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Taking Time to Appreciate Life

Posted By: Randy GageAugust 26, 2009

I was out doing my cardio running along the sidewalk when I noticed a centipede scurrying across.  About five feet later, another was crossing the sidewalk.

I should have stopped with the first one.  But I didn’t miss the second opportunity.  Do you realize how fascinating it can be to watch a centipede crawling along, moving all those legs in rhythm?

There is much beauty in simplicity.  And the simple things.   A snowflake, a leave, the smile lines around someone’s mouth, or the elegance of a sunset.  But sometimes we get so busy we fail to appreciate the beauty all around us.  So how are you doing on this?

-RG

21 comments on “Taking Time to Appreciate Life”

  1. I realized a long time ago that all the busy-ness and even the achievements aren't worth anything if you can't take the time to enjoy your own life and the life that's going on all around you on this amazing planet of ours.

  2. The elephants were desperate! They only had TEN men for their football team! They were playing the Lions who were an awseome team!

    Just as they began to despair a centipede came along and, sensing their distress offered to play as STRIKER!

    The elephants were delighted and the game started but where was the centipede?

    The Elephans grew desperate as the Lions scored twice. WHERE WAS THEIR MAN???

    THEN JUST before half time the centipede appeared on the pitch. 'WHAT kept you?' asked the Captain, 'We needed you'

    'Ah!' said the centipede 'Exactly HOW many pairs of boots did YOU fellas have to put on?'

  3. Thanks for the reminder Randy. I always feel filled with joy when I take a few moments to appreciate the beauty that is all around us. The simpliest things bring awe when you actually allow yourself to take it in. I'm enjoying my cup of coffee just a little bit more this morning after reading this, watching the trees blow in the wind, and feeling the warm sun on my skin.

  4. As I write this-I'm enjoying the space we carved out of the hardscape in our backyard. It's our own urban oasis-I simply refer to it as my summer office. Peace & Tranquility right down the block from City Hall

  5. Coyotes, wolves, crickets, bullfrogs... I love all the sounds of nature. There is something spiritual about that. If she doesn't like it, maybe she should move out of the hills and into LA where she can enjoy the sirens, screaming, and gun shots. Personally, I prefer coyotes.

  6. The view out my front window where I have my office really helps with this. There is a gorgeous ficus tree and birds all day in the tree and on the front lawn.

    I love my view. It adds a lot to my work day. It can be very relaxing. It's also a plus when I'm in a thoughtful mood. It's just simple and beautiful! Also reminds me I love working at home.

  7. Its empowering to see beutiful things. A nice face , a sunset or a amazing landscape.
    Sometimes when I am golfing and stand for a tricky shot or an important putt I try to find a beuty scenerie around me , a house, landscape, sea or bay. It gives me good vibration and keeps the rytm in the action.

  8. Yepp! .. I am in "Mampf", a restaurant in Bornheim/ Frankfurt, Germany... with my laptop on .. just did the final leg of a 4 - day singing workshop with my beautiful fiancee Andrea and had my first on - stage appearance singing Foot of the Mountain and I guess that's why they call it the Blues .. - something I wanted to do for 20 years .. Andrea, my fiancee, drove me to do it .. I should have been working on other things .. however: as you say, Randy, celebrating life and being alive is what one takes with oneself .. and taking time to allow that is a gift ..

  9. I remember sitting for 3 hours with a friend watching a group of tiny black ants trying to get some small pieces of potato crisps back to their nest. Although the bits of crisps were easily 20 times the size of an ant they all rallied together and eventually got all the pieces down that hole. Totally fascinating.

  10. yes sir... i take every moment to appreciate the beauty around me... living here in the Philippines can be quite a challenge... there is so much pollution, so much dirt and yuckiness it is easy to get sucked into the filth and loose sight of the beauty this country has to offer.

    i surround myself with the things i love, and enjoy every day, and every moment i take notice and appreciate it all... and i take notice of the wonders and beauty in the little things i see and experience daily....

    for some reason though i just cannot get myself to appreciate the GIANT centipedes or the 8" spiders that invade my home... so i always have a can of raid handy... hehehe... however i do appreciate their relatives and offspring for their unyielding persistence.

    i even found away to appreciate the fact that i cannot get my favorite authors books at the book stores, i found a new appreciation for ebooks... with ebooks i don't have to leave my library at home, i can take it all with me every where i go. over 3,000 books so far and i never have to wait to get back home to read any of them.... :o)

    i learned to appreciate life on a new level having spent just over three years here... so much suffering and poverty every where one looks, it is heart breaking to see it first hand. to see people rise above that, to break free of it is amazing in any country, but in a country like this where the suffering is real and unimaginable i have learned to appreciate people's will to succeed and overcome that much more....

    luv ya... peace out

  11. Here's a story I sent to my friends in June, 2008. I called in "White Lillies":

    I just had to share this story with you all. I’ve had a tough year with my son Michael’s illness and the ongoing breast cancer battle my sister Shirley is struggling with. There have been times when it has been difficult but I’ve managed to press on.

