Janet’s Planet of Intention Creating More Millionaires

Just a couple days ago, I walked to the post office with a single letter to be mailed, instead of just having my postman pick it up. I’m glad I did. It was about a 3 mile round trip and of course the exercise was good. But there was something I experienced on the way back that inspired the title of this blog post that made taking the time to mail that letter more than worthwhile..

I was crossing a fairly busy intersection with traffic light. There was a group of kids who had just pressed the pedestrian walkway button and were waiting for the green light to cross. The group of about 8 kids, from middle school age to high school, were obviously having a good time amongst themselves while waiting.

It was the youngest that my eyes turned to when I heard the shrieks of joy coming from her. She was jumping up and down waiving her arms about and the others were watching her laughing enjoying watching her experience. She had just waived to the driver of a very large truck, motioning to him with her fist in the air pulling her fist down while bending her arm. The motion many of us as youth also mimicked of a truck driver pulling the cable inside the truck cab to blow the loud horn.

The truck driver eagerly responded to her blowing his horn several times to her delight as she continued to jump for joy. And as that was taking place I reveled in the simple joy of it all. Would most people have just continued walking through that intersection and not even noticed the young girl’s joy? If so it would have been because they just weren’t listening.

I own an iPod and had it with me but hadn’t used it during that walk. I walked, just listening to the sounds around me, cars, birds, the sounds of the baby in the stroller that had just pass me with the proud mom pushing. If I’d had my iPod playing with the plugs in my ears I would have missed sharing the joy of that little girl. It actually brought a great smile to my face and to my soul as I acknowledged how grateful I am for life in general and it’s simple joys.

Do you take time to listen to the sounds around you? Do you sit in silence to listen to your soul?

Many people experience an uncomfortable feeling when they sit in silence. They don’t know how to relax and just notice the monkey chatter that starts to play in their head, or the day dreams/nightmares that accompany being over-stimulated in our society from anxiety, too much negative media. So they mistakenly interpret this as needing to be doing something or with someone. They just didn’t sit long enough and relax enough.

It takes practice to focus on nothing and just relax and listen to your soul, listen to your breathing. Try meditation in some form daily even if it’s just sitting in silence for 15 minutes at the beginning of your day before writing your thoughts in a journal. There are many formal methods, Jappa is one that I use frequently, or just listening to meditative music to start with if you’re restless. It’s cleansing. It’s healing. For me, it brings to the surface answers to many personal and business issues for which I seek enlightenment. My creativity can flow unencumbered at these times. And I feel connected. Connected to God letting all that is good flow through me assisting me in appreciating every little simple joy.

So, stop and listen. Appreciate. Be aware. Watch and look for all that is good. Revel in it. Be grateful. And join me — HONK for Joy!