Better Than the Best

 

POINT TO PONDER

"Love says to separate oneself from this world, but beauty says that wherever you go there is a new world that waits".

Original Urdu translation: Ishq kehta hai aalam say juda ho jao, Husn kehta hai jahan jao wahan naya aalam hai.

 

STORY LINE by Anand Shah

Since my retirement in May, I have travelled to many places: Lake Tahoe, Bryce Canyon, Yellowstone, Salt Lake City, New England, New Zealand and Fiji. During my most recent trip to Fiji, a fellow traveler asked, “Which place was the best?” It was difficult to choose as each one had a splendor all its own. From boating on the clear blue waters of Tahoe, to the majestic cliffs of Bryce Canyon, and the warmth that the Fijian people had shared with us; it was difficult to choose just one. As I stood searching for an answer, staring at a line of coconut trees swaying coolly in the warm afternoon breeze, my subconscious mind wanted to claim this stretch of beach as the most beautiful place.

My wife and I reflected on this encounter in the evening over dinner. We recalled every destination we have been to in last six months and all of them had beautiful places, cultures and people. A pattern emerged as all too often we would ask ourselves in each new place, “Can there be a place better than this?” And when the next encounter came, we wondered the same thing.

This feeling did not go away once we returned home and went to the marshlands in Palo Alto. My wife and I watched as this white egret glided past us, rising higher over the marsh, and into the distance against a spectacular view of the San Francisco bay. It was free, it was graceful, and it was beautiful. And for a quiet moment we both just watched… Once it was gone, I finally had my answer. I turned to my wife and said, “This place. This is the best. Right here and right now…”

 

REFLECTION

The whole experience reminded me of the lines from a song that I loved in my childhood and which I choose as this week’s point to ponder. Many times when we encounter something so beautiful and so majestic, in the romance of experiencing that moment we detaching ourselves from the rest of the world. We are fully in the moment. Only later do we realize, in the next encounter, that beauty is everywhere in this world all around you: in nature, in cultures, and in people. If we can get in harmony with the present.

Comments

[Bhakti]

Lovely... It is truly the present moment that holds the beauty. Very often most of us mistake it for a place. Loved it.

[Ryan Knauss]

Anand - I think you have this right. I have traveled extensively in my life thus far and I'm frequently asked about my favorite place - I don't have one. I love every experience and destination for different reasons but I do think the most important thing one can do is to be present - enjoy where you are and experience the present for what it is.

[Ryan Knauss]

Anand - I think you have this right. I have traveled extensively in my life thus far and I'm frequently asked about my favorite place - I don't have one. I love every experience and destination for different reasons but I do think the most important thing one can do is to be present - enjoy where you are and experience the present for what it is.

[Amy]

There is no place like home (from the movie (from the movie The Wizard of Oz)!

[RCP]

One does not need to go far to find beauty. Thanks for the reminder.

[alex]

Welcome home, Anand!

[Bipin Shah]

Anand:

I think you are right in concluding that beauty is everywhere and it is for us to see and appreciate it or realize it. Most of the time we are too busy in life to do that and now that you are retired and are taking the time with Louisa to travel and see places, you are realizing it. So, keep doing that and share these experiences with us. Rekha and I just returned from three weeks in India - combination of business and a family wedding.

[SL]

Very nicely written and deep meaning.

[LeeMin]

Welcome back!

You have gone to a lot of places in the last 6 months! What a great way to retire.
Happy Holidays

[Lonnie Hurst]

Anand - First, i am delighted that you retired and are enjoying life -- you worked hard to earn that opportunity.

Second, as I reflect back over all of your Friday Reflections I feel that the basic message that always sticks with me goes back to my somatic training to be an Integral Coach" and that is that if you start with a healthy balance in your thoughts between your head, heart and gut you will get up each day looking at the world with opportunity, learning and practice to be ready for whatever is coming -- good or bad. Your thought that everyplace was great also reminds me that if we look at yesterday with the openness of what we enjoyed, learned, saw, tasted, etc. we leave that day with warm thoughts and move into the next day with the openness to be with the day, place, events, etc. as part of a path of learning and exploration.

Thank you for the constant inspiration in your thoughts and writings. May the rest of this year be healthy, happy and fun for you and your family and may the New Year bring you new opportunities for enjoyment and travel.

[Madhuri]

Anand- Welcome back from your travels. You got it right!. During each trip- pretty much I find myself saying- this is the best food or most beautiful etc. But rarely have I gone back / returned to the same place. because - there is always- another destination that beckons :)
However - there is one place we come back to again and again-and that is Home- which is the most beautiful place for our body and soul.
As usual you have captured this Phenomenon" in the most eloquently simple manner
Wishing you and your family a wonderful holiday Season

[Craig Caplinger]

Anand - so nice to have you penning a great reflections. I am reminded of the familiar saying "Stop and smell the roses" which is certainly too simplistic to encompass what you have so fully and eloquently described. I have a goal now to put it all into practice for myself! I will not say enjoy your retirement because clearly you are fully succeeding in that area....... Best in all your future adventures!

[UD]

Welcome back from all your travels brother! We miss you but also very happy to hear you been enjoying your travel. Thanks for bringing things in perspective as to what's important in life and its not what that physical location where you are at, but it is a state of mind and who you are with, you can make any place as your own paradise! Hope to see you soon and catch-up.

[cheesan]

very nice, can't agree more. It's not easy to always remind ourselves to live in present. Need practice :)

[Elaine Suki]

Anandshah,

Nice to meet Luisa n you during the trip to Halong Bay, Vietnam. Every place n people that I visited and met while travelling were truly not by accident. I am always grateful each time I stepped on someone's land for I not only experience their culture, history n people but also meeting travellers.

Hope to meet both of u again.