    This past Tuesday I took the day off from work to take Michael to the doctor and take care of some other personal business of my own. While waiting for Michael’s appointment to arrive I decided to mow the lawn. When Tom and I moved into our house a little over a year and a half ago I noticed immediately that there were no flowers on the property just a lot of shrubs, bushes and trees. After mowing the back lawn I naturally mowed the front lawn and then proceeded to take the mower to the back yard again to put it away. As I approached my back yard I noticed a single beautiful white lilly plant growing along the back fence. I knew immediately it was a sign. I put the mower away and ran upstairs to my computer. I googled “white lillies” and there it was. White lillies are a sign of hope and life. Wow, God is good.

    So I send to you today white lillies.
    Carol Barrett
    June 10, 2008

  12. Another great thing about simplicity: EVERY task, no matter how complex, can be broken down into simpler tasks. Which ultimately makes even the most impossible-looking tasks, possible, if you just take one thing at a time.

  13. Being a photographer helps me enjoy these things, not only do I take the time in life to sit and observe, but I also can go back and look at pictures and enjoy the moment again. If the moment is way cool, I will put it up on the wall in my house!

  14. -RG,

    When you wrote;

    "I should have stopped with the first one. But I didn’t miss the second opportunity. "

    I laughed and asked How many times has this happened in Randy's and most of our lives, were we miss or run by opportunities?

    And then have God put it before us again then we say "But I...."

    -djm

  15. Ever since I gave birth to my precious son three years ago...I have been forced to slow down. It has been an actual joy to relax a little from the hustle and bustle of life and experience all of the small wonders of life, through his innocent eyes!

    I pray that I will remember to help him stay in awe of the every day simplicities of life as he grows into a busy, young man.

  16. Right on Randy. I enjoy running half marathons and at times I get caught up in the grind of finishing 13.1 miles. But when I look up and take in the scenary it's a whole new experience.
    Let's stop and take it all in from time to time. Would you agree?

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  • 21 comments on “Taking Time to Appreciate Life”

    1. I realized a long time ago that all the busy-ness and even the achievements aren't worth anything if you can't take the time to enjoy your own life and the life that's going on all around you on this amazing planet of ours.

    2. The elephants were desperate! They only had TEN men for their football team! They were playing the Lions who were an awseome team!

      Just as they began to despair a centipede came along and, sensing their distress offered to play as STRIKER!

      The elephants were delighted and the game started but where was the centipede?

      The Elephans grew desperate as the Lions scored twice. WHERE WAS THEIR MAN???

      THEN JUST before half time the centipede appeared on the pitch. 'WHAT kept you?' asked the Captain, 'We needed you'

      'Ah!' said the centipede 'Exactly HOW many pairs of boots did YOU fellas have to put on?'

    3. Thanks for the reminder Randy. I always feel filled with joy when I take a few moments to appreciate the beauty that is all around us. The simpliest things bring awe when you actually allow yourself to take it in. I'm enjoying my cup of coffee just a little bit more this morning after reading this, watching the trees blow in the wind, and feeling the warm sun on my skin.

    4. As I write this-I'm enjoying the space we carved out of the hardscape in our backyard. It's our own urban oasis-I simply refer to it as my summer office. Peace & Tranquility right down the block from City Hall

    5. Coyotes, wolves, crickets, bullfrogs... I love all the sounds of nature. There is something spiritual about that. If she doesn't like it, maybe she should move out of the hills and into LA where she can enjoy the sirens, screaming, and gun shots. Personally, I prefer coyotes.

    6. The view out my front window where I have my office really helps with this. There is a gorgeous ficus tree and birds all day in the tree and on the front lawn.

      I love my view. It adds a lot to my work day. It can be very relaxing. It's also a plus when I'm in a thoughtful mood. It's just simple and beautiful! Also reminds me I love working at home.

    7. Its empowering to see beutiful things. A nice face , a sunset or a amazing landscape.
      Sometimes when I am golfing and stand for a tricky shot or an important putt I try to find a beuty scenerie around me , a house, landscape, sea or bay. It gives me good vibration and keeps the rytm in the action.

    8. Yepp! .. I am in "Mampf", a restaurant in Bornheim/ Frankfurt, Germany... with my laptop on .. just did the final leg of a 4 - day singing workshop with my beautiful fiancee Andrea and had my first on - stage appearance singing Foot of the Mountain and I guess that's why they call it the Blues .. - something I wanted to do for 20 years .. Andrea, my fiancee, drove me to do it .. I should have been working on other things .. however: as you say, Randy, celebrating life and being alive is what one takes with oneself .. and taking time to allow that is a gift ..

    9. I remember sitting for 3 hours with a friend watching a group of tiny black ants trying to get some small pieces of potato crisps back to their nest. Although the bits of crisps were easily 20 times the size of an ant they all rallied together and eventually got all the pieces down that hole. Totally fascinating.

    10. yes sir... i take every moment to appreciate the beauty around me... living here in the Philippines can be quite a challenge... there is so much pollution, so much dirt and yuckiness it is easy to get sucked into the filth and loose sight of the beauty this country has to offer.

      i surround myself with the things i love, and enjoy every day, and every moment i take notice and appreciate it all... and i take notice of the wonders and beauty in the little things i see and experience daily....

      for some reason though i just cannot get myself to appreciate the GIANT centipedes or the 8" spiders that invade my home... so i always have a can of raid handy... hehehe... however i do appreciate their relatives and offspring for their unyielding persistence.

      i even found away to appreciate the fact that i cannot get my favorite authors books at the book stores, i found a new appreciation for ebooks... with ebooks i don't have to leave my library at home, i can take it all with me every where i go. over 3,000 books so far and i never have to wait to get back home to read any of them.... :o)

      i learned to appreciate life on a new level having spent just over three years here... so much suffering and poverty every where one looks, it is heart breaking to see it first hand. to see people rise above that, to break free of it is amazing in any country, but in a country like this where the suffering is real and unimaginable i have learned to appreciate people's will to succeed and overcome that much more....

      luv ya... peace out

    11. Here's a story I sent to my friends in June, 2008. I called in "White Lillies":

      I just had to share this story with you all. I’ve had a tough year with my son Michael’s illness and the ongoing breast cancer battle my sister Shirley is struggling with. There have been times when it has been difficult but I’ve managed to press on.

      This past Tuesday I took the day off from work to take Michael to the doctor and take care of some other personal business of my own. While waiting for Michael’s appointment to arrive I decided to mow the lawn. When Tom and I moved into our house a little over a year and a half ago I noticed immediately that there were no flowers on the property just a lot of shrubs, bushes and trees. After mowing the back lawn I naturally mowed the front lawn and then proceeded to take the mower to the back yard again to put it away. As I approached my back yard I noticed a single beautiful white lilly plant growing along the back fence. I knew immediately it was a sign. I put the mower away and ran upstairs to my computer. I googled “white lillies” and there it was. White lillies are a sign of hope and life. Wow, God is good.

      So I send to you today white lillies.
      Carol Barrett
      June 10, 2008

    12. Another great thing about simplicity: EVERY task, no matter how complex, can be broken down into simpler tasks. Which ultimately makes even the most impossible-looking tasks, possible, if you just take one thing at a time.

    13. Being a photographer helps me enjoy these things, not only do I take the time in life to sit and observe, but I also can go back and look at pictures and enjoy the moment again. If the moment is way cool, I will put it up on the wall in my house!

    14. -RG,

      When you wrote;

      "I should have stopped with the first one. But I didn’t miss the second opportunity. "

      I laughed and asked How many times has this happened in Randy's and most of our lives, were we miss or run by opportunities?

      And then have God put it before us again then we say "But I...."

      -djm

    15. Ever since I gave birth to my precious son three years ago...I have been forced to slow down. It has been an actual joy to relax a little from the hustle and bustle of life and experience all of the small wonders of life, through his innocent eyes!

      I pray that I will remember to help him stay in awe of the every day simplicities of life as he grows into a busy, young man.

    16. Right on Randy. I enjoy running half marathons and at times I get caught up in the grind of finishing 13.1 miles. But when I look up and take in the scenary it's a whole new experience.
      Let's stop and take it all in from time to time. Would you agree?

    Leave a Reply to douglas Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


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