I spent a week with my dear friend Ramzi in Zion and Bryce Canyon Utah. Ramzi and I are on very parallel journeys right now: recently unmarried, on a deep spiritual path and personal growth stage, focusing on building conscious community, and seeking how we evolve how we live and work to live our truest ikigai. So, I was very much looking forward to this week and knew it would be filled with connection, reflection, adventure and play for both of us. I also knew it was something Ramzi needed to feed his soul; to take the time and space away from day to day life and see the bigger picture. And that is what I set out to have him experience through the lens of how I am living right now.
It could not have come at a more perfect time. He was knee deep in working through an exit from his company, so wore the weight of this stress all over him when he arrived. His constricted energy permeating through his entire aura. I knew what he needed was a balance of time with me and himself, out in nature, where he truly feels one. So, I had planned just enough to know where we could go, getting all the right passes in Zion so he didn’t have to think about anything which I know was very meaningful to him since he was very used to planning every aspect of a trip in his marriage. As we hiked in the most beautiful, serene spots, I asked him what he was grateful for. “This moment, right here, right now,” he replied. “Why?” I asked, as I wanted to know more because I have found that when we peel back the layers of our gratitude and become ‘gratitude detective” that is where the really magic of understand lies. And his response was beautiful, sharing gratitude of “the beautiful red mountains, magical color of the leaves turning, the ease of the company we shared, the connected meaningful conversation, the sounds of the leaves blowing in the wind, feeling one in nature, the serenity of this place…the feeling of truly being in the present moment without worrying about what is next to come, what is next to do, just living in the now.” I smiled.
The moments are even more delicious when we can articulate with detail why we feel so much joy and peace. They are moments to listen to. To be aware of so you can continue to seek these out daily.
And in the mountains, Ramzi was listening more to this internal voice, which was the best gift I could give.
