Teachers, Teachers Everywhere

The old adage is “When the student is ready, the teacher appears”.

It seems to me that all the teachers are already in place. The key in this maxim is the “student being ready”.

Everything I see teaches me about myself, therefore everything is standing by as my teacher.

What I focus upon, indicates my readiness to learn what that teacher has to offer.

Where and how I experience beauty is a great inner teacher.

When I lived in Edwardsville, my house used to sit along a wide open field. There was nothing between my home and the horizon but grass and trees. Consequently, we had an unobstructed view of the setting sun.

I spent many hours sitting on my deck or standing in my driveway in awe of the incredible beauty the setting sun and various configurations of clouds created.

Once I was particularly touched by a captivating scene and I invited the neighbors to step beside their house to see this sight. “It’s just a sunset!” they shrugged and returned to their lawn chairs to resume their commiseration.

I realized then that the observation of beauty, even that which takes my breath away, is an individual choice. It is a one of my greatest teachers.

My ability to perceive beauty is directly proportional to my experience of being In-Love! When I am in “The Flow”, when I know that I am fully supported by a loving universe, I see beauty easily. I can marvel at the magnificence of a furry spider that has moved into my bedroom. I see love, in the face of an angry child. I see beauty and perfection in everything I set my eyes upon. It is actually more than a “seeing”. It is an awareness that Love is in all things. It is actually a connection to this Love.

When I am not centered in Love, I can get caught up in appearances, if I even notice things at all. I can be like my neighbors and not see, what may be a “once-in-a-lifetime” scene, because of my preoccupation with the illusions in my life.

Everything I see, hear, taste, smell, touch or intuit is my teacher. The observed object may not offer much wisdom, in and of itself, but my reaction does. The way I respond, the feeling and emotions evoked by the stimulus offers incredible lessons, when I am the willing student.
This is why it is so important that I am constantly re-committing to a moment-to-moment experience of this life.

Every second I spend in “AWE” I experience the Kingdom of Heaven. This kingdom is truly at hand, and it is my choice to dwell there or in some other reality.

In every instant today, I choose to be conscious and present. When I find my mind has moved to thoughts of the future or the past, I gently remind myself that the peace and joy I seek are here, in my experience of this present moment.