Oz Part II

I watched the sunrise over the Pacific ocean again this morning on my way back to Australia. It's amazing how grateful I was to see the sun rise after so many hours of flying in the dark.

There's a lot if time to think when it's dark. Darkness seems to provide a sanctuary where the quiet lurking thoughts can emerge. It feels safe to explore the lesser known thoughts when it's dark. Perhaps it provides anonymity. Perhaps it provides perspective. Perhaps it's just quiet enough to allow for real contemplation.

Disappearing Day

I'm watching another sunrise across the Pacific ocean on my way to Australia again. In the process of flying to Australia I lose an entire day.

Einstein once said that time only exists so that everything doesn't happen at the same time. I think it's a profound thought. Where does time go? More importantly, how are you spending your time? You can never get it back. I like to think that I am making the most of my time and living my life to the fullest.

Manhattan Morning

I could actually see a brief sliver of the sunrise this morning from my 17th floor hotel room in Soho. My room looked out across Manhattan which is very unusual for this part of town. It's one of the only times that I have stayed here and not be face to face with another building. It feels so spacious.

Expansiveness is a great state. This is where all of your creativity lies. It takes discipline to expand your mind and reach into the corners to find some unexpressed idea. It's easy to get into a comfort zone and never stretch your limits. But I can tell you this from experience. It is way more fun and exciting to life your life full out, regardless of the unknown outcomes and perceived risks. Life is meant to lived. Expand your mind and live it!

Long Island Light

The sun has risen in Long Island, NY this morning and I have watched it do so. Well, I watched as much as I could from my hotel room that faced south. I saw the periphery of the sunrise. The sky was subtly tinged with a golden glow but frankly, there was more colour in the autumn trees than in the sky at sunrise.

I wanted to see a more beautiful sunrise in this new place. I have never been to Long Island before. My expectations were not met. Expectations tend to be the cause of many upsets. When we cling to an idea of how it should be and it doesn't turn out that way then we are left with upset and disappointment. But the source of the suffering is in the expectation itself for if we had not be expecting anything then there would be nothing to be disappointed about.

Windy Colours

The Australian jet lag is in full force. I rose briefly this morning to witness a windy storm of fall colours as the sun exploded into full view. For some reasons, colours seem clearer on windy days. The sunlight definitely highlights the contrast between the reds, yellows and oranges. I love this time of year.

Autumn is a time for introspection as the cycle continues slowing down towards winter. Paradoxically, in the southern hemisphere, it is spring and a time for growth and expansion. I have been spending a lot of time going between Toronto and Sydney this time of year and my experience has been unusual. When I am in Toronto, I feel compelled to slow down and rest. Yet, the very next day I could be in Sydney and the spring energy makes me want to go out and get things done. I wonder what drives the response. Perhaps jet lag is that middle ground where the body adjusts to more than just a difference in time.

Fall Colours

The sunrise was misty this morning but there enough light to illuminate the plethora of trees that are preparing for the winter. All of the trees in my neighbourhood are ablaze with the stunning hues of red, orange and yellow. In fact, I was noting this morning, that my son has a view of all three colours right from his bed. All he has to do is turn his head to look out the window.

Change is definitely in the air. The proof is all around in the trees and on the ground. My back yard looks like a leaf depository. Growth and change are inevitable. It's the same regardless of whether you are a tree or a human being. And, once the process of change has begun, there is nothing you can do to reverse it. Many people attempt to thwart or resist change and growth from happening in their worlds. This effort is futile and often prolongs the uncomfortable changing period. It is much better to get on with the change and embrace the growth. The old ways must die so that the new ones can emerge.

Home Sweet Home

There was no sun to speak of in Toronto this morning which was all the same because I had no real idea of what time it was anyway after having spent almost 20 hours traveling. I was very grateful for the rainy, foggy, sunrise-less morning.

