Calm at the center

Inspiration comes to us in many ways. And we learn never to discount the places where we might meet up with it.

For me it was a recent noontime visit to a Barnes & Noble cafe.

All the tables were taken including the spot I was now relinquishing.

Chairs pulled out from the tables made for an obstacle course as I stepped around bags of various types placed on the floor as I returned my empty coffee mug to the counter.

Threading between tables I brushed past a woman who sat with a pile of books spread on the table around her.

Her head was down. She was deeply engrossed. She appeared to be writing in a journal.

This was noticed afterward. First to draw my attention was the small book set out closest to her.

It was diminutive in size but its title was not. The casual glance as I squeezed past put the book title in my line of view.

Daily Calm was the title. It was calming to me just to read the words. The idea of daily calm caused an encompassing serenity to settle upon me.

For me it altered the busy café. It was as if all of us in it could be without hurry. It was as if possible that each of us could deliver from a peaceful place inside us which could conceivably be sustained day after day.

I spoke with the woman from some imperative need to tell her what she had done. I told her she was creating an oasis of peace by the choice of her reading material laid out for others to see.

The comment pleased her. She showed me a lovely picture from inside Daily Calm. She said the illustrations enforce the theme of the book and she is enjoying the pictures so much.

I didn't look for a copy of the book that day but did so later and bought the book. My copy is placed on a side table within easy daily reach.

The book is a National Geographic publication. The photos are breathtaking. The thoughts that accompany each picture can be transformative as you absorb them.

The thoughts are quotes from people from all walks of life  through the ages. Most of the names are familiar. If  listed here the range of wisdom the book borrows from would be made clear.

But it’s the photos that carry the real cachet. They convey the beauty of life in all its forms and interpretations.

Let the pictures lead you day by day. Read the thought for each picture as you travel the year with this book. Many thoughts will reach into you and stay.

You’re sure to find calm at your center. You’ll feel reconnected all over again to this amazing, astounding universe.

It can be a world too big to grasp but National Geographic has been able to whittle it to size. The book, after all, fits in the palm of your hand. 

Daily Calm 365 Days of Serenity Photos and Wisdom to Soothe Your Spirit isn’t the only book that got my attention that day at Barnes & Noble. Another on the table was Every Day is Another Chance (Blue Mt Arts).

I'll long remember the calm the Barnes & Noble reader unknowingly radiated with her book titles.

Her inspiration became mine as she arranged her books around her like friends who would prove to inspire me too.

Ro Giencke – March 11, 2014