Serenity

Caballo Blanco spoke the words to me a few months ago. His words were direct, soft-spoken, and heartfelt. He spoke of serenity in the context of running, and specifically, running with the Tarahumara of northern Mexico.  But the essence of his words was more than just a tale of running. It went far deeper than that. The universe was speaking through him, and I felt obliged to listen.

Caballo Blanco spoke of the experience that is running, of simply being, of exploring that which lies deep within and beckons you onward, that which lies deep within that tells you to stop, that struggle with every footstrike, until you just let go and just “be” the run. It’s not about running this way or that. It’s about being. It’s not about training, it’s about existing.  Caballo Blanco spoke of love. And caring. And sharing. Serenity. Those things extend far beyond the simple task of placing one foot in front of other, over and over again.

Serenity manifests itself in so many other ways. It’s not just about running. It could be the strains of Ry Cooder’s slide guitar. It could be the words of Gandhi or Einstein. It could be the humor of Twain, or the eloquence of Rumi. It could be in the spoken word and powerful oratory of King. It could be as simple and powerful as gazing into a person’s eyes and truly experiencing their presence in your world. Or it could be the silence within, the moment between the breaths. They all speak of creativity, of expression, of love, of sharing, of serenity. They all provide us with a means to experience the world and experience ourselves with great vibrancy, fully, completely.

There is a sweet serenity of letting go … exhaling … breathing in the moments that we call life, a string of pearls, moment to moment, strung together between the breaths. It is the serenity of existence. And it surrounds us. Daily. The task is to experience it, feel it, explore it, and breath it in fully.