What’s the wisest decision you can make in the new year?
Simple: Breathe. Just breathe.
Your wisdom is as close as your next breath.
Your wisdom is as close as your next breath.In the moments before harsh words escape your mouth. In the seconds before you lift a fork to partake in the miracle of nourishment. While being put on hold during a customer service call. When your patience is being tried by you children. Or your parents. Or your coworkers.
How do I know that taking a breath is such a wise decision? Easy. In my own experience it’s never gone wrong. Ever. It’s never resulted in misgivings, regrets, or hurt feelings. I have never looked back and wondered if it was the right thing to do. I have not needed to wait hours, days, months, years, to see if it panned out. And I have never wished, “Boy if I could only have those two seconds back! What a waste of time and energy!”
No.
For me, the decision to breathe has only resulted in abundant gratitude, greater understanding, more patience, deeper compassion, and a heightened awareness — awareness that in this very moment I am alive and participating in the miracle of life.
It’s really no wonder. Breathing carries within it an inherent wisdom. Through breath, oxygen is carried from our lungs, to our blood, to our vital organs. The wisdom that sustains life is carried on each breath. And when we engage with that wisdom, we become part of it.
Breathing is an act of deep engagement with life. It is wisdom itself. And it available to us with . . . well . . . every breath we take. And it will be available to us until the last breath we take. If only we were willing to take the time. If we feel we don’t have time to breathe (and believe me I feel that way frequently) then we are living in a world of illusion. How can you not have time to do something that you are doing already?
So what are my plans for deepening my wisdom in the year that’s to come?
Simple.
Just breathe.
I hope you’ll find the time to do the same.
this is just the affirmation i needed. very well said and deeply appreciated.
I hope to do more breathing in my future. I am sure it will never go wrong.
Thank you Tracey. It's a simple reminder. And I remind others because I frequently need reminding myself. Many blessings and a bow of gratitude.
Lauren
Good luck Alicia. I just know it will pay off!
mmhmm. om. i live and work abroad, which means i often have to remind myself to breathe while navigating cultural differences. i get frustrated, upset, bewildered and have to take a few minutes to just breathe. it aids my desire to act with grace under pressure.
Thank you for this post.I needed this reminder as the last week of school, full of assignments and deadlines, approaches. Great advice, and advice I'll take.
Have a lovely Sunday.
-Mary