Strawberries and Cream: The Importance of Savoring The Simple Pleasures of Life

One of the secrets to a happy life is to notice, savor and enjoy the simple things that give us so much pleasure and joy if we pay attention to them.

THE DAWNING LIGHT # 149 Wednesday June 7, 2023

STILL MOUNTAIN CHRONICLES Section # 19

Photo Credit: Chinmayan “Our strawberries on flax seed pancakes with free range chicken eggs from our friend’s farm—a special breakfast to celebrate the coming of spring and all the sweet flavors of our life.”

STRAWBERRIES AND CREAM

One of the secrets to having a happy life is remembering to notice and enjoy the simple things that can give us so much pleasure and satisfaction if we pay attention to them.

This morning, Ani harvested a big bowl of ripe strawberries from the strawberry patch in our meditation garden.

These plants not only have survived the harsh and freezing winter that we endured this year, but have come back even bigger and stronger and more productive than ever. 

Though there are only about twenty plants in the patch, they are now producing so many strawberries, that we need to harvest the ripened plumb ones every day…or they get wasted. 

These strawberries also have the most intense, rich and deep flavor of any we have ever had.  These strawberries are a testament to the principle of using adversity to become ever better rather than bitter.

After bringing the bowl of brightly colored berries back to my tiny house, Ani washed them, sliced them in half, put them into two bowls, added cream with use a drop of stevia to create a special treat for us to savor.

Photo Credit: Chinmayan

FOCUS ON THE SPECIAL MOMENTS AND SHARE THEM

We have learned to completely focus on the moments when we have something as special as these strawberries and cream to share, to be thankful for the gift they are and to eat them slowly, one at a time, enjoying each mouthful to the fullest.

When we do this, it is a mind blowing experience because even though I have memories of the other times we have had this treat, the intensity of this perfectly sweet yet tangy treat, is always a surprise that gives us great pleasure because we are absolutely present with the experience as we take each bite.

We give our bowls of strawberries and cream our full, undistracted attention.  It is a cosmic law that energy flows wherever our attention goes.  This is an immeasurably profound principle and another one of the key secrets to happiness and satisfaction.

Photo Credit: Chinmayan “Our angel of the roses”

MOST OF US MISS SO MUCH OF THE GOOD FLOWING THROUGH OUR LIVES

Most of us miss so much of the good that flows through our lives because we are in our heads instead of our hearts and stuck in our thought stream rather than being present in this very moment.

Most of us are looking forward to something big to enjoy in the future and completely miss the simple pleasures which actually are flowing abundantly through our lives.

My teachers have always stressed this point—

If you are not living in the present and being mindful of each and every blessing that comes, however small it may be, then you will not have the capacity to truly enjoy the big things that we look forward to as rewards.

Photo Credit: Chinmayan “The sweet fragrance of the blossoming rose is a blessing to all, from the bees to human beings.”

THE MOST IMPORTANT AND BEAUTIFUL THINGS IN LIFE HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH MONEY…The most precious things…sharing love, a moonlight walk on the beach, smelling a blossoming rose and so much more are free, costing only you taking the time to savor them.

It is a beautiful thing that most of the blessings that are here for us to enjoy in our lives have nothing to do with money and can’t be bought.

We just have to remind ourselves to slow down, come into the present moment, focus our attention solely on the simple things to be savored and enjoy them to the fullest.

I am reminded of the many times I drove out to a perfect spot in the Marin Headlands which provided a spectacular view of the ocean as the sun set in glorious and amazing ways each evening. 

To me, it was a privilege to watch it from evening all the way through the coming on of night.  To me, it was always so enthralling that often I would be moved to tears by this daily show of nature in its full glory.

Photo Credit: Chinmayan “Sunset on Still Mountain”

DON’T BE IN SUCH A HURRY…SLOW DOWN AND SAVOR THE SACRED SUNSET TIME and the coming of the full moon and starry skies.

But, every evening, as I sat meditatively in my car, totally focused on the sunset, one rental car after another of out of town tourists would drive up and park next to my old truck. 

The husband and wife, who had spent so much treasure to fly out to to have a vacation on the west coast, would get out of the car and stand there gawking at the scene before them. 

It wasn’t more than 30 seconds before the husband was jiggling the change in his pockets and impatiently rocking on his feet while his wife was being genuinely moved by the beauty in front of them. 

In one or two minutes, the husband would turn to the wife and say “Ok honey, we’ve seen it..now let’s get going!” And they would jump back into their car and drive away.

I thought “When you are busy running from one thing to another without really being present with it—-Life is going to go by really fast while you miss all the good things that were there for you to enjoy.”

I have learned to slow down and take pleasure in the simplest things, to appreciate them fully, to savor every bit of the experience—knowing that this is the way to not missing any of the treasures that the divine is sending into our lives to in joy.

Its true..the simple pleasures are the best because if you can enjoy them, then you will notice and appreciate all of the rest of things, big and small, that are in your life to bless, inspire, and uplift you.

Photo Credit: Chinmayan “Our strawberry patch after harvesting the day’s bowl full of ripe delicious and amazingly wonderful strawberries.”

A PERFECT SONG FOR THIS STORY…An upbeat blast from the past with this chorus:

TAKE IT EASY by The Eagles

“Take it easy, take it easy.

Don’t let the sound of your own wheels drive you crazy.

Lighten up while you still can,

Don’t even try to understand—

Just find a place to take your stand and take it easy.”

“Take It Easy” by The Eagles

You Tube Video of Eagles performing this profound song live in 1994

“We may lose or we may win

But we will never be here again.”

Photo Credit: Chinmayan “Ani weeding our victorious strawberry patch.”

Calligraphy by Chinmayan

Calligraphy by Chinmayan

Image Credit: Still Mountain Meditation Center

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