It's Not Too Late for New Beginnings

By Chris Dunmire

Nearing the end of April in the Midwest, it's turning the corner from a cold, monochrome winter into a warm, color-flourishing spring.

I remember being cooped up in my small cubical at work around this time last year. I'd look longingly out the window of our office building during lunchtime, getting a small glimpse of the rebirth of nature happening each day. While my mind was occupied with multitasking, the miracle going on outside received token attention from me. At the end of each day I'd walk to my car and take a deep breath of the fresh spring air, thinking I was appreciating the arrival of the new season before heading home.

The reality: I was barely noticing the beautiful transformation of life going on. Not that I noticed it much differently in previous years — I had established a pattern of taking it for granted. In exchange for what? For little things that didn't really matter in the big scheme of things.

I lived my life dictated by an alarm clock, fully entrenched in the rut of 9 to 5, rush-hour commutes, and demanding bosses. What was going on outside of that window only gauged how much I needed to wear or extra time I had to allot for driving.

Much has happened between last year and now, most notably, that I punched out of my job for the last time at the end of October and became among the millions of other Americans finding creative ways to earn a living on their own terms. Not only that, but living life on their own terms.

So I've indulged in a lot of new-thought reading. The short version is that after reading Eckhart Tolle's The Power of Now, I decided that this year was going to be different when it came to welcoming in the new seasons. How's it worked out for spring? I've been taking more frequent walks outside, consciously stopping in nature to observe flowers and trees budding with enthusiasm. I've crouched on the ground with my camera to get close up pictures new life emerging from the soil. And I've pointed the lens towards the sky to capture a breathtaking view of flowering tree buds against a blue background. I've been breathing it in, watching it closely, being witness and part of the emerging changes in my environment. What a difference!

Never before have I experienced the onset of the spring season like I have over the last few weeks. My active participation in the transformation of life has only deepened my appreciation for our home, the earth.

Nature is a patient teacher. And the onset of spring reminds me that it's not too late for new beginnings. Best of all, I don't have to watch it all unfold remotely from a lunch room window. •

© 2004, 2009 Chris Dunmire. All rights reserved.