by Kathy Ruff
Have you ever watched a horse roaming around in an area surrounded by a split-rail fence? They feed inside but eventually they put their heads through the rails to taste the delicacies on the outside of the fence.
Abby loves sitting on the ledge, watching the birds flying and any loose cats that pass by. I wonder what she thinks: ‘Wish I were outside’ or ‘Na, na, na, na, na.’
When we were young, we’d be like Abby. On a rainy or snowy day, we’d look through the windows, wishing we were outside. If we went outside, the weather eventually chilled our fingers and toes to the point we had to escape its grip and return inside.
Why is it we tend to want to be somewhere other than where we are? Yet when we get there, some other place may look even more appealing.
Why does it seem tastier, brighter, somehow better over there than where we are here and now? Growth and progress require us to stretch outside our comfort zones, but when do we appreciate where we are now? When are we content with where and who we are?
Here or there; which is best for you? Are you enjoying today?
Our physical body is always here because of circumstances, decisions made by others, or our own choices. Our mind can go there to the past, to the future, or dwell in the present moment. Here is reality; there is possibilities. The more we realize what is out there, the more we can choose the future, even if the choice is to appreciate the comfort of the here and now.