Today, I found time for a thirty minute walk, or as I call them “prayer walks”. It’s a few short moments to enjoy nature and converse with the almighty, no big deal. Some might do yoga or practice meditation and I never really understood that until today. Prayer is my meditation and I’ve always gotten what that does for me so others interpretation of focusing, zenning out or what have you all makes sense.

The gym is another way of finding myself/meditating/recharging. It’s an environment in which I am stressing and exhausting my muscles. Sweat pours profusely from every pore on my being and I can barely catch my breath at times during cardio but, strangely, this is a zensational zone for this guy. In breaking muscle down, I am building my spirit up.

It’s dawning on me that both of these activities finds me doing them alone and therefore maybe the greatest common denominator here is the lack of children. On one hand, I tend to die a little bit inside being away from my kids but on the other mitten, it’s a time of great revival. The quiet speaks and I like its voice.

I wish I could say sleep was the best way to get one’s zen on but I mean, you’re unconscious so focusing on anything is prit near impossible. Although, we all know that sleep is the ultimate time for at least our bodies to recover and recharge so it’s somewhat applicable to throw it in the proverbial pot. Body at peace but the mind is racing probably never faster, save the cerebral cortex, which is in a state of down time.

And what exactly is going on with our spirit/soul during sleep? I’ll tell you right now, I never even thought about this until today so I’m clueless. Upon Googling, it appears that many people believe that our souls leave our body as we sleep. In fact, that’s basically all for an answer there is, except for what Islamics believe, which is that their souls return to their source, aka allah. This could be it’s own blog posting! Let’s move on.

I basically got myself on a riff and went another direction with this posting and I gotta say that I’m pleased with not only the destination but the journey to it. However, going back to the first few sentences, I received what I like to call a download from my maker today on my walk. I can say a million things to God and it’s all good, but there’s nothing like hearing back. No, never audably. It’s never been like (deep, booming goddy voice) “Hey guy, so here’s your answer. Keep hanging in? Peace.” That would be friggin weird and super frustrating.

So here I was, not in tears and on my knees with my hands clasped to the sky or anything, but in reverant prayer, pouring out my issues that I’m currently up against. And then it’s clear as the day itself. What am I doing always focusing on the negative and dwelling in the dark when there’s so much good going on? The more I dwell on the job situation, money issues, the recent girl hurt heart break.. the more I live in that world of lack, pain and sadness, the worse off I am. And for what? Why, when all I need to do is literally look around me (at the time I was surrounded by gorgeous, rich summer nature) and see the beauty in this life that I’m barely living!

So many abundant blessings are abounding in my life at any given moment but I’m too blinded by the crap stuff, it’s sad. My eyes are open! I’ll no doubt have to work at it and re-train myself to think these ways but it’s the only way to live.

At the end of the day, whatever your zen is, find it and do it, daily. If you don’t know where to start, try my go to’s: prayer, exercise and sleep. Quiet is key. If we’re constantly bombarded with noise and annoying stimuli all day, every day then it’s impossible to hear anything good, like I did today.