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Seconds and Mille-seconds

ConductorHow long does it take for you to go from one frame of mind to another? Seconds – mille-seconds?

I was given a complimentary ticket to attend a symphony concert last weekend that featured two young musicians, a brother and sister, playing a violin and cello. No sooner had they begun to play, when I was transported into that indescribable world of music; mesmerized by the precision, sound and coordination that existed between these siblings. It was as though they were of one mind while playing – they were synchronized – both instruments played as one while playing separate notes.

In such moments, we are caught up in the surge of life that transports us out of the ordinary into the exquisite. Cares are gone. Worries vanish as if by magic and we are suspended in time and place.

Every day, every hour, every minute – and yes even every mille-second, we are given opportunities to see the world in a different way, to experience the synchronization of nature and life through sight and sound. We are captivated in that second and transported into a space of deep contentment and pleasure.

The miracles of life which hold the tenets of deep peace and joy surround us every day. We find them everywhere – in the beauty of a sunset, the gentle swaying of leaves, the intricacies of a spider’s web, or the busyness of hummingbirds and bees. We are confronted with the endurance of life in the persistent weed that finds a crack in the earth’s surface to poke through. Our cares melt in the smile of a baby or a happy toddler running to us with open arms. Contentment is captured in time spent with friends.

In these and many other moments, we are taken out of the ordinary and mundane into a world of uniting and connecting.

Which begs the question:

If these moments are available to us all the time, every day, why aren’t we taking advantage of them? Why don’t we seek them out? If our mindset can be altered in a second or mille-second, from gloomy and sad to enthusiasm and contentment, why do we choose to spend so much time in the world of negativity?

Is it possible to exchange a negative attitude that only focuses on concerns to ones where we see potential and good in a second of time? Can we quickly change our attitudes to reflect encouragement rather than discouragement, harmony versus chaos – beauty instead of the ugly?

Scripture and science tell us we can. When I realize I not only have the ability to choose my responses to life but am doing so all the time, I look at life differently. I am choosing my frame of mind, my attitude and way of thinking every moment. While I still want to enjoy that ticket to the theater or symphony, I realize that I can produce my own music, harmony and symphony in my life.

God extends to us not only a beautiful world, but endless grace and love and potential. We are free to accept and build on that or continue to focus on the negativity in our lives. We choose – every minute – every second and mille-second.

Marlene Anderson

 

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