The thought of going out and feeding the cows was sounding less appealing than it had the night before. What was I thinking when I made the decision to have cows on the property.
I turned to my side in the midst of warmth under my thick layered covers and tried going back to sleep.
MOOOOOO…
“Ugh!” I voice my disdain and threw the blankets off of me. I swung my legs to the side of the bed and stretched my arms. Instantly I was cold again. Making haste, I got dressed then donned my coat and boots.
MOOOOOO…
These cows must have an internal clock.
Once outside the fresh crisp cool air rejuvenates me. I swung the barn door open and endorphins begin to multiply as I breath in the collective smells of hay, wood, and equipment. Who needs a therapist, just come stand in my barn!
I grabbed several flakes from a bale of grass and toss them in a nearby wheel barrel. Kudo feelings begin filling the stress areas of my body. I take in another deep breath and then slowly release it.
All of my earlier grumblings begin to dissipate as I push the cart out in the field. The cows, now following me, express their urgency for the meal they have evidently been waiting for. I guess if you have four stomachs then you to would be hungry.
As I toss each bunch of grass aimlessly out in the pasture, the cows find their own pile and start eating.
“Do any of you cows ever have stress?” None of the hairy beasts respond.
I continue with my questions, “Is your life ever so busy that you don’t know which way you’re going?” Still no response. Just chomping with an occasional swish of a tail.
I let out a puff of air and prop the now empty wheel barrel forward and sit in it. The slight breeze rustles my hair and I close my eyes. How did I become so busy that I forgot to pause and let the dust settle.
One of the cows raises his head as if he’s wondering the same thing about me then continues to chew on the grass while methodically pulling the remaining blades into his mouth.
“Do you ever get stressed out about me not coming to feed you?” I ask the eight-hundred-pound beast but he just stares at me with his dark eyes.
Taking in another deep breath I then let out a puff of condensation and watch it rise. How did life get so crazy. Maybe I do this to myself but it seems I always have this or that to do and then I complain about not having any time to relax.
“Stepping out of the busyness, stopping our endless pursuit of getting somewhere else, is perhaps the most beautiful offering we can make to our spirit.” – Tara Brach
Feeding the cows and sitting in the wheel barrel is one way I can intentionally pause my life and allow myself space to breathe. There is something about watching nature doing their morning routines that reminds me that I can have stuff to do but there is no need to be so busy that I’m stressed and can’t enjoy my surroundings. It’s as if I’m giving my brain a sedative so that my thoughts can begin to slow and be recalibrated.
When was the last time you paused? After the kids are in bed, go sit outside wrapped up in a blanket and observe the stars in the sky. Watch the ridiculous number of satellites making their orbiting around the earth. Maybe you’re on brake from work and you’re outside watching an ant make its way in and out of a crack of the sidewalk trying to move a crumb that someone dropped from their hastily eaten breakfast.
Or you’re in a coffee shop sitting at a table with a hot cup of java. The earbuds in your ears are now playing calm music as the surrounding noise has been cancelled out giving you a temporary bubble to pause while watching the world around you zoom by.
Pausing allows you to take a beat to take a breath in your life. As everybody else is rushing around like a lunatic out there, I dare you to do the opposite.” — Maria Shriver
Life is never so busy that you can’t take a moment to pause. Stop. Breath. Close your eyes. Slowly, breath out. It’s time to break your cycle of constant rushing so you can reset. Allow your body and mind to rest and refocus.
“It’s a transformative experience to simply pause instead of immediately filling up space.” — Pema Chodron
Image by Eddie Dean on iStock
Gwen
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