What is a holiday? Stemming from the word Holy Day it implies a day set aside for special religious observance – as we’ve come to know them ‘non-working days’ or brief periods of exemption or relief. Only on certain times of the year do we allow ourselves this respite, viewing all other days as ‘work days’ -days devoid of holiness, mindfulness godliness.
My aim this coming year is to make every day include a moment of holiness, however brief or perhaps however extended? Whatever form this daily practice takes; a few minutes of meditation accompanied by some simple breaths, a recording of my night dreams allowing me to connect more deeply to my unconscious, a beautiful meal I prepare and share with my family, taking the time to smell the scent of a blooming rose or listening to the fleeting laughter of my growing children.
The intention is to become fully present throughout my day, to take a holi-day from the grind of being human. Becoming present always involves going inward and finally coming out feeling more connected to oneself and to others. Just like one needs a massage when their muscles get overworked, or a carwash when their car is dirty – we all need daily respites to keep us in tough with our intentions, so we don’t become off center, allowing our negative emotions to overpower our true feelings, which are often buried inside, yearning to come forth.
Taking holy moments can have the effect of entering a wonderful dream and extending this positive energy outward with whom you come into contact. I recall a client telling me about a subway ride he had when he was a young man, which he will never forget. On that particular day, before he left his house he told himself that he would make the attempt to become fully present with everyone person he met, even if it were a complete stranger. That day, he made connections with each and every person he encountered on the subway. Some passengers he didn’t speak to – he simply smiled, letting the passenger know there existed a human connection between them, replacing the otherwise lonely subway ride. One man told him he had just come from his father’s funeral and this man ended up being his boss for the next ten years. The experience he had that day changed the way he decided to confront his daily life. He is now the CEO of a major company in the United States. He came from an extremely troubled background and made a decision to find holiness in a world that for him had become devoid of connection.
I think about this client often and know that as Einstein said, on any given day I have a choice: to live life as if nothing is a miracle or to live life as if everything is a miracle.
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