What a wonderful, early spring day! There's something so lovely and so promising about the arrival of a new season. Maybe its the hope of things to come, the newness, or the promise of a fresh start. New seasons also reawaken my awareness of nature.There's a new smell, a new temperture, a new ground, a new landscape, new sounds, a new sky, and even a new vibe- it's a sensory overload. And I love every moment of it. It makes me remember the beauty, no; the perfection, of God's creation.
Yesterday I talked a lot about my project in self discovery. Obviously this is going to require some introspection on my part. But, what I didn't articulate is the importance of extrospection, or an awareness/consideration of things external to the self. Introspection is part of the human experience, but extrospection is just as, or more important than introspection. Introspection is important for several reasons: 1) in order to know oneself- to know why you think, behave, value, and believe the way you do allows you to act with a purpose (you aren't just following something blindly). When you start living with purpose, this is when you are living life to the fullest. And 2) introspection forces you to set goals for yourself so that you have that purpose. You gain a sense of direction. Then you are able to evaluate whether your thoughts, behavior, values, and beliefs align with that purpose. But, without the other things outside of yourself, life just wouldn't be as awesome. Heck, it wouldn't be much of a life at all. These things EXPOSE you to life, so then you can apply life to yourself. If all you did was focus on yourself, you would become stuck in your own mind, with you own perspectives, and own ways. Decartes called it subjectivism. I call it close-minded. To have the full human experience you must also have an awareness of nature and culture, and most importantly God and others. My life's purpose is found in the Bible. When Jesus was asked what the most important commandment EVER was:
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.'"
Living life for things outside of myself (God and others) has given me JOY and PEACE that I could never give to myself. Introspection is what has allowed me to see this.
What do you see as the purpose/goals of your life? Who/why/what are you living for? Are you aware and open minded to the world around you?
Anyways, many moons ago I read Sei Shonogon's "The Pillow Book." Sei had a wonderful sense of sight. And I'm not talking about eyesight. She had an incredible ability to see the world around her in a deeply insightful and sensitive way. Sei had a spiritual connection to the people, customs, and natural world around her that gave her a keen awareness and understanding that she so beautfully and clearly illustrates in "The Pillow Book." As you can tell, I'm rather fond of her and this book. (I think you need to read it!)
One of my favorite passages from the book is "In the Spring it is the Dawn." As the new season approaches us, I hope that your senses experience the sensory overload that mine and Sei's do. Life gets busy, and trust me I understand that (more than I want to), but don't forget to be aware of the world around you. "We live in a beautiful world. yeah we do, yeah we do." Don't miss it!
In the Spring it is the Dawn
“ In spring it is the dawn that is most beautiful. As the light creeps over the hills, their outlines are dyed a faint red and wisps of purplish cloud trail over them.
In summer the nights. Not only when the moon shines, but on dark nights too, as the fireflies flit to and fro, and even when it rains, how beautiful it is!
In autumn, the evenings, when the glittering sun sinks close to the edge of the hills and the crows fly back to their nests in threes and fours and twos; more charming still is a file of wild geese, like specks in the distant sky. When the sun has set, one's heart is moved by the sound of the wind and the hum of the insects.
In winter the early mornings. It is beautiful indeed when snow has fallen during the night, but splendid too when the ground is white with frost; or even when there is no snow or frost, but it is simply very cold and the attendants hurry from room to room stirring up the fires and bringing charcoal, how well this fits the season's mood! But as noon approaches and the cold wears off, no one bothers to keep the braziers alight, and soon nothing remains but piles of white ashes.”
― Sei Shonagon
In summer the nights. Not only when the moon shines, but on dark nights too, as the fireflies flit to and fro, and even when it rains, how beautiful it is!
In autumn, the evenings, when the glittering sun sinks close to the edge of the hills and the crows fly back to their nests in threes and fours and twos; more charming still is a file of wild geese, like specks in the distant sky. When the sun has set, one's heart is moved by the sound of the wind and the hum of the insects.
In winter the early mornings. It is beautiful indeed when snow has fallen during the night, but splendid too when the ground is white with frost; or even when there is no snow or frost, but it is simply very cold and the attendants hurry from room to room stirring up the fires and bringing charcoal, how well this fits the season's mood! But as noon approaches and the cold wears off, no one bothers to keep the braziers alight, and soon nothing remains but piles of white ashes.”
― Sei Shonagon
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