Stop and Smell The Roses

Have you ever done this in real life? I try to smell most flowers for a brief moment when I walk by them, but on one of my recent adventures, I actually did meander around a rose breeding garden in Adelaide, Australia on my long weekend there. As I slowly sauntered from flower to flower gazing at the petal combinations, I noticed the stark differences between each type of rose. Some were a deep red, with pointy petals, others a subtle off white with flecks of yellow in the middle. There were purples, yellows, peaches and magentas. Some had large flowers that spread out wide, others were small and huddled close. Some smelled so poignant, I wanted to douse myself in the petals’ natural perfume. Others barely smelled of anything. Staring at all these roses made me realize the validity of this cliche.

Stopping to smell the roses is a bit like embracing the journey.

Or, it’s about taking a pause from any sort of journey to practice some mindfulness. Mindful observation, peaceful presence. It’s not something you only can practice on vacation far away from home. You can even practice this mindfulness when washing your face or taking a shower in the morning.

It’s about calmly observing life and the present moment without the lens of your own experience. Human beings think they’re the center of this universe. We tend to think through the lens of our ego and our own individual experience of the good and bad in this life.

Yet when you stop to smell a rose, you realize there’s beauty in the simplicity of observation, the variety of nature, and in the case of a meditative shower, the steady rhythms with which we do habitual tasks.

It’s nice to separate yourself from the chaos. Take a few minutes to get out of your own head and observe how life goes on with or without you ruminating about every decision you have to make. With or without worries, anxiety, or rushing from point A to point B.

Stopping to smell the roses literally reminds me that quiet moments of reflection are a beautiful thing we should do more of every day. Be that enjoying a small sliver of nature, taking a second to pet your furry friend, or slowly savouring every last bite of a sandwich, yes, even if that means a 30 minute break from your desk in the corporate world.

So wherever you are, take a minute or two to stop and smell the roses this week. I’m sure you won’t regret it.