The Gift of Looking Up

A Recent morning sunrise walk with my husband.

 

Positive Pensées

The Gift of Looking Up

Kathy King 

"When you are feeling bad, do one thing a day to make your heart dance.  It could be a simple thing like looking up at the sky."

Yoko Ono

 

Look up into the sky, whether it is morning or night.

Take a moment, look at the moon and stars.

Look at the sky, whether it is blue or gray.

Look at the sunrise, take in the new day.

Look at the moon rise to finish your day.

Look at the moon, whether it is full, crescent, or half, because looking up will be good for your heart. It will be good for your mind, your soul, and your spirit. It will remind you that we are in this great big world on this spinning planet. The sun, the moon, and all the scenery They serve as a reminder of all that we could be. Look up, remember your past, and learn from it. Look up and remember your hopes and dreams. When life gets overwhelming, look up. It will calm you.  When you look up, also remember to be someone another person can look up to when they remember how you have fallen, gotten back up, and persevered when life was difficult and filled with tears. You chose to keep going, even when it was tough. You were the example, the embodiment of the importance of looking up.

 

Looking up.  There are times when it is almost impossible to find a sliver of hope in a situation. There are situations that can be referred to as "energy vampires." What a better time to take a breath and look up! When you pause, it gives you a moment to think about your situation. When life gets overwhelming and we get nervous, our reactions tend to be more quick, not as well thought out, and fraught with worry. There are so many benefits to "looking up" or pausing.  It allows your mind to have a brief respite, your breathing improves, your energy level increases; and your overall health is impacted in a positive way. My husband wakes up at early:30 every morning to take a walk. The birds are not even up yet. He did this for a while while I stayed in bed and slept a little more. My husband kept encouraging me to come with him because it would help my health, help my mind, and give me a moment of silence to start my day. I grumbled, complained, and resisted, and one morning I fell over in a rather graceful way in front of God and everyone. I did get a chuckle from the fact that it was pitch black outside and no one could see my theatrics. Our morning walks are getting a little easier. I still grumble at times, but in that silence, you can feel the connection to nature, the quietude of taking a moment to disconnect. Most recently, we were able to witness an absolutely gorgeous moon rise in our neighborhood. It looked like a gorgeous painting in the sky. The 4:40 a.m. wake-up call was worth it in the silence and stillness of that moment, where not even the birds were chirping. By no means does looking up have to be done in the morning. It is quite understandable that mornings are hard. But take the moment, even if it is 5 minutes a day, to look up. In the words of the old hymn, "Count your blessings, name them one by one." There may be two blessings or ten. But that deposit will change your mindset in very worthwhile ways. I leave you with a quote from Snoopy: "Keep looking up… that’s the secret of life.."

 

Source:va.gov