Not A Model Weekly Mantra - Every Moment is the Guru

It's already my fourth week here in Italy, and I can't believe how fast the time has evaporated. I was supposed to depart Florence on Saturday, but I decided to extend my apartment rental for an additional week, as I wasn't quite ready to leave.

My favourite feeling of being in a new city is when it suddenly becomes familiar.

I relish in ordinary tasks like Italian grocery shopping, or hanging my laundry on wire strings outside my window. I like that the barista at my morning cafe now knows my espresso order, and will add a little bit of milk to my coffee without charging me extra. I enjoy knowing where I'm going, instead of stumbling around aimlessly.

Before I left, I did not know what to expect, but I knew that I needed a break; an extended amount of time to really stop and appreciate the most basic elements of life again. I find the moment that you become aggravated at every wrong turn, is the moment you need to step back and reevaluate.

This week's mantra comes from Charlotte Joko Beck, and it is about accepting what comes to you, and understanding that there is a lesson in every moment, both good and seemingly bad. x

"Life always give us exactly the teacher we need at every moment. This includes every mosquito, every misfortune, every red light, every traffic jam, every obnoxious supervisor, every illness, every loss, every moment of joy or depression, every addiction, every breath. Every moment is the guru."