Milford Sound Was My Alarm
Beauty and presence often escape us
About Milford Sound
“Milford Sound is a stunning fjord located in the Fiordland National Park on New Zealand’s South Island. Known for its dramatic scenery, it features towering cliffs, lush rainforests, and cascading waterfalls. Despite its name, it’s technically a fjord rather than a sound, formed by glacial activity (source AI)”.
My Enlightening Moment At Milford Sound
Everyone around me rushed to take pictures and videos as we entered Milford Sound. We were surrounded by vast wonder, yet I felt nothing.
How could I be in such a beautiful place and feel nothing?
So, I sounded an alarm within myself. I knew my response was irregular, and I was taking this moment for granted. I then entered a meditative state and focused on gratitude, which helped me appreciate my ability to travel to Milford Sound and increased my ability to be present while I was engulfed in the immeasurable beauty the fjord gifted me.
Beauty often escapes us.
Presence often escapes us.
Gratitude often escapes us.
It’s easy to allow your mind to wander into a rabbit hole of meticulous criticism of everything that isn’t going right in your (or even others’) life.
Milford Sound was my wake-up call to be more present, grateful, and aware of the gift of my surroundings.
Beauty is subjective, and you can find beauty not only in the grandiose Milford Sound but also in everyday life. You don’t have to allow life to make you feel so jaded that you miss out on the beauty in the small things.
Little experiences can have significant impacts when you take the time to be present enough to enjoy them:
The chirping of the birds, when someone opens the door for you, when someone holds the elevator while you try to catch it, when it rains, when a close family member experiences a breakthrough, when your child makes progress in a class they were struggling with, when your dog behaves well, when you take the time to walk, when you have food to eat, after you get out of a warm shower, when your partner kisses you on the forehead, when you experience a lovely conversation with a stranger, or when a customer representative “sees” you and feels your dissatisfaction.
These are all little (or big) experiences that we could classify as beautiful moments that can significantly impact our perspective on life.
I think it’s fair to say that many of us miss out on the little and big beauties of life because we’re always chasing the next goal, diving into the next responsibility, rushing to respond to our inboxes of text messages and emails, prioritizing work over everything, or we’ve just become so rundown with playing the game of life.
There is more to life than doing life.
As I’ve traveled to endless countries, I’ve learned that traveling is less about exploring new countries and cities and more about learning and exploring yourself and others.
Traveling isn’t about seeing the world; it’s more about seeing yourself and what you need to work on next. Traveling is also a game of character that allows you to practice patience, presence, less judgment of yourself and others, and kindness.
If you haven’t checked out Milford Sound, consider adding it to your itinerary; it’s worth a visit. Cheers.
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