The shadows of the clouds cannot always hide...

Maya Johnson
Jan 25, 2021
2 min read

“From the simplest lyric to the most complex novel, literature is asking us to pay attention. Pay attention to the frog. Pay attention to the west wind. Pay attention to the boy on the raft, the lady on the tower, the old man on the train. In sum, pay attention to the world and all that dwells therein and thereby learn at last to pay attention to yourself and all that dwells therein.”

― Frederick Buechner

It was a rainy Monday, which is welcome in Istanbul as the last I read, the barrage was filled to only 32% with last week's snow. So I'll keep up my Gladiator, bringer of rain feelings, and American Indian rain dances.

During the first day, of the first week of the six week mindfulness (again) challenge, these are some of the things I observed.

-I went on autopilot when the taxi driver's frustration and anger over his job could be felt in the backseat.

-I really liked the colors of the reflections of the street lights on the sidewalk as I crossed Bagdat Caddesi.

-The air still felt heavy this morning, even though the rain was falling. There was not the sense of refreshment that comes after the rain....the sky still had to cry.

-My insides felt tight.

-I wasn't too keen on learning about plastic surgery terminology today for one of the small translation projects I have. In any case, I did and translated the job very well.

-The end of January is this week.

There is of course more, but these come to mind. There is no functional way to document your awareness. It would take us a lifetime to get out of bed if we were mindful every moment. So do not try to write everything down. Remember it's all about noticing yourself, the frequency of the auto-pilot button being pressed, and what's going on around you.