Close your eyes and imagine that you are standing on a small sandy beach next to a beautiful mountain lake. There are pine trees ringing the shore. The sun is high in the sky, and the water is a beautiful, rippling blue. It looks inviting, but very cold. You aren't yet sure if you want to go for a swim, but you are considering it.
The lake represents your life. Sometimes you may be content to sit on the shore and observe without fully participating. But what opportunities are you missing because you fear discomfort and uncertainty? Your life was meant to be lived, and it can only be lived by you. The cold but inviting waters of the lake are waiting. Will you plunge into them all at once, step into them slowly, stay here on the shore, or simply walk away?
You decide that you want to experience something real -- and you want to be fully present for it.
Having made the decision, you stand up and remove your pants and shirt to reveal the swimsuit beneath. Soon you reach the edge of the lake, and place your left foot into the water, followed by your right foot, savoring each sensation and almost giggling as you feel the contrast between the warm air and the cold water. Stepping forward slowly, you feel the water hit your shins. The mud beneath your feet feels silky and soft as it squeezes between your toes. You pause for a moment to look around you, lifting your arms above your head and spreading them wide as you face this moment with courage and strength.
You continue moving forward. Soon your knees and then your thighs are submerged. You feel more invigorated and alive than you have for a long time. As your hands touch the surface of the water, you can feel the gently rippling waves wash over them. You can't keep from smiling.
You step forward again. The water reaches your stomach, then your chest. It's deliciously cool, and surprisingly refreshing. Soon you are up to your neck, and from this viewpoint you can see the rays of sunlight crisscrossing the blue water in bright, sparkling stripes.
You pause, knowing what comes next. With a deep breath you submerge your head. When you break the surface of the water, you also break the surface of your consciousness. Elation overtakes you and you can't help but shout with joyous laughter. Your cries echo off the surface of the lake and the surrounding mountains and trees, coming back to you as if nature itself is celebrating your success.
As you return to the shore, you are grateful that you took the opportunity to turn this ordinary moment into an extraordinary one. You acknowledge the faith it required to step into the unknown, and you recognize that even the most mundane moment can become similarly extraordinary when you bring your full presence of mind, body and spirit to the experience.
The lake represents your life. Sometimes you may be content to sit on the shore and observe without fully participating. But what opportunities are you missing because you fear discomfort and uncertainty? Your life was meant to be lived, and it can only be lived by you. The cold but inviting waters of the lake are waiting. Will you plunge into them all at once, step into them slowly, stay here on the shore, or simply walk away?
You decide that you want to experience something real -- and you want to be fully present for it.
Having made the decision, you stand up and remove your pants and shirt to reveal the swimsuit beneath. Soon you reach the edge of the lake, and place your left foot into the water, followed by your right foot, savoring each sensation and almost giggling as you feel the contrast between the warm air and the cold water. Stepping forward slowly, you feel the water hit your shins. The mud beneath your feet feels silky and soft as it squeezes between your toes. You pause for a moment to look around you, lifting your arms above your head and spreading them wide as you face this moment with courage and strength.
You continue moving forward. Soon your knees and then your thighs are submerged. You feel more invigorated and alive than you have for a long time. As your hands touch the surface of the water, you can feel the gently rippling waves wash over them. You can't keep from smiling.
You step forward again. The water reaches your stomach, then your chest. It's deliciously cool, and surprisingly refreshing. Soon you are up to your neck, and from this viewpoint you can see the rays of sunlight crisscrossing the blue water in bright, sparkling stripes.
You pause, knowing what comes next. With a deep breath you submerge your head. When you break the surface of the water, you also break the surface of your consciousness. Elation overtakes you and you can't help but shout with joyous laughter. Your cries echo off the surface of the lake and the surrounding mountains and trees, coming back to you as if nature itself is celebrating your success.
As you return to the shore, you are grateful that you took the opportunity to turn this ordinary moment into an extraordinary one. You acknowledge the faith it required to step into the unknown, and you recognize that even the most mundane moment can become similarly extraordinary when you bring your full presence of mind, body and spirit to the experience.
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