IN GOOD COMPANY

Yesterday I was on my way from Galissas to Ermoupolis and I was chatting it up with my taxi driver. I learned that his name was George, he was 50, had two boys, had lived in a little town outside of Ermoupolis all his life, had 30 olive trees, made his own olive oil and he even told me how to make olive oil. We had a wonderful time chatting, but this is neither here nor there.

Here is the important part. During our conversation I asked him what his favorite thing to do on the island was. I figured he was a local and had lived here all his life, he should know. His response was lovely.

George’s response: “To have a coffee with good company.”

My heart melted! I sound dramatic, but I loved his response. I proceeded to tell him I loved his response and how I also very much enjoyed sharing a coffee with good company. Then he went on to tell me each island has its own unique characteristics and were all beautiful in some way. Then he dropped this line.

“If you love what is in here (as he pointed to his heart) then everything else is beautiful.”

All my thoughts stopped for a minute, and I sat there staring at this man, George. He kept on talking, but I don’t know what else he said. I couldn’t stop repeating this quote in my head. It was absolutely beautiful and I totally felt like this message was intended for me. When I snapped out of it, I pulled out my phone and wrote it down so I didn’t forget it (he of course was still talking up front about who knows what).

“If you love what is in here, then everything else is beautiful.”

This is similar to my thoughts from yesterday’s blog post, we have to love ourselves unconditionally in order to share this love with the world.

This wise soul, George, was so right. When we love and appreciate every ounce of our being, everything is beautiful. We see nothing but beauty. How could we not? This includes the excess pounds, sicknesses, aging skin, scars, wounds and disabilities. It includes all the experiences which have shaped us - even the ones we don’t want to admit happened. This includes accepting the current skills we bring to the workplace. And whatever else makes us unique as humans.

Know there is beauty in every sensory experience you have. Know you are beautiful. Know you are enough. And know you are perfect, just the way you are.

And when you do this, you will see nothing but beauty. When you feel the beauty, it radiates, and extends energetically to other life forms. And there will be more joy. And more joy will lead to more compassion. More grace. More forgiveness. Less judgement. More love. And a better world. It starts with us my friends. Not anyone else. YOU (I’m pointing at you). And I’m pointing at Me!

My company is called Something Beautiful for a reason. I’m learning to see Something Beautiful in every sensory experience I have had and every experience I will have. It’s a reminder of the mindset I aspire to have. So every time you visit this website, my Facebook or Instagram let this name be a reminder #ThereIsAlwaysSomethingBeautiful (my hashtag).

I want to go back to what George said about enjoying a coffee in good company before I leave you today.

Before I left for Greece I was trying to practice mindful eating. I was trying to eat without my phone in hand, with no music or Podcast on in the background and trying to savor every bite. I have a habit of shovelling food in my mouth while standing up, walking around the house (with my food in hand) and doing a host of other things while I’m eating.

Now as someone in this field, I know this is not mindful at all! And I know my digestion is hating me for this behavior, so I was trying really hard to make it a practice to eat mindfully. Like all of us, I’m a work in progress, so I want you to learn from my mistakes, which is why I’m publicly admitting this :)

Fast forward and now I’m in Greece - the country that knows the real meaning of mindful eating and “in good company.”

My first week in Greece, my friend Era from Taos (the retreat center I was at in Paros) made fun of me for drinking my coffee really fast. She told me I needed to slow down and enjoy it. Then she went on to tell me that if someone invited me to coffee in Greece I should plan to be there for 5 hours.

5 hours I thought! My little Americano barely lasts 5 minutes. I laughed and responded by telling her the coffee would be cold by then. She just shrugged her shoulders. I took this message to heart about the reminder to eat (and drink) mindfully.

Then the longer I was there, and the more time I spent with the locals, I realized we would go for coffee/tea/drinks or dinner and would be there for hours. Much longer than what I’m used to back in the US. And better yet, the restaurant wasn’t rushing us out the door!

One memory specifically was my last night in Paros. I went to dinner with my friend Eleni and we shared a beautiful Greek meal in a seaside village. We ordered a ridiculous amount of food (the Greeks know how to eat!), but the amazing part was that it took us 3 hours to eat. Literally, we were eating food for 3 hours. We were so caught up in conversation that we were barely eating. We would eat a little, then stop, put our forks down and then look each other in the eye when we were chatting. Then we would go for a little more food, and do the same thing. This went on for 3 hours. The food was cold after 1 hour, but we didn’t care (and actually, it was still delicious).

My beautiful friends, lets be good company. Please join me in committing to the practice of mindful eating. The fact that I’m even labeling it is sad, but this is the reality of the present day. Life is too short not to enjoy a meal with our loved ones where we are present and fully focused on connecting over food. Food can be an experience, but not the sole focus. Yes, we eat to nourish ourselves, but everything revolves around food nowadays, so why not make it an experience about the “good company.”

Put down your phones. Turn off the TV. Set the table for once. Eat as a family, or with your friends. Organize a BBQ. Put away any and all distractions and just enjoy being with one another. Ask good questions, look each other in the eye when you speak, set down your fork once in awhile and see where the conversation leads.  

Alright I bombarded you with enough thoughts for one day!

George, if I don’t ever meet you again in this human form, please know (energetically) I loved meeting you. Thank you for gracing me with your presence and thank you for inspiring me! Thank you for blessing our Something Beautiful community with these two important lessons I'm paying forward. You rock and I wish you a life full of beauty, joy and love!

Walk in beauty and be good company, you beautiful souls.

I love you!