You Are My Favorite

I used to have a supervisor at a job years ago that said (to all of the employees under her):  “You are all my favorite for different reasons.”  At the time, I thought maybe that was her way of discouraging anyone from ever striving to be her favorite, or of having to admit she HAD favorites.

Now, I’m not so sure about that.  You may know, I’ve been a bit obsessed with Abraham lately.  Last week, I heard them telling about a four-part daily practice that they recommend.  One of the parts is getting out in nature every day, no matter what the weather, and basically appreciating it.  Apparently, along these lines, Esther Hicks (the one who channels Abraham) likes to go out in her gardens and tell each stone on the path, each blooming flower, each not-blooming flower, each bird- you get it: “YOU are my favorite.”

So I have been out there nearly every day- I draw the line at potential frostbite- appreciating.  And my experience has been profound.  When I really slow down enough to tell each tree, bird, ball of snow, or stone that it is my favorite, what happens is this:  I start to see the uniqueness of everything I lay my eyes on. Even the dead trees, even the shrubs that I used to tell myself I don’t like, even the most common species of bird.  And, I’ve seen some amazing details that I NEVER would have noticed if I hadn’t been doing this exercise.  I mean, I THOUGHT I was present to nature in the past.  That was nothing in comparison, most of the time.  Now I see details I’ve not seen ever before…the small tree whose bark is covered with light and dark green lichen so thoroughly that the color of its bark is barely visible; the curlycues at the ends of dried up grape vines from the year before; the chunky, rough bark of a big oak.  And in seeing those details, I see how each one is SO UNIQUE.  And SO BEAUTIFUL.

And then, guess what happens next?  I start feeling so much love for every single bit of every single thing I observe.  Just in noticing it.  Just in appreciating its nuances.

And that love also extends to myself.  It’s as if in seeing all the perfections AND “imperfections” in the nature all around me, I am also understanding at an even deeper level that there is no one way we are supposed to be.  That no matter WHAT I am like, it is okay- even perfect and beautiful.

I have been arriving at new, deeper place of self-acceptance and self-love.  And, not the first time I’ve said this I know, but it bears repeating:  I have NOT “arrived”.  There is no such thing as that.  For me, or for you.

I know you probably thought I was talking to you when you read the title of my blog, right? 😉 Well, I was.  And now I finally understand what my old manager meant, too.  YOU are all my favorite (including myself) for different reasons.  Makes perfect sense.