Take Time to Smell the Roses

Probably you are familiar with an old saying ‘Stop and smell the roses’ …clouds smell the roses

One day, weather started to change and when I walked out of the building I saw an amazing artwork in the sky – grey clouds darker and lighter painted with bold strokes. They were just hanging out there. It looked like a giant artist decided that the sky will be a great canvas to work with. I stood there with my mouth open, face up, astonished, and moved by the beauty of nature. At that moment another person walked out of the building and saw me standing motionless and looking at the sky. I smiled at her saying how beautiful these clouds are. She glanced at them and said: “It is good that it’s not raining yet” and hurried up to her car and drove away.

I was observing her; she looked at the clouds, but didn’t see them. Didn’t see their haunting beauty, the strokes of the giant brush, and amazing shades of one insignificant colour of grey. The feast for the starving eyes after hours of sitting in the plain building. How is it possible?!

But it is. We are so busy with everyday life, rushing to do our duties, getting more material stuff, forgetting that there is more to it. We think that it is most important in our live to be productive, to achieve more, and to have more. This is what the society was telling us from the start, but how skewed this picture is! Where is white, there is black. There are always two sides of the coin and we cannot ignore one to benefit another. The balance has to be preserved.

Did you wonder sometimes, why when you add few drops of colour to the glass of clear water, after not a long time it will be evenly distributed? Or when a hot atmospheric front will collide with a cold one, we have a violent stormy weather? This is a natural way to achieve balance. This is the Rule which is everywhere in the nature. Law in physics and chemistry. Why we believe that we are immune to it? Our happiness, our health depends on it. Instead of turning towards ‘a pill will fix all’ look around you and see the beauty even in small, insignificant things like sway of the tall grass, delicate petals of tiny flower, or smell of the falling leaves.

Just for a brief moment be present, take a deep breath, and look around. It is a good start.