More important than owning or even experiencing something is being able to appreciate it. If we know how to appreciate a wood fire, its smell, its beauty, then we can feel good just by thinking about it. Yet if we don't know how to appreciate it, but it is present in our every day life, then its presence is only physical and meaningless. This is a prime example of how not having can be more than actually having.
Autumn is a beautiful season to reflect on everything spring and summer has brought us. Autumn itself should not be overlooked as it has many gifts; the sun warming our back on a chilly morning, the sound of the leaves dancing in the air, the beauty of every leaf as it changes colors, are among the countless blessings that are freely available to all of us who know how to appreciate it.
Appreciation leads to less consumption. The world moves towards more and more consumption everyday, and of course, less appreciation. We are supposed to buy and not be satisfied, but want more. If we learned to appreciate everything we already have we wouldn't waste so much, and need to buy more to feel content. Having should not be about how much physical matter is around us.
It is a cultural issue that has spread to be a world wide problem. The good old days when people were truly thankful for the food they harvested at this time of the year; the food that would get them through the winter are long gone. It is now work to be appreciative of things and much easier to say, give me more!
The good news is that when we learn to appreciate something, it most often stays with us. And it is one of the many things that can add fulfillment to our lives and contribute to our overall happiness. Very few of us can appreciate the most basic things such as every breath we take. It is much harder to be appreciative of something that is always there, even though that something may be essential in keeping us alive.
Doing nothing can lead to appreciation as well. We can all find our own way to get back in touch with the truly important things in life. My favorite way is to sit on a log in the woods and let nature over power all my senses. Autumn being one of the best times of the year to do this.
On a chilly morning when the air is biting your skin, the sun warming your back and the wind and the trees singing a song just for you.
I appreciate you taking the time to read this.
--Pedro
“If I seem to boast more than is becoming, my excuse is that I brag for humanity rather than for myself; and my shortcomings and inconsistencies do not affect the truth of my statement.” --Henry David Thoreau
