A lesson in patience and presence…

I was on a run the other day when I saw a little 4 year-old girl walking down the sidewalk glacially slow as she sniffed every spring flower in every yard on her path.

Her mom and bigger sister were quite a bit further ahead on the sidewalk waiting just a little impatiently for her. But that didn’t slow down that little sprite’s sniff-fest.

As I passed them, I said, “She’s a gal after my own heart!”. The mom broke into a wry smile and said, “Yep, she’s living her best life”.

As I ran on, I got a little sad thinking about how in just a few short years, the urge to “get somewhere” or the pressure from others to keep up will likely bullzoze this kid out of the habit of smelling the flowers. It will hurry her out of sensing and truly feeling this precious moment and this precious life.

Rediscovering wonder is vital for Changemakers

I was that little girl full of wonder who started to smell the flowers less and less as I got older and let the pressure of accomplishing jack up my pace and dull my presence.

I think that’s why I’m now so fond of taking photos of the spring and summer flowers (you can check out my “collections” :p on Facebook or Instagram). It’s my way of coming back to that early wonder and appreciation… It’s a practice for me in slowing down enough to let life actually nourish me.

For those of us who are trying to create change in the world and are often dealing with a lot of ugliness, pain, and injustice, it’s especially important for us to make time like this to digest some of the sweetness of life. It’s what will keep us fuelled to do effective and sustainable changemaking.

Defining personal joy through your ‘lilac’ moments

Here in Toronto, the lilacs are heading into full bloom (ahhh…there’s NOTHING like the smell of lilacs), and every spring I pledge to sniff as many as possible in the fleeting couple of weeks they’re here.

So, what’s YOUR version of smelling the lilacs going to be?

Maybe it’s to really tune into the energy of your kids (human and non-human) today. Or perhaps it’s about playing a piece of music every day that makes you feel alive. Or it could be doing some morning journaling to help you absorb and process this hard and beautiful life.

Just be sure to find what feeds you and make it a habit.

And don’t you dare let me see you passing a lilac bush this season without stopping.

Hugs, Kimberly