I was walking downtown underneath my trusty umbrella when I heard a cacophony of chirping birds. I looked up to see a tree full of birds merrily greeting the morning. The tree was bare, thin branches clearly defined against the backdrop of cloudy skies. I was struck by the contrast. The carefree singing on what I thought was a gloomy day. Vibrant life in a tree left with faint memories of leaves and buds.
I had to capture the moment.
I took out my phone, opened the camera app, and turned toward my twittering subjects to frame the shot. And then... quiet. Gone. I watched as the wing-equipped group went airborne, startled by my presence. Or maybe they were camera shy.
As I thought about it, I realized that I had given up the inspiration, and instead of living in the moment, I had gotten sidetracked.
We were talking about this at our Tanya class this morning (Tanya is a fascinating work on discovering ourselves through a Kabbalistic lens). The term used is Kavanah - intention. Living mindfully. Doing a Mitzvah and being present with mind, heart, and soul.
Kavanah to action is like a soul to a body. An action can be performed out of habit, mindlessly, or without excitement. Yet in order for the action to come to life, to soar and sing, to inspire and elevate, we need to introduce Kavanah; attention, passion, and care.