sunsets

We all know don't we? We all know a sunset means something we can't describe. We all agree it's beautiful, peaceful and worth taking a moment for. There's not many of those things left. That a whole human race can agree on. Here I was in Oakland watching the sun set over San Francisco. Having left the bar at half time of the super bowl this day had an essence of importance already. The sun set today February 6th 2012 would mean a variety of things to people all over the world. The day someone they would love was born, the day someone the loved died, the day of the engagement or the day of the job. Maybe it was just the day the Giants won the superbowl, but for most, just another day.

I take this picture. Reflect on my purpose in being in San Fransisco in the first place, then observe another spectator taking a picture of this same shot with his white iphone, just like mine. I like the feel of that connection. Taking a moment from our busy lives that we have to stay connected to at all times via the internet and the various forms of constant communication. 

We all know don't we? 

That sunsets aren't only beautiful but scream some sort of symbolism to us. Today will never happen again, for good or evil. For better for worse. So the sun sets, my mind shifts and I make my way to the San Francisco Airport. Window seat as always, I evaluated my mood. Was I in a reading mood, watching Dexter mood, writing mood or listening to music and sleeping mood? It was a reading mood. We hadn’t even reached flight cruising altitude and I turned to a chapter titled “Instructions for Freedom” using sunsets and their symbolism.

I’m a person of fate, small or large circumstances. I don’t believe in coincidence, I believe in purposeful parallels. Call me widely optimistic, purpose hungry, naïve, typical soul searching twenty something- I don’t give a shit. I call it fate. Something that is very real in my life and should never be ignored.

“Instructions for Freedom” are ten observations of typical life hardships that can be helped with simply letting go. Using the idea of a sun setting (which actually happens every day) as a method of letting go unnecessary emotions. Guilt, regret, worry, anger are just a few that are meaningless, however difficult in simply.. letting go. Here's a few I liked..

7. Let your intention be freedom from useless suffering. Let go.

8. Watch the heat of day pass into the cool night. Let go.

The “Instructions of Freedom” also gave a reminder in the opposite corner of the ring, that even the most beautiful, happiest of things end at some point. That no matter how beautiful and perfect you believed that event, day, person to be, that time may be ending and turning into something else beautiful is a new form, with new colors if you will.

3. The day is ending. It's for something that was beautiful to turn into something else that is beautiful. Now, let go.