Sunday, April 30, 2017

Don't Stand In the Shadows!


I've noticed that my sweet pup Teddy is constantly looking for that small slice of sunshine beaming through the windows of our house. When he finds one, he lays himself down with his face smack in the light and closes his eyes to rest.

As the sunlight moves, I see him nudging closer to the light, following the beams as he takes his many naps during the day.

He keeps his face toward the sunshine. It's only natural for dogs.

We grownups have a lot to learn from nature. Thing is, it's often hard to intentionally keep our faces toward the sunshine; kids do it naturally--live in the moment with their intense presence--but as we grow up, things change.

Some of us learn to focus on the shadows of our past, or project our fears into the future--and we rob ourselves of moment after moment as a result. The experiences and people the Universe has placed uniquely in front of us become invisible as we live in our heads and overthink.

We lose the sunshine. 

But it's okay. 

After all, shadows cannot exist without sunshine. 

One of life's challenges is continually bringing ourselves back to facing the sunshine and living in the moment--it's a continuous conversation.

I'm grateful I have Teddy to remind me.