Week Fifty-Six: Discovering Hidden Delights

Sitting in my living room this morning, I watched rainbows of vivid color play across the ceiling and walls. These rainbows come from Feng Shui crystals that hang in my windows and, each year at this time, the morning sun brings the delightful rediscovery of splashes of purple, yellow, orange, green, blue and red. Each morning, the beauty of the color takes my breath away, and I continue to be amazed at the ways in which color, sound, and smell exist all around that escape my everyday awareness until special moments when they are revealed.

The way in which the clear crystals reveal rainbows of color as the sun shines through them reminded me of the magic of discovery and the ways in which taking the time to savor unanticipated moments of delight can offer a continuing source of nourishment to daily life. I have the same experience when, walking through the park, the fragrance of some flowering bush or another unexpectedly fills my awareness as I pass by. Sometimes, I can’t find the source of the fragrance, and it doesn’t happen every morning. It’s an occasional experience, which is part of what makes it such a delight.

Then, there are the moments when I may be walking along the street and unexpectedly come upon a street performer playing the flute or guitar, or a young person with hair died a particularly striking turquoise or bright orange. There are also those times when I look down into the face of a very young child in a stroller and notice that a curious, open face looks back at me.

All these moments bring their own special nourishment, depending on the meaning we give them. Each of us may be moved in a different way by the same experience. The important thing is that we are moved beyond our everyday focus and awareness. And so, this week’s experiment invites you to pay attention to the unexpected moment of delight that come your way. We’ve done an experiment like this one before, and it bears repeating. All too often, our everyday lives become entirely captivating, and we forget the magic that is all around us in every moment. Along with the difficulties of the times, the world continues to provide moments of deep nourishment and renewal. I invite you to take the next week and explore these often small, special moments in your life.

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