Want to stay in touch with elephant? Get 10 free articles a week: subscribe free to our Best of the Week newsletter
or get our popular Daily Wake Up Call. Together, we can make mindful independent reader-created media powerful!
Submit a story.

Please "like" our facebook pages: Main Page
Yoga / Love / Food / Wellness / Spirituality / Family / Culture / Green / Society / Work
Enjoy the top 10 blogs of the week free in our e-newsletter.

May You Be the One Bright Spot in a Desolate Landscape.



Sometimes, the one bright spot in a dark sky makes all the difference.

After my run this morning, I noticed these bright red leaves, standing alone in the middle of the faded and dying field. It struck me, so I stopped and snapped it up (tough to leave much undocumented these days).

The desolate field has its own beauty, and its own purpose, like the times in our lives where things change and fall away so new things can grow. The dark things in life aren’t the bad things. Usually, they are necessary things, things that shape us.

But that one spot of bright red bursting forth in the midst of all of it? Don’t forget that you are that spot.

Let life amaze you, when everyone around you has succumbed to jaded boredom.

Startle people with your smile, even when it’s raining.

Hug someone; let go last.

Practice gratitude—out loud.

Tell people you love and appreciate them.

Be radically honest—especially with yourself.

Use that “20 seconds of insane courage” and do that thing that’s dancing around the edges of your heart, waiting to be done.

Let go of who you think you should be or who you think you want to be and be who you actually are, because when you do that, you become the bright red leaves against the dying field.

You are extraordinary.

Like elephant journal on Facebook.


Incorrect source, offensive, or found a typo? Or do you want to write for Elephant?

Kate Bartolotta is the strongest girl in the world. She is the love child of a pirate and a roller derby queen. She hails from the second star to the right. She doesn't know how to behave with all the apples and ibexes. She doesn't suffer from her eight million freckles, she loves them! She drinks her lemonade right from the jug. Like a rolling stone, Kate gathers no moss. Kate loves kale, being barefoot, Dr. Seuss, singing too loudly, gallivanting, palindromes, blackberries, Elvis Presley, magic tricks and (of course) elephants. She has been charged with (and found guilty of) overusing the exclamation point! When she's not writing, you can find her practicing yoga, running in the woods, playing with her kids, devouring a book, planting dandelions, changing the world and doing her dishes. Kate does not play the accordion. She is on her way to becoming a fabulous massage therapist, a mediocre writer and a compassionate friend to all. This year Kate aspires to finally give up on learning to knit and will instead spend that time writing for elephant journal. Connect with Kate on Facebook and Twitter

256 views

1,200,000 readers this month/2,100,000 pages read ~ Google Analytics (real #s, not hype).


Support our Writers, Create Mindful Independent Media How much did you like this post?
That's great $1.00     Love it $2.00     Life changing $3.00     or choose your support...   $

If you liked this, you might like these:


Leave a Reply


17 queries in 0.364 seconds.