"She imagines a light inside of her growing exponentially into the world."
thought. She stops herself from writing that she is grateful for the blunt honesty of the crowd, and pivots to reframe the experience: 4. a way to move forward with a renewed sense for the voice of the people. Another stop. What is she grateful for right now? She smiles brightly as she thinks of her neighbor, Yamini, a new friend who invites her over for dinner and helps her make new friends. 5. Yamini’s friendship.
Next, Blake takes a comfortable position and closes her eyes. She begins with a quick body scan and a quiet centering exercise, noticing any sounds, smells, or sensations in her environment. Then she thinks about the origin of her items of gratitude. Where did they come from? Her good attitude this morning came from her nicely decorated room with the sun streaming in perfectly. The compliment she received on the bus came from a very sweet-looking elderly woman with softly crinkled skin and hair pulled back tightly in a bun. Blake mentally thanks the woman for giving her a much-needed boost at a time when she felt rushed. As Blake works through each grateful note, she ends her meditation by extending that gratitude to the entire world. She imagines a light inside of her growing exponentially into the world. She continues to focus on her breath, keeping it steady and deep throughout her meditation. She even thanks her feet for taking her into town and holding her up.
Blake’s eyes flicker open. Even if she doesn’t want to admit it, meditating has really helped. She is amazed that listening to her body and breath can give her such clarity and contentment. Somehow, it always does the trick. Now she thinks about the art of listening. She had been telling the people what was wrong, bombarding them with facts and solutions when they weren’t even convinced there was a problem in the first place! If they don’t see it as a problem, is it really a problem? Her water-quality results say yes, but the people say no. How can she find a happy medium? What issues do the people recognize, if any? Blake intends to find out, and she knows exactly what she needs to do next.
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