Wise wanders in the west-country

 

My quest was to find an answer to “How can I remind myself to hold my centre and stay in my true nature at times when I notice myself being pulled into gossip and judgement?”.

On the quest, as I wandered along I noticed a long straight metal groove, a bit like a tram line in the pavement, going through the shopping area. Ignoring the fact that I must have looked like a complete nutter I walked along this line as if balancing on a tightrope and I noticed how I faltered when I heard a dog barking loudly on one side and, a bit later, a child screaming on the other- which related to me about how easy it can be to get distracted and pulled off balance and for things to hook my attention.

As I walked on I noticed a street sign that said “support love or support hate” and after that I was seeing love hearts everywhere!

Then I drifted into an Art Gallery and noticed a series of paintings of birds called Beautiful Birds. There were about six in all and each had the same title with a different number and I thought then how sometimes when we are surrounded by “Beautiful Birds” we want to fit in, so we act like a “Beautiful Bird” to be one of them, (yes my mind works in mysterious ways!).

I noticed a few other things that slip my mind now, but my quest culminated in coming across the painted horse, here in this photograph, painted with the words “Where is my mind” and this seemed like the perfect answer to my question- to use this phrase to check in with myself at regular times during the day.

And it has worked- I have used it regularly since and each time it has brought me back to my centre and away from something negative hooking my attention!

Alison Sutton

(note: Alison runs Street Wisdom walks in Bath and Glastonbury. Check our upcoming events page for more details.)

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