Question for you

To break up the re-posting of past posts (Can you say that three times fast?), I thought I'd ask you a question:

What are you working on right now, today, that you think is going to impact someone else's life? Now, how meaningful is that for you? I'd love to hear your story. Would you post it below?

It wasn't really a missed opportunity

I love this story. I was still beginning to understand how meaningful my BIKE message really is, how much it's needed.

But I was still finding my own way with it. I loved my motto, but I think I loved my motto too much. It doesn't stand alone. It needs explanation.

So the missed opportunity I mention in this post below, wasn't missed after all. It was really another learning opportunity for me, especially as I re-read the post. Here it is:

http://bikewithjackie.blogspot.com/2007/05/missed-opportunity.html

Can you think of a time when you revisited a memory and learned something new from it that second time around? If so, please share it with us right here.

Oh, say, can you see?

"I can see clearly now, the rain is gone. I can see all obstacles in my way. Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind. It's gonna be a bright, bright, bright sunshiny day."

Singer and record producer Johnny Nash wrote the words to this song called "I Can See Clearly Now," also the name of the album he released, in the early 70s. The best-seller helped bring Reggae music to mainstream America. The words are still relevant today, especially today here in Phoenix, where it rained last night. The clouds literally pushed pollution out of the way and made the skyline visible again. Everything looks so clear. And from where I'm sitting, it is bright outside.

As I drove to a meeting this morning, I was overcome with this feeling of clarity. I sense it most when I'm in my car. No worries. No stress. Just a feeling of satisfaction. And I felt that this morning. It seems I do often when I'm heading east on Lincoln Drive. And that's where I happened to be this morning.

There's no reason for the euphoria that follows. I just know when it arrives, and I like to sit with it for a while. I'll say a prayer of thanks and pay closer attention to the landscape ahead of me. On days like these, when I'm stopped at an intersection, I'll observe how far I can see off into the distance. I look at the mountains ahead, hoping I catch a quick glimpse of the Praying Monk rock formation in Paradise Valley. I'll look at the colors in the sky. I'll see if there are any plants blooming and which ones. I'll focus on the yellows of the lantana or the pink leaves on the bougainvillea, and I'll notice the red shoots darting out of the red yucca plants. Everything comes alive when I'm willing to pay attention, to notice the simple beauty that surrounds me.

I feel like I'm opening myself up to appreciating the inner depths of my Best self, the part of me that is grateful, compassionate and self-nurturing.

What does it take for you to develop that inner clarity?

The artist Paul Gauguin tells us his secret with this quote: "I shut my eyes in order to see."

What do you think he means?