BEAUTY TIP #37 – “Wide Awake and Curious”
Posted: March 16, 2011
Many of my readers know that I have shown up at work wearing two different shoes. Obviously I was still sleepwalking.
I had a boss that constantly reminded me, “The best way to succeed is to PAY ATTENTION to the details.” That expression resonated in my brain and to this day I focus on having a curious perspective on life.
Try to focus in on details when you are on an airplane flying at 30,000 feet. All you can see is blotches, lines and squares. Travelling on a hi-speed bullet train in France allows you to see clearer outlines and pictures but no details. Driving slower in a car; is better. Walking is good. Stopping is vital.
We have to remember that to succeed, emerge and blossom in our spiritual journey we have to pay attention and “taste and see that the Lord is good…” (Psalm 34:8 NIV). SEE AND EXPERIENCE HOW GOD IS INVOLVED IN ALL THE DETAILS OF OUR LIFE!
Yes this world can be an ugly place; there is suffering, pain, darkness, anger, murder, hatred and so much more. But there is also beauty all around us. STOP and become wide awake and curious:
- Listen to the sound of a child licking a Popsicle.
- Someone turning the pages of a book.
- Raindrops hitting the window. Look for the colors of the rainbow in each of the rain drops.
- Watch the progress of a daffodil breaking out of the winter darkness into a glorious, sunshine yellow.
- Listen to your heart beating.
- The sound of ice cubes clinking inside a glass of lemon water.
- Listen to the news of people helping people in Japan.
- Pay attention that there is no looting in Japan after the horrendous tsunami.
- Touch and smell the smooth skin of a small child.
- The first taste of your favorite meal, ice cream or fruit.
- The joy of putting on your favorite necklace.
- The smell of coffee in the morning.
I can choose to focus on all the ugliness around me, or I can stop and become like a small child, curious and ready to “taste and see” the goodness of God working in and around me.
Some time ago I needed a bird feather. So I went walking and talked to God about needing a small bird feather; the kind that would fit into a greeting card. Halfway through my walk there was a beautiful bird feather at my feet. Then I became skeptical and thought there were probably hundreds of bird feathers everywhere. After walking for over an hour I “tasted and saw” that my bird feather was the only one on my walk and I believe God meant for me to have it.
When was the last time you asked God to:
- Help you find something?
- Help you with your finances?
- Help you with your hair? (Sounds crazy but I do it all the time).
- To give you silence?
- To give you a tangible treasure in your day so that you can scream “Delight!”
- To find something to laugh hilariously about?
- To bring you a friend?
- To let you help a lonely, forgotten, hungry, helpless person?
- To find some beauty in your ugly day?
Now that you’ve asked, you have to PAY ATTENTION and become wide awake and curious and wait expectantly as God reveals his answer to you in the most surprising, gorgeous and meaningful way.
