Follow The Smiles
Follow The Smiles!
Amber and I went to Shenandoah National Park this weekend, and it was an absolute joy. We each left filled in the ways we arrived empty. The natural landscape – the mountains, valleys, rivers, and waterfalls – brought us so much joy and energy, most closely approximating that last day of school feeling from our youth.
I climbed Old Rag by headlamp to see the sunrise, and this brought me more energy, vitality, and LIFE than I can put into words. A deep smile carved itself on my face. A lightness of being hallmarked my experience as I had a complete cessation of stress or anxiety.
I was filled up. Deeply. The recharge was worth all the planning, driving, time, and money that went in to making the trip happen.
We talk a lot about meaning. We talk a lot about purpose. We use big terms and concepts like Jung’s “Circumambulation” or Ram Dass’s “Becoming Nobody.” These are well and good, but we mustn’t forget the simplest communication from our depths that we are on the path designed uniquely for us.
Follow the smiles. Therein lies your salvation.
Wishing you authentic smiles,
Chris Matakas
First published April 12, 2022.
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