Shades of Green

Discovery often hides in plain sight – sometimes revealed in the most unexpected ways. 

My commute for work at the job I had held for just a couple of months was about 45 minutes each way.  I used that time in the morning to map out my day and slowly get myself going.  The afternoon drive was the time when I could decompress so that, by the time I got home, the tension of the day had evaporated.

I was on the interstate most of the time.  There typically was not a lot of traffic, so I didn’t have to deal with the frustrations that I had dealt with commuting with my previous job.  I traded commuting through the heart of the city, via one of the busiest arteries in the area, for commuting through the countryside, even crossing through a National Forest.  It was in that stretch of forest one morning when I looked onto the mountainside and realized that nature was spotted with too many shades of green to count. 

The leaves of the many different tree species, the variety of grasses and underbrush, the morning dew, and shifting clouds – all combined to create more shades of green that I could count.  It was stunning.  How is it possible that I have never noticed this before?  How? 

I suppose I could have noticed a million times before, yet I don’t think that I had ever consciously thought about it.  I couldn’t believe it.  How was it possible?  I had gone from listening quietly to sports podcast and legitimately thinking about nothing at all, to my mind swirling.  I couldn’t stop thinking about it.  How often do we miss the extraordinary in the ordinary?   

Admittedly, that description is a little over-the-top… but it was such a shock to my system, there’s really no way to describe it adequately.  In those moments of awe, I was experiencing a self-discovery that I wasn’t expecting. I had spent more than a decade so distracted by my work, I was missing the joys of life.

Now, thinking about shades of green has become a mental reminder to slow down and appreciate the things that we take for granted.  I realized that I had spent decades immersed in the busy-ness of business, that I had constantly looked past the awe and wonder that surrounded me.  I had missed moments – quiet moments, happy moments, moments of gravity, and moments of gratitude because I was focused on things that often times really didn’t matter that much. 

Today, if I find myself overwhelmed by all that I need to do but wanting to look out the window to see shades of greens and browns and greys.  I know now that looking for the bloom on a mountain laurel bush refreshes and renews my spirit and helps me focus better on the goals I have.  Listening to the gentle sound of the creek below my house clears the clutter in my mind, and helps to sharpen my focus. 

Taking moments to enjoy and embrace the wonders of life around us is a vital balance to the challenges of our work life.  We need the balance for the good of our relationships, our capabilities, and our own health. 

What details have you overlooked lately that could refresh your outlook?  What is your “shade of green?”  Take time to pause today, notice, and let it inspire you today.