Stepping outside the box midday Monday afternoon

Yesterday morning was one of those mornings when I threw back the curtains with excitement only to find nothing but grey greeting me for the day. A grey and windy Monday morning. No sun. No clear blue skies. Just dull grey light. Heavy clouds. Threatening to rain. Nothing worse than starting the week of to a grey day. I wanted to pull those curtains back and go back to bed. Instead I focused myself. Put myself in the mind set for work and got on with it.

Took my children to school. Listening to them chattering in the back seat. Listening to them discussing their day. Feeling sad when I had to drop them off as each one of us went our own separate way to lead a separate path.

I questioned what kind of day I was going to have. I wondered of all days why did Monday, the first day of the work week, have to be so grey? By the time lunchtime rolled around the grey skies had been replaced with blue, perfect blue, still windy but perfect blue skies and puffy white clouds. I decided to break my routine – to do something different.

I got in my car drove home for lunch – all of 7 minutes from my office to my door-  changed out of my work clothes into my walking clothes and went for a walk. Setting out in the middle of the day like a woman without a care in the world. Pure nirvana. I felt like a naughty school girl skipping school. It was exhilarating. Invigorating.

I walked slowly at first trying to get my bearings. Trying to comprehend what I was doing. Breaking my corporate woman image up and going out as a woman without an agenda. I felt so free to be doing something I wouldn’t normally do. As I walked down the street I inhaled the fresh air, and my pace hastened as the fresh air filled my lungs. Making me want to run down the street with my arms out stretched.

I walked for half an hour just enough to free my mind from the prison it had entered into earlier. As I walked back to my house something told me to look up. So I did. And I saw the leaves of the trees swaying in the breeze. All different colours and shades from red to green to bronze to fuschia. I slowed down a bit to listen to the sound of the wind. A beautiful haunting sound that went through my being. I thought of when I was first pregnant some 14 years ago and how I used to walk first thing in the morning and I used to talk to my unborn son telling him to listen to the sound of the wind. Of how I couldn’t wait to meet him. Of how quickly time has sped by since he entered my life.

I saw birds flitting from tree to tree. Landing. Chirping at each other. I saw the sky beyond the trees. Silhouettes of the leaves against the sun and clouds.  I saw peace, love and possibility. I saw freedom and felt it too. I inhaled deeply. I exhaled long and hard.

 I gave a silent thanks to the Universe for all the abundance and beauty that surrounds me every day. For taking the time to come out and enjoy it. Appreciate it. Be in it. I gave a silent thanks to the Universe for following my instincts to break the mould. To step outside the box and do something I would not normally do. And in doing so I had shifted my energy.  Allowing me to go back to the office ready to tackle whomever or whatever came my way from a fresh point of view.

I gave thanks to the Universe for helping me to remember that sometimes we have to step outside the box to understand there really is no box except for the one we create ourselves. For reminding me that time is precious and it is up to us to make the most of it. For exhaling. For remembering. For rejuvenating. And for that midday interlude I am truly grateful.