Every time it snows in Sedona I am reminded to check myattitude. Growing up in the Midwest taughtme to see snow as an inconvenience. With gray winter skies and leafless trees, snow would turn gray and slushy and add to the dreariness.
And it’s cold.
Snow in Sedona, however, is pure magic! The white coloring on the red rocks brings anew level of definition to our beautiful landscape. The sun, which is never far behind the cloudiness of the storm, catches on the millions of water crystals. And the gentle sound of water dropping onto the ground as the snow melts is beyond charming.
But every once in a while – especially when I have to defrost my car from the ice and snow – my old attitude about snow emerges. My mood gets grumpy and I feel completely put out by the inconvenience the snow has brought.
This is when mindfulness kicks in. A kind voice in my head reminds me to get outof my own way and to see the beauty of the moment.
Which is exactly what mindfulness does. Whether it’s snow, traffic, or any number ofother nuisances, mindfulness offers the opportunity to let go of the old story
and see the situation with new, fresh awareness.
Every moment is precious, if you allow it to be. We can’t change things around us. We can change how we respond to them. Mindfulness helps train you to step back and observe. Before you react, observe. And then respond.
Being grumpy because of the snow is a reaction. Stepping back and observing myself react and observing the beauty all around me allows me to respond by taking a deep breath of fresh winter air and marveling at the awesome beauty of our Earth.
How do you cultivate mindfulness? Through meditation. Practicing meditation daily helps you to become more mindful – more aware of yourself and your patterns of
behavior. Awareness is the first step towards changing those patterns. Less blind reaction and more centered responsiveness.