Today was a quick and easy drive to the Tucson area. I was in Sedona for almost two weeks, but it wasn’t long enough. There is SO much to see and so many amazing trails to hike. I had planned to do a lot of road biking but ended up mostly running and hiking. To get to the really beautiful stuff in Sedona, you have to be on foot.
Sedona is a special place. The selfish part of me doesn’t want to gush because I don’t want it to become too popular, to commercial. In this society, we have a way of destroying nature’s beauty. Sedona is perfect the way it is. But…with that said, it’s a really special place for seekers – those who are looking to grow inward and upward. A visit to Sedona won’t magically make you happy, but it might help you discover what changes you need to find happiness and fulfillment. There’s special energy in those rocks. I can’t explain it, but I felt it. To commune with nature is a powerful thing, but to do it somewhere like Sedona is particularly epic.
I know that not everyone is into energy and vibrations…but I am. My understanding of those things have radically changed my life. I am certainly not on a mission to convert anyone into a believer in the law of attraction, vibrations, common consciousness, or the power of positive thinking – but to periodically share my experiences and perspectives (which often harken back to those things). Take from this blog with you may – so long that what you take affects you in a positive way. 
Over the last few weeks, I’ve been seeing a lot of “memories” pop up on Facebook – flashbacks of posts from 4-5 years ago. I’m not sure if I was just posting more often back then or what, but a lot of what I see in those old posts… makes me cringe. Truly. The cynicism and negativity that was oozing out of me a few years ago is hard to stomach, now. The crazy thing is that I actually considered myself a positive person. I’ve been looking back at these cringe-y posts with gratitude – thankful that I’m not that person anymore. It’s no wonder life felt so rough then; my attitude toward it completely sucked.
The common thread in those old posts is judgement. Heavy, harsh judgement on just about everything. From politics to pop culture, I had something critical to say. I started working on suspending judgement about a year ago, and that’s probably resulted in one of the most significant, positive changes in my outlook. I still recognize things I don’t like, but rather than dwelling on them and wasting my energy crafting lists of all the things I don’t like, or why something is wrong, or detailing my distaste for someone’s behavior – I just remove those things from my focus. I’ll recognize when I don’t like something, but I choose to keep it moving until I find something good to focus my energy on. So instead of giving my attention to things that I do not find pleasing, I give it to the things that make me smile. It’s a conscious shift in focus, and it feels good. This compulsion to focus on the bad in this society is toxic – it does not bring improvements to anyone’s life.
Whenever I do something clumsy in front of someone (like trip or bang my head on something), I usually laugh and announce “nothing to see here!” or “keep it moving!” Maybe it’s a silly analogy, but that’s how I respond when I encounter something that elicits a negative emotional response. Keep it moving. Find something better to spend my precious energy on.
At any rate, I’m calling it a night. I’ve got some work to do in the morning, and then I’m going to explore a bit. The scenery is beautiful, the cacti are huge, and the weather is going to be perfect. Much to love.
