I spent the long holiday weekend in Georgia where my husband and I had one adventure after another. We saw alligators, hiked through the sweltering heat, and biked in a downpour. But of everything we saw, witnessed, and adored, it was a single activity that brought me back to peace. And why Georgia’s still on my mind.
It was a labyrinth on a farm that got me to where the answers are. Beneath the haven of a green Georgia tree, there was a rock labyrinth. It was bigger than the one we walked in Sedona. But just as beautiful. Without word, we went straight toward it. And like a record player, followed the grooves, falling deeper and deeper into a sense of peace.
When you’re busy moving through life, you forget the little things. When you’re on your iPhone, you don’t feel the breeze on your face. You don’t hear the birds chirping out the window. You don’t give yourself enough time, space or silence before you fill it with busyness. And that’s a shame. Because under that tree, walking upon the earth, you’ll find the answers that you’ve been searching for.
There’s something about walking slowly that awakens the spirit. It’s the feeling of the ground upon your feet, the pause between steps, that makes every step feel intentional, with purpose, instead of towards a single goal.
But it is also the labyrinth itself that has a way of telling the story of your life. As my husband and I took separate paths, I noticed the feelings that welled up inside of me. I wondered, for example, if he had taken the quicker path. I felt the pressure to rush and I pushed against it in order to just breathe. I heard myself question the journey: How long would it take to get there? Was it worth it? Was I wasting time?
I realized that this labyrinth echoed the journey of my life.
This weekend, if you cannot find a labyrinth, just walk. Walk with intention. Walk slowly and as you feel your feet plant firmly into the ground.
If you are still, if you are present, you will hear the messages that are trying to guide your life.
Brandi-Ann Uyemura is a freelance writer who specializes in psychology and self-help articles. She has a MA in Counseling Psychology and writes for several publications and websites. You can get more information about her here. She also blogs about inspiration, writing inspiration and psychology.