Author: cyleodonnell

The world outside ourselves is sometimes hard to reach even in the most beautiful places.

Just because we’re in awe-inspiring locales, it doesn’t mean that we’re open to being awed.  And while it’s important to address the source of this distraction, it’s also important to remember that this moment is more important than what can immediately be gained by the worry attached to that distraction.

Having taken the necessary steps to put ourselves out in the world to experience each moment of adventure, we come to be more in tune with these moments as they present themselves.

The term, “stop and smell the roses,” takes on an illustrious, new meaning when we’re standing in front of flowers that we’ve never seen before and which don’t exist back home.  And every time we pass on the opportunity to take in the full flavor of each moment is an occasion that we may later regret.  In most cases, the only time that we’re able to fully conceive of what we’ve missed along our path is once that journey has ended.  And by then, it’s simply too late.

This is one of the amazing lessons that is engrained in our very core from our time abroad.  And for those of us who have exercised the option to take off and explore these intimate moments that make up the greater experience of travel, are the ones most likely to literally pause for just long enough to embrace and fully take in those moments.

The next time we find ourselves in a time and place where we realize that we may never have the opportunity to experience it again, we should always remember to be present in that moment, to notice the little details that brought that moment into being, and to simple be with the time that exists for us right then and there.

–

Like the photo from this journal?  Check out the album HERE.

My new book, Insights from the Pavement, is a collection of 101 Travel Oms just like this one. Look for it to be released soon.

Join the conversation, tell me what you think about this idea. Leave your comments below.

Because of the way that the human brain works, most of us have an innate gravitation toward intellectual pursuits.  Before going to college, most might say that they never knew that they were interested in subject that they never would have otherwise seen as intriguing.  Afterward they may find that they are excited to begin the process of dedicating their entire lives to this “exciting new field.”  This is because we are creative thinkers.  And therefore when we find something that entices us, we have the capacity to remain focused on that item.

This manifests itself in countless different ways depending on the various characteristics that we receive when we’re born.  But we can all use these characteristics to our advantage – it’s no excuse to be lazy.  On the road or at home, we can always be diving into academic pursuits that satisfy that inner geek.

Each time we encounter something that might spark our interest, we have an opportunity to exhaust and expand the options surrounding it.  We have the opportunity to expound upon known items, or to discover new ones.  We can create new, right-brained art that complements or represents the intricacies of our new found items.  Or we can publish scholarly works based on our left-brained investigations of them.

The brain is just like a muscle in that when we exercise it, it becomes stronger.  Flex that muscle, utilize the tenacity for artistic and intellectual pursuits and ready yourself for the many benefits that come with being more mindful, having a more developed sense of perception and finding yourself excited to learn and do more in the name of mental grace.

–

Like this photo from this journal? Check out the album HERE.

My new book, Insights from the Pavement, is a collection of 101 Travel Oms just like this one. Look for it to be released soon.

Join the conversation, tell me what you think about this idea. Leave your comments below.

Words have meaning.  We’ve all heard that before.  They all have applications to which we apply different significance and understanding.  We use them to craft our expressions, to shape our ideas and to bring vibrancy to our thoughts.

But they are more then just the symbol of their definition or a designation to the characterization of an idea.  They truly do mean something.

When we think about something, we are manifesting our creative energies into a melding of many things.  What is created is an amalgamation of logic, initiative, intuition, agenda, emotion, experience and many, many other things.

The words that we choose to put to these conglomerations are, quite literally, all our own.  They are unique to us and, because they are the chosen sum of all our creative senses, intellectual machinations and emotional responses, they can never truly mean to someone else what they mean to us.  They can come close, but they will never really vibrate in others’ ears as they do in ours.

It is because of this reason that words have so much power.  When we speak them, we own them.  When speaking from the heart or at times of passion, they are generated from the same place where we receive the inspiration for our hopes and dreams.  They come from the same place that makes us feel sad when we wrong someone or miss someone we love.  When we profess them, it is our truth.  We are held accountable to our words as they are our oldest mode of transferring the information within us.

Words are our key to the gates of communication.  They are the platform on which we are represented.  And, most importantly, they are broadcast as a sampling of our own culture when we communicate in foreign places.

And believe it or not, they are not put together the same way in each place we go.  Essentially, they are an individually selected consignment of ideas – complete with tonality, emotional communication, personal meaning, ingrained undertones and countless other facets of expression.  They’re even delivered in a package exclusive to their maker – our own voice.  And this remains a universal constant, no matter where we might find ourselves.

When speaking to others, we must ensure that we use this important method of communication to its fullest potential.  When we speak with integrity, we are helping to ensure that our true passion is expressed; that our real feelings come across; that we respect the thoughts of others and further their support with words of our own; that we are contributing to the exponentially increasing pool of positivity, wisdom and expression; and that we can be counted as inimitable patrons of forward-thinking construction of intellectual infrastructure affording embracement in the diversity of our own humanity.

In other words, think positively, speak positively and offer your unique perspective to the endless possibilities for change, unity and ascension.

–

Like this photo from this journal? Check out the album HERE.

My new book, Insights from the Pavement, is a collection of 101 Travel Oms just like this one. Look for it to be released soon.

Join the conversation, tell me what you think about this idea. Leave your comments below.