Living On The Surface

Last evening as I sat on the shore of Cedar Lake and watched the tiny fish swimming right near the surface, it gave me much to think about. I knew that deeper down in the water, large fish were swimming.

I do not wish to compare the fish, but rather to relate the difference in living on the surface of life, or reaching deep inside life to find hidden gems of wisdom and as much as the term "enlightenment" is used primarily for eastern thought, I find it fits all thought that is deep and profound.
You can go through life, living each day without ever contemplating what is taking place around you. You can just go through all the motions of life. Living life on the surface. Dealing only with the obvious and reacting only to the bare minimum of experiences. In the end, you may just come away wondering what you were ever born for, what are you here for ? The question may never be answered since you never really looked deeper than going through the day.
We all need time to think. Quiet time to pull away from the ordinary to seek the extraordinary in our lives or around us. We learn that way. We learn the value of life, of nature, of birth and death. We see the cycles and rhythms to life when we stop to look for them and then simply think on them. Life begins to have a deeper meaning. We treat our life with a gentler touch and those around us too.
Living on the surface gives you little nourishment for the soul. Take some time to pull away to a quiet spot. Empty your mind of all the stresses and worries and just look out at the expanse of nature. Look deep inside your own being to see what matters and what really doesn't. Think about others with compassion that can only come when we are thinking clearly and below the surface of immediate reactions.
You will be happier.