Today I had some errands to run around Kensington High Street - and one of my favourite things to do when I have opportunities to expand myself outside of my usual circle in the far corner of South West London, is take the opportunity to explore more of the area and enjoy it’s surroundings. I was particularly excited about this one because I adore Kensington. It’s a traditionally posh (upscale) British area that sits right in the middle of London where it’s filled with museums, incredible cafes and restaurants, and of course the stunning Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens.
I took a lunch takeaway from Joe & The Juice, a really popular and tasty Danish health food chain, and sat on a bench in Kensington Gardens people watching, enjoying red and yellow leaves fall to the ground and observing a peculiar fight going on between a squirrel and an abnormally large raven.
It was during this moment I felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude and joy, a beaming energy coming straight from my heart and I’m sure if you were to cut me open, little hearts would just come pouring out.
Selfie time
Me in Kensington Gardens getting cozy with a tree.. How dope does it look though? The tree’s in this park are easily hundreds to thousands of years old. #grateful to experience this
I realised that my burst of gratitude and happiness came to being so completely present in the moment. I felt like I finally understood what Eckhart Tolle goes on about with “The Power of Now”. I became extremely present to the fact I was actually sitting in Kensington Gardens in London and this is where I had dreamt of being for years. It is now finally a reality. I became present to a sense of pride in myself for being here for almost a year and a half and felt proud for staying regardless of a pandemic that shook the world into chaos in fear - yet I felt rooted here and stayed. These present moments brought on so much joy in my heart it made me realise that I think if we consciously practiced this present moment gratitude often, we would regularly find greater joy in our lives.
Now, more than ever, I believe we all can practice more presence and gratitude with our current situations. For most of us, we still have jobs, a roof over our head, food to eat and it’s likely most of us have some kind of transportation we can use to change up our environment every so often to shake some energy.
I know these times can sometimes feel overwhelming, lost for hope and scary to see what’s ahead, but that’s when we try to think too far ahead and get afraid of what we can’t see. The only thing we can control is the now and when we pay attention to that, it can transform our energy into something miraculous which then creates a brighter vision for the future. It’s all perspective, it’s all choice, and it’s up to you.
So I encourage you right now to sit back after reading this, or better yet take out a journal, and list everything you are grateful for in this present moment. Stop thinking of everything big and look to the small. Look at the computer or phone you’re reading this off of, look at your mug of tea or coffee, look at your bedroom, living room, cafe or wherever you are. Can you be grateful for these small things around you? Can you be grateful they exist and you have them? There’s serious magic that occurs in our brain and hearts when we can appreciate the smallest things, which will lead to greater joy in our lives and prolonged happiness.
Now I’d love to hear from you, what are you grateful for in this moment? Has it effected your energy? How can you be more present to your surroundings and be grateful for what’s currently yours? Let me know in the comments section below. x
With love,
M xo