One evening before Christmas, I was in the car with my family driving home after a particularly rewarding day at work. Actually it seemed like everyone had experienced a positively good day. Talk was upbeat, though everyone was tired and ready to get home to settle in for the evening. As we turned onto a road that leads in the right direction, we came upon a family of deer gently and elegantly posing on the front lawn of a house. Conversation halted as we slowly came to a stop to enjoy the moment. The deer looked over at us, but calmly stayed put. Our encounter with them enhanced what was already a good day.
A grace note.
The other morning, I was rushing from the car to my office, but my thoughts weren't on the "to do list" waiting for me on my work calendar. Rather, I was thinking about the night before. I had spent the evening writing about various ideas I had been formulating in my head about my beliefs and my emerging understanding of my spirituality. It had been a fruitful task, and I was feeling very positive and upbeat about my endeavours.
Happily lost in thought, I almost bumped right into an old friend. We hadn't seen one another in a while as our paths had diverged when he went off to pursue another career. Knowing that his new path was now more similar to the one I was trying to forge on my own, I jumped right into sharing my previous evening's thoughts with him. Turned out, we were "in sync" more than we realized. Before we knew it, we had ducked into the local deli, grabbed a table and became engrossed in a conversation that could easily have gone on throughout the day. His insights, my questions, my insights, his questions..........our finishing of each other's sentences............left me feeling even more upbeat about my pursuits.
A grace note. And a note of thanks.
Grace notes are the gentle enhancements of your day. They aren't necessarily essential to the harmony of your life, but they sure add some zest. It's like a beautifully blossoming garden in the middle of July. At first glance, you see a myriad of accenting and contrasting colours and inhale an aroma of blending floral scents wafting by. How could it be much better? Then, out of the corner of your eye, you spot one particular flower...........a majestically blooming dark pink lily, an added touch of beauty, which makes the garden even more pleasing to the eye.
A garden grace note.
Like every little gift from God, you have to be open to receiving it. A grace note in a busy day can easily be overlooked. What a shame it would be not to recognize one when it floats by? We all tend to rush through our busy days, often focusing on the task at hand, oblivious to what is going around us, too busy to really listen to someone when they are offering you a melodic note of grace, or too blind to see nature's display right in front of our eyes.
Sometimes, when we have a day that is more of a dirge than a rhapsodic aria, a grace note may be the only sunny affirmation on a day enveloped in grey clouds. A smile, an offer to help, a compliment, or a hug of recognition can turnaround even the most depressing day. If you are sensitive to it. If you acknowledge the gift.
Can you orchestrate you're own grace notes in life? At first when I thought about it, I dismissed the thought. But, then I realized that was not right. Like any gift, our act of giving returns in emotional spades. If one is sensitive to others, showing them respect and understanding, recognizing them by offering a special touch to their day through a thoughtful gesture, a shared joke, a compliment, an empathic validation, either in person or even electronically not only may you be providing a grace note to someone, you may have just created your own.
So, the next time your out driving on a beautiful day and you find yourself feeling that sense of freedom and accomplishment that one sometimes feels...........you know...............when the song is just right on the radio, the road is clear, the weather is fine, you have a sense of purpose and all feels right in the world. Look around...............the day will jump from good to great when you spot a grace note from God..........just over the horizon.
Inspirational..........................
A grace note.
The other morning, I was rushing from the car to my office, but my thoughts weren't on the "to do list" waiting for me on my work calendar. Rather, I was thinking about the night before. I had spent the evening writing about various ideas I had been formulating in my head about my beliefs and my emerging understanding of my spirituality. It had been a fruitful task, and I was feeling very positive and upbeat about my endeavours.
Happily lost in thought, I almost bumped right into an old friend. We hadn't seen one another in a while as our paths had diverged when he went off to pursue another career. Knowing that his new path was now more similar to the one I was trying to forge on my own, I jumped right into sharing my previous evening's thoughts with him. Turned out, we were "in sync" more than we realized. Before we knew it, we had ducked into the local deli, grabbed a table and became engrossed in a conversation that could easily have gone on throughout the day. His insights, my questions, my insights, his questions..........our finishing of each other's sentences............left me feeling even more upbeat about my pursuits.
A grace note. And a note of thanks.
Grace notes are the gentle enhancements of your day. They aren't necessarily essential to the harmony of your life, but they sure add some zest. It's like a beautifully blossoming garden in the middle of July. At first glance, you see a myriad of accenting and contrasting colours and inhale an aroma of blending floral scents wafting by. How could it be much better? Then, out of the corner of your eye, you spot one particular flower...........a majestically blooming dark pink lily, an added touch of beauty, which makes the garden even more pleasing to the eye.
A garden grace note.
Like every little gift from God, you have to be open to receiving it. A grace note in a busy day can easily be overlooked. What a shame it would be not to recognize one when it floats by? We all tend to rush through our busy days, often focusing on the task at hand, oblivious to what is going around us, too busy to really listen to someone when they are offering you a melodic note of grace, or too blind to see nature's display right in front of our eyes.
Sometimes, when we have a day that is more of a dirge than a rhapsodic aria, a grace note may be the only sunny affirmation on a day enveloped in grey clouds. A smile, an offer to help, a compliment, or a hug of recognition can turnaround even the most depressing day. If you are sensitive to it. If you acknowledge the gift.
Can you orchestrate you're own grace notes in life? At first when I thought about it, I dismissed the thought. But, then I realized that was not right. Like any gift, our act of giving returns in emotional spades. If one is sensitive to others, showing them respect and understanding, recognizing them by offering a special touch to their day through a thoughtful gesture, a shared joke, a compliment, an empathic validation, either in person or even electronically not only may you be providing a grace note to someone, you may have just created your own.
So, the next time your out driving on a beautiful day and you find yourself feeling that sense of freedom and accomplishment that one sometimes feels...........you know...............when the song is just right on the radio, the road is clear, the weather is fine, you have a sense of purpose and all feels right in the world. Look around...............the day will jump from good to great when you spot a grace note from God..........just over the horizon.
Inspirational..........................
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