The World Is Not Against Me

The World Is Not Against Me

by Amanda K.

“If we look at the world with a love of life, the world will reveal its beauty to us.” -Daisaku Ikeda

My late days at work are stressful, and my commute home usually allows me to relax and unwind. On this particular day, the sky opened up and torrential rain was falling when my stop came on the bus.

Of course I brought my umbrella, but the wind was making the rain hit me no matter which way I held it. It’s about an eight city block walk to my apartment from the stop I got off at, and I grumbled for a good while in my head about having to walk in the rain. I put the music on my iPod louder in my ears as I shuffled home as quickly as possible.

But about halfway through my walk home, it occurred to me to listen to the rain. I turned my iPod off and tuned in. Suddenly, everything around me was calming.

I could see the trees reflected in the puddles, shining brilliantly in the glare of car headlights. The air smelled pure and was easy to breathe into my lungs. I smiled and slowed my pace to really take it all in. My pants were getting soaked, but I didn’t even notice. It felt great to pay attention to the world instead of walking through it as fast as possible.

I connected with everyone everywhere walking home in the rain right then—felt sorrow for people who had no home to get warm in, and felt joy for everyone who was safe inside with their families. It was an amazing feeling and I’ll never forget it.

Once I stopped looking at the world as being against me and let it show me its serenity, my walk could have been an hour and I would not have cared.

Mande is a 24-year-old banker living in Bronx, NY. She is an avid reader, sometimes writer, and full-time thinker. You can reach her via e-mail at the.mande@gmail.com or follow her on Twitter @themande.