Take time to smell the roses

My Monday to Friday routine is to get to my desk early and start working.  I do this to reach where I am going before the traffic becomes unbearable and to allow myself the luxury to finish early - or so this is my rationale.  What this has seemed to have created is a regime of a work routine that is quite unhealthy. 

As I sit at my NCCM desk in Yannawa early Tuesday morning, I look out on my view of Bangkok.  It is quite something but what I notice is that it is all buildings, roads and concrete with so little green.  It might have its own beauty or appeal but restful it is not.  Does this reflect my life in Bangkok? 

They say to take time to smell the roses but where are they or what are they in my life in Bangkok?  I do not see any roses out there as I look around my urban mish-mash as you can see from my photo. 

So where do I go to find my roses?  This is an important question that I realize now I must face for the sake of the holiness of my own life.  This question could lead me down many tracks:
-have a different, more life giving attitude towards every day?
-purposely spend more time relating with significant others in my life?
-go for that walk, take the needed nap or enjoy the important time-out I keep promising myself?
-take that walk or see a movie?
Maybe it is just a mix of all of these plus much more.

What I did do was that on Wednesday I escaped my work place and went to see some good friends, fellow missionaries here, have a chat, then share a soup with Nando, my Italian friend, followed by a nap.  I didn't get in the walk as it started to rain.  Still what was most important was that I tried and I enjoyed.  The walk is later today.

It is important to smell the roses.  We just need to find our own roses and smell them in our own way.  Life is too valuable not to.            

My Bangkok from my NCCM desk.