"My mind feasted on his words, for they were the only words spoken for many hours. I searched their meaning but I had been there before, bored beyond all thought and reason. I knew that the moment boredom arises it is a teacher. It is our mind and spirits way of communicating to us that we are not looking deep enough into things around us, nor are we living fully in the span of a moment and understanding eternity. I realised then the source of my boredom. I had lost touch with reality and allowed my mind to rush, wandering aimlessly over all the things I should be doing rather than enjoying fully what was. I let go of the distracted mind thought and nature rushed in to fill the void, carrying me back to the world of silence and beauty enveloped me. At once I felt connected to the earth again, and the internal clock slipped slowly back to the expansion of eternity." - The Vision by Tom Brown Jr.
I remember reading this book whilst on the road in Mexico. The simple message of learning to really see the things that are occurring in front of us, and how the mindful eye can submerge us into an incredible state of bliss. I was spending more and more time disconnected from the online world and I realised that I would often find myself subconsciously reaching for my phone even though there was nothing there that could provide me instant gratification. I had to learn to use the environment around me to stimulate my mind and attention. This was the moment I really committed to reestablishing my connection with creativity through photography and writing. I tried to create a relationship with each moment I was experiencing, really soaking up every detail through all of my senses. I began having a passionately touching conversation with the nature around me and remembering that we are never alone in our experiences, the vibrancy of life touches deeply if we really choose to see it.