I have learned to acknowledge when I have reached my limit. It's not always easy to step back, especially when things are moving quickly but it is very important to step back. Otherwise, there could be serious issues with burn-out. I know both paths and have learned some hard lessons along the way. Today is a quiet day and I'm quite grateful for it.

Above the Clouds

I left Sydney today bound for Canada. The sunrise was obscured by a thick layer of dark rain clouds. However, this situation was rectified by the fact that we fly at 39,000 feet, well above any rain clouds.

I found the sunrise, actually the lack thereof, quite a fitting reflection of my internal state this morning. I do not like endings. They are not my strong point. Today was no exception. I see no point in denying the underlying feelings. Rather, as someone wise once told me, I prefer to let the feelings wash over and through me. At least this way there is a feeling if completion.

Stairway to Heaven

They say that the light from the sun across the water is a stairway to heaven. And this morning, I was inclined to believe them. I sat on the Middle Head near Sydney and watched the sun rise out of the ocean. It was nothing short of spectacular with nothing between me and the sun. For a fleeting moment, I thought I could just step right on the that stairway and make my way to heaven.

Some say that heaven is a state of mind. Some say that heaven is right here, right now. Some say the same thing for hell. Perhaps it's just a choice of focus. If you focus on heaven then you get heaven and if you focus on hell then you get hell. I think it's a little of both. In fact, my own personal hell is a world where nothing changes and there is no growth and change.

Textbook

The sun rose up out of the ocean today as if by definition. There was a faint orange glow to the sky and then the giant fiery ball popped up out of the ocean. It was awesome. Save for a few clouds in the sky, it couldn't have been more predictable.

I love it when the light reflects all the way along the water and ends up at my toes. Somehow, I feel as though the sun is rising just for me and for me alone. I love that feeling. I think everyone likes to feel special. I'm no exception. There are things that make me uniquely me. Just as there are things that make you uniquely you. What are those things? Do you celebrate them? Or hide them? Or are you completely unaware of them at all? It's worth asking the question. You might be surprised at what you discover.

Tranquility

The sun rose quietly this morning and proceeded to light up the sky with a golden hue. It reflected on the water as if it were a mirror which only added to the golden glow. The light even felt warm as it encircled me. It was such a calm and peaceful morning.

I like days like this. They start out slowly and without any hurriedness. I didn't try to cram too many things into my morning and was therefore ahead of my schedule and enjoying the things that I did have to do. I am usually guilty of trying to do too many things in a short amount of time. It seems to work a little better when I don't actually do that. Perhaps the trick is moderation.

A Different Viewpoint

I walked up a hill today and got a totally different view of the sunrise. It was beautiful. It felt like Hawaii looking through the four palm trees. It was such a different morning from yesterday. I couldn't stop staring at the sun. It was mesmerizing.

Perspective is a problem's best friend. Or more accurately, perspective is actually the solution's best friend. I have yet to meet a problem that couldn't be reframed when a new perspective is taken. True, the problem doesn't always disappear but it does change significantly when viewed from another vantage point.

Big Surprise

I awoke this morning to the sound of pounding rain. I meant the kind of rain that sounds like the world is ending. In fact, I had no idea what the sound actually was when I woke up. I was completely shocked to discover the torrential downpour taking place outside my window. Needless to say, there was no sunrise.

Someone once said to me "you don't like surprises, you only like surprises that you want". I thought this was a really poignant distinction. He was right. I actually don't like being surprised if it not what I was hoping for. However, surprises are what keep us from getting stale. Surprises force us to find new resources and usually they force us to do this quickly. This morning threw me for a loop but I recovered quickly when I realized that I needed to change my plan for the morning. Surprises keep us on our toes.

Picture Perfect Day

It was a postcard sunrise today. The sun began its gentle ascent preceded by a faint glow of yellow and orange light. This faded into purple and blue. The sky continued to grow lighter and lighter until the bright golden sun popped up out of the ocean between the two cliffs in the distance. The air instantly warmed up when the sun broke the horizon. It was a brilliantly sunny day.

I am particularly grateful today because nine years ago today my daughter blessed me with her presence in my life. It's hard not to focus on gratitude on a day like today. I was surrounded by sweetness and beautiful weather and good friends. Gratitude can shift almost any mood or any focus. By focusing on how grateful I am for Molly I was able to find beauty all over the place during my day. What a gift!

Bright and Clear

There wasn't a cloud in the sky this morning. It was cold, clear and very crisp as the sun rose right out of the Pacific Ocean. The light was very bright as there was absolutely no barriers between the sun and my eyes. It was a glorious morning.

I walked along the rocks at Balmoral Beach and let the sun's ray bounce off the ocean and onto my face. I welcomed the warmth after an unusually cold Australian spring night. It's amazing how happy a little sunlight and heat can make me. In fact, I am often delighted by the little things in life. I love the smell of these little white flowers on the green hedges in the park across the street from where I am staying. I love the smell that wafts over from the coffee shop when they bake muffins in the morning. There is so much pleasure to be had in the simple, little things in life. It's a wonder, really, why we bother looking anywhere else.

Concentrated Beauty

The colour of the sunrise was centred around a focal point today. It wasn't as broad as it usually is. It was a very clear and windy day so perhaps there was nothing that stayed in one place long enough for the light to reflect off of.

I wasn't expecting it to be so cold today. It's amazing how this expectation threw my morning off. Expectations have a way of doing that. I needed to employ flexibility of behaviour this morning and it was a bit of a wake-up call when I found myself a little attached to my expectation. I took a step back. Where else what I attached to my expectations? Where else could I use a little more flexibility in my behaviour? I don't think it's as important to always get what you want. Rather, I think it might be equally important to learn how to want what you get. There is always a lesson in everything. It's all a gift. All of it. No exceptions.

Fire and Light

The sky looked like it was on fire this morning. The glow spread across the sky and ranged from orange glow across the horizon all the way up to a beautiful purple that threaded its way through the cloud cover. This sunrise was particularly stunning that it actually woke me up with a start. I opened my eyes to this scene in the picture. It was on of those breathtaking moments in life.

It reminded me to be present to what is actually happening in my surroundings versus being wrapped up on the past or illusions of the future. There is so much to be grateful for in the present moment that there really is no reason to be worried about what has or hasn't happened yet. Use your five senses to enjoy exactly what is happening in your life right now. There is actually no other time other than the present moment. In fact, the past doesn't really exist except in your mind. Likewise, the future is nothing more than a vision. The only thing you really have is right now. And by the time you read these words, even now will be gone.

A Slow Start

This morning started out very slowly but quickly picked up momentum. The rising sun burned off all of the low cloud so that by about 7am there was nothing but blue sky and blissful warmth. So much so that I found myself doing back flips into the ocean off the pier. This is not something that I do everyday. It was fun!

How much fun do you have in your life? This morning made me realize just how serious I am in my day to day operations. Having fun this morning set the stage for an amazing day. It was remarkable how much better I felt because I spent about 20 minutes playing in the ocean. As adults we have forgotten how to play. But the benefits of being playful far outweigh the awkwardness. Try to do something fun today. Thankfully, it's not that hard to remember how to do it.

Subtle

The sunrise came in slowly this morning. It peeked through the clouds with a burst of orange light. The light found its way through the thick of the grey clouds that seem to be everywhere during this Australian spring. It was a peaceful and subtle start to the day. Exactly what I needed.

How often do we crave peace in our daily chaotic lives? We rush around from place to place, activity to activity, always missing those precious moments of stillness. However, I have come to learn that the stillness is everywhere if you are willing to look for it. If you are willing to stop and look for it then you will find it in almost any circumstance. Your focus determines your reality and with millions of options from which to create your reality then why would you ever pick something that you didn't like?

Fast Changes

The sky was completely overcast this morning. There was not chance of a sunrise. It wasn't even worth taking a picture. Yet, within a few hours, the whole day had turned around. The strong wind blew the clouds away. Then, another hour later and the same wind blew in a new set of clouds. The whole day has been a series of changes.

Life is a series of changes. Just when you think you've got it figured out, everything changes. That's the whole purpose of life - growing and changing. In fact, I once heard a saying that if you are not growing then you are dying. Change is often associated with an increase in energy. If you are not used to the energy then change can be slightly painful because there is more energy flowing through your system then previously accustomed. The only thing to do is wait it out and know that everything is exactly as it should be.

Rainy Sunshine

It was a grey and rainy morning this morning. However, there was enough break in the clouds to create a spectacular sunrise. There was a brilliant yellow light across the top of the ocean.

I'm usually extra grateful for any sunshine on a day like today. When the sky is dark and the air is cool then it is such a gift to get a blast of warm sunlight on my face. It seems that when I am present to how grateful I am for the sun then I seem to get more and more little blasts of warmth from the sun. I suppose that what you focus on expands.

Streams of light

The sunrise was like a zillion streams of light. The sun came up underneath the clouds and the light spilled all around it. The clouds we bathed in golden and orange light. We had a spectacular view from our balcony.

It's hard to have a problem when the sunrise is so beautiful. Consider the fact that the word problem is actually a nominalization which means that is it a process word that got changed into a noun. So you don't actually HAVE problems. Rather you DO problems. The good news is that if a problem is something you do then it is also something you can undo.

Stunning Day

What a beautiful quiet Saturday morning here at Balmoral Beach. It wasn't as busy because the crazed exercisers seems to take Saturday morning off. It was so peaceful and quiet and the sunrise was stunning again. I am beginning to feel a little spoiled by all of the amazing sunrises in Australia.

In fact, I am beginning to be amazed by all of the amazing things my life. Energy flows where attention goes. I have been putting my attention on the gifts in my life and they seem to be appearing everywhere. They appear in various forms from amazing friendships to fabulous food all the way to the brilliant emerald glow of the eucalyptus trees. Have a look around your life and find the blessings. They are everywhere.

An Old Friend

The sun showed up this morning in the usual fashion but it was the latter part of the sunrise that was the most spectacular. The sun lit from the bottom up. I was very happy to see the sun on this glorious morning. This day was all about friendship.

Good friends are truly a gift. It's possible that they are angels of some sort. I am blessed to have amazing friends in my life. I also hope that I am able to fill the friendship shoes for the people in my life. Emerson once said that "a good friend may well be the masterpiece of nature". It's amazing to consider that friends are there for you no matter what and will usually accept you regardless of the circumstances. Today is the day for friendship gratitude.

A Bit of Heaven

I love it when the sun lights up the clouds from underneath. I pretend that is what heaven looks like. The sunrises here in Sydney have been nothing short of spectacular. This morning was no exception.

If you subscribe to the notion that you can experience that which you already are then it can be argued that each one of us is a little bit of heaven. In order to be able to see it on the outside, it already has to exist on the inside. I was teaching a class the other day and was quoting Einstein where he said that matter is merely energy whose vibration has been so lowered to be perceptible by our five senses. At that very moment, an idea shot through me. Could it not be argued then that perhaps people are merely "God energy" whose vibration has been so lowered to be perceptible by the five senses? And you thought your neighbour was just some guy.

Golden Fire

I thought the sunrise was over this morning when I started walking back to my apartment at Balmoral Beach. Then, I turned around to discover a golden explosion of light right in between two points in the ocean. It was utterly breathtaking. It came completely unexpected and literally out of nowhere. I thought the sunrise was over.

This happens all the time in our lives too. Think about all of the amazing things that have happened to you over your lifetime. I bet that most of them came "out of the blue". In fact, my guess is that you didