

The fact is the real Eighth Wonder of the World is walking right by us every day: people! So don’t miss the glory and wonder of it. As spiritual explorers, we know that’s a treasure worth seeking.

As a Mindfulness Practice, spend some quiet time in the most beautiful spot you can find, where nature is at its pristine and peaceful best. With intention, feel the presence of spirit moving in, around and through you. Notice the reverence you have for life and the sense of unity with the “all” dancing between you and your surroundings.

It’s very peaceful, isn’t it? Then, seek to spend some time with people with the sole intention of looking into them, connecting with their hearts and souls. Continue this practice until you can feel the same spirit moving in, around and through you.

Again, notice the reverence you feel for life and that sense of unity with the “all” dancing between you and those people. It’s very peaceful, isn’t it?

Finally, realize that you have just had a mini-spiritual vacation, because in both instances, you have been basking in the beauty of the divine.

Copyright 2015—New Reality Press. Dennis Merritt Jones is a local spiritual mentor, keynote speaker and author. Contact him at www.DennisMerrittJones.com.


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