perception is more important than reality

Perception is more important than reality

Perception is more important than reality

And my coat and through my coat, in the woods and on the road.

It is wet.

Everywhere. The sky is grey and the sun is hiding. Puddles are building up, little currents of water travel down the hill towards the end of the close where I live.

What a great day.

I am stepping out with a warm coat, and I am smelling the fresh air, as raindrops seem to take away any idea of pollution, and bring in a sense of clear air.

It’s lovely.

I stand still, put the hoodie over my head, close my eyes and just listen. Listen to the raindrops falling on my hoodie, my shoulders, the ground and around me. It sounds like music. Not melodious, but rhythmic with a variety of little tickling sounds. It’s beautiful.

I lift my head to catch the drops on the skin of my face. It is like a gentle massage, a caressing dance that feels energising. I feel alive.

Then I look around me and even though the grey sky seems to have taken the colour out of a few leaves, the grass seems a bit more vibrant than usual, with little water diamonds hanging of them.

And the sun? Even though I can’t see the sun, I know it is just hiding behind the clouds in the sky.

What is the reason for this poetic description of my experience of the weather?

It is to explain how habitual judgment colours our experience. Most of us become miserable when looking at the rain, anticipating being wet and cold and hanging our head.

When approaching the rain with an open mind, as if you’d never experienced it before will make it rich, exciting and beautiful. That is what mindfulness is. Being in the moment without any pre-conceived ideas, judgments or expectations. It is also a fantastic tool to reduce stress.

Want to know more about mindfulness?

Interested in starting? The perfect introduction to mindfulness is Mariette’s One Minute Meditation

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