Our energy follows our gaze.

One of the guidebooks I read when preparing to walk the Camino suggested having something inspirational to read each day. On a whim I decided to bring along three poems to contemplate, Wild Geese by Mary Oliver, Weathering by Fleur Adcock, and The Faces at Braga by David Whyte.  Though the overall purpose of my walk was to mark a transition in my life, I wanted something that would harness my thoughts on a daily basis and keep my mind from being scattered in a million different directions. The poems were a last minute choice, but proved to be exactly what I needed.

I was fascinated by how a line from one of the poems would come alive while walking. Wandering the streets in Porto I wrote this in my journal, “In a winding, narrow lane, an old woman and a couple linger in conversation while leaning across their balconies. A cat sits perched in a windowsill contentedly watching the day unfold below. Painted tiled walls grace the buildings depicting scenes from history or of importance to its people – blue and white squares holding their memories as an offering to those who will stop to look.” The street scene captured the essence of a line from Wild Geese: the world offers itself to your imagination. What a lovely idea, the world offering itself to my imagination. Poetry opened my eyes to a fresh way of seeing, or at least helped me focus in a new direction, and I began to notice the intense beauty of my surroundings, the people, the culture, and the landscape.

Other pieces of poetry were also woven into my pilgrimage, each inviting me to readjust my perspective, to view things from a slightly different angle. Several scientific studies indicate our mind naturally gravitates towards negativity. This phenomenon is known as the negativity bias. I have found this to be true for myself. It is so easy to get caught in the vortex of fear and worry – to dwell on the potential catastrophic outcome for any given situation or to grumble, complain or blame others. Thus, the suggestion to bring along something to guide my thoughts in a more constructive manner was brilliant. My energy does tend to follow my gaze, be it a thought, an object, or a situation. The magnetism of negativity is powerful but so is the allure of creativity – I can choose where to focus my attention but it helps to have a few words of inspiration each day to point me in the right direction.

Questions: Where is your focus today? What inspires you? Where are the focal points in your home?