Hi,
I went out for a walk with my mom the other day, and when we met, I had a feeling that I get a lot of times, especially in spring. I took a deep breath in and said to her “smells green“. She smiled and confessed that she was thinking the exact same thing. Thought to thought!
It’s interesting how our minds create abstract constructs. “Smells green” doesn’t actually exist. Green doesn’t smell. We see it, but we can’t feel it or smell it. However, when I say “smells green” I have in mind a very clear odor and an almost palpable sense of rebirth. It is an association I make with nature coming back to life after a long winter (also with its beauty), with the warmth of the shy sun on my skin, not yet with the power of its furnace moon, with the inspiration of the fresh morning air. It is an awakening to life, as if nature opens her heart to me, and I in turn open my heart to her.
As a logical connection, I thought further. Just as nature awakens to life after a long winter, so too we can experience a spiritual awakening, a clarity of mind, of our meaning in life, after a period of wandering. It is like seeing and feeling anew.
From the discussions I have with friends, current or potential clients, acquaintances or family, there are many of us who are still in a period of searching for meaning or who have gone through a traumatic experience that we are unable to overcome.
I totally understand the feeling. I’ve been there. I went through the winter of my soul, when I couldn’t make sense. My friends, my colleagues, my family, my mentors were there for me and they gave me a fantastic boost, they encouraged me. But I knew that I would get through this winter only by my conscious effort. I knew that a guide could be by my side and show me the way, but the change comes from within me, step by step, until I reach the stage of adaptation and acceptance.
The Kubler Ross Change Curve tells us that there are 5 stages of grief – Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance – which are applicable to any change or trauma, whether minor or major. It is up to us how quickly we can move from bargaining to depression and how quickly we can return to acceptance. The sooner we come to acceptance, the sooner we can move beyond the walls of the mind, which we have built up diligently.
Then we can say that we have awakened, that we have rediscovered meaning in life, that we have had that spiritual awakening, full of positive emotions. Then we can say that we see, feel, smell again.
It all starts with you, and you are the one person who can go through the stages of change in the shortest possible time. You are the person who can say: Ready! Accepted! I see!
Try it, right now:
- Close your eyes and take a deep breath.
- Smile!
- Smell the fragrance of the air, which awakens all your senses. A feeling of gratitude envelops you, and your body vibrates with well-being.
- Open your eyes and see the wonder all around you.
Doesn’t it smell green?
Claudiu
