Five Things to keep in mind when searching for Paradise

Judith Rich's superbly lyrical Finding Paradise in the Exotic and the Ordinary is a truly beautiful article that must be savoured.

It is about being present, facing life challenges head on and we evolve while we're at it. The dance of life is made up of many steps and missteps and it takes us somewhere, usually unknown, which is the scary part of many of us.

Just remember FEAR is False Evidence Appearing Real. Nothing and no one can hurt us except ourselves.

“If a man could pass through Paradise in a dream, and have a flower presented to him as a pledge that his soul had really been there, and if he found that flower in his hand when he awake - Aye, what then?” Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Five things to keep in mind when searching for paradise right where you are.

1) Being present is not optional. It's mandatory. If you want to access all the glory and magnificence of each and every moment, it will require that you show up fully, totally and completely. Wake up, show up and situp. Then watch what happens.

2) Listen to the silence. When we are truly connected to what is, words are not necessary. In fact, they often get in the way. So stop the chatter and become still. Paradise speaks in a language all its own. It requires our full focus and attention. In the silence, we can hear the song that beauty sings.

3) Love what is before you with all your heart, mind, and soul. It's all there, it's always there, bathing you in its glory. Yes, even in those moments that appear to be scary or filled with conflict, in their very midst, if you open your heart to it, Paradise is serenely waiting for you to come to your right mind and receive its blessing.

4) Gratitude is the great turbocharger. Life is always showering us with abundance and goodness. It is we who erect the barriers that make us unavailable to it. When we're in gratitude, the doors open, the barriers fall and we avail ourselves to even more of what we're grateful for. Spend time in gratitude and I dare you to be unhappy.

5) Go for the gusto. Life is a coat of many colors. Some of them you'll have to seek out beyond the edges of your comfort zone. Take that helicopter ride, trek down to the bottom of that valley, eat that strange thing you've never eaten, take a leap of faith into the unknown and discover what awaits you. Learning, growth and joy lie beyond the realm of what is known. Or as Julia Cameron wrote: "Leap and the net will appear."

It's easy to recognize paradise in the exotic, like Hawaii. It's a bit trickier, but also very doable, to recognize it right under your nose. But you have to have the eyes to see, the ears to hear and the heart to feel it. Oh, and the soul to let you know you've hit pay dirt!