Swallows and the Beginner's Mind
- Dean Huyck
- Jun 24, 2016
- 2 min read
The Beginner's Mind is a mental state that will ensure you an infinite cavalcade of awe-filled experiences... both grand and small. On one of my recent outings with my wonderful four legged teachers; Poppy and Fingal, I was reminded of this in a subtle and wonderful way. We were wandering along through a field on a day that seemed to have even more than the usual panoply of sensory gifts for the soul.
I stopped to watch the tree swallows swooping through the fields as I have so many times before. However this time I felt like I was being watched. There, perched perfectly atop a dead stalk of mullein was one swallow... pointedly staring at me. So there we were. It was this connection that called forth my Beginner's Mind. I have seen thousands of tree swallows. But there, regarding me with an ancient patience, was an animal with the most amazing turquoise, iridescent plumage that toyed with the morning light in a way that now made my heart beat a little faster. Clinging to the top of a mullein stalk that had long since served its reproductive purposes and now seemed to be tailor made for this bird to sit in perfect harmony with the world. In the air all around now I had a laser focussed awareness of the amazing flight capabilities of this sentinel's fellows and was fully ensconced in a wonderful awe moment. Suddenly, the sun, tall grass, breeze and these stunning birds were engaged in a symphony and I could feel the music in the very depth of my being. Apparently satisfied, my professor for the morning looked away from me, stretched his wings and flew to join the aerial dance.
With a Beginner's Mind there is no "been there, done that". You can't experience the same moment more than once. Even those that appear to have a painful amounts of repeated elements there are bits of magic you most definitely missed. So get out there and experience all you encounter as if it were the first time and prepare to reclaim the excitement you had as a child for things that lately have become oh, so commonplace. Pay Attention... find today's symphony.
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