After recently re-watching the amazing, yet slightly unnerving, Gene Wilder in the classic film, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
I could not get the following verse from the song ‘Pure Imagination’ out of my head:
‘If you want to see paradise, just take a look around and view it’’
Sometimes enlightenment comes from the strangest places, and this sentence really struck a chord.
And following my long Camino walk I came to the realisation that paradise is very often all around us, we just have to open our eyes and see it.
The problem with modern living is that we are in such a rush to be busy in our busy lives that we miss the paradise right under our noses.
Lives run at warp speed, and whilst we chase emails, social media and 21st century living there is a danger that we miss so many of life’s great moments.
When you throw in a few hangovers, our focus narrows further.
Life becomes a ball of stress, worry and mental distraction that drags away from the beauty of the present moment.
One of the great benefits of going alcohol free is that you regain some time and space back to slow down a little.
By slowing down I don’t mean dropping out or losing your edge, I simply mean staying present in the moment and enjoying whats happening around you.
On a personal note, once I stopped drinking I regained the motivation to explore my inner world and discovered mindfulness meditation.
The ancient practice is such a wonderful skill to enhance ones ability to stay present and enjoy life in the moment.
Without sounding overdramatic, my world started to open up in ways I had never experienced before.
A classic example was my walk to work.
Like most of us, I had walked this walk hundreds of times with the sole purpose of getting from A to B.
My head was full of worries, concerns or to-dos for the day ahead.
I was running on autopilot, the lights were on, but nobody was home. I was a perfect city worker clone.
Running in the rat race of life.
But one day, as my mindfulness practice developed, I did something crazy - I lifted my head, slowed my walk and looked around me.
I opened my ears to the noise of the city and discovered that I could hear birds singing.
I noticed flowers that I never knew existed in tiny green oasis that had previously slipped under my radar.
It was as if I was viewing this same old route for the very first time.
It was simple, I was learning to stay in the present moment.
And right in this moment, I did not have to worry or threat about the day ahead.
I could deal with these concerns when the time came.
Right now on my short walk to the office I could simply breathe deep and enjoy life.
This was such a liberating feeling, as well as a powerful indicator of positive change in my life.
Mindfulness was starting to make sense to me.
It was not about sitting around doing nothing, trying to clear your mind all day.
It was actually about building skills to notice the world around you in the moment and learning to enjoy its beauty without mental distraction about the past or future.
Learning to cultivate a slower, more mindful pace will start to reveal little moments of paradise that were previously unnoticed.
Perhaps you will find them in the beauty of nature, the taste of a home-cooked meal, the eyes of your loving partner, the softness of your child’s hand in yours.
These are little moments of paradise on earth, right under your nose, all you have to do is look around and view them.
Here’s an idea - today, try to spend just a few minutes totally present in the moment.
You can take any situation, the coffee shop, the chat with your child after school, the walk outside - whatever it is, just slow down, stay present, aim to keep your mind from chasing worries into the past or future and simply stay with the moment.
Breathe deeply as you do and see if you can find your little bit of paradise.
Your coach
Andy
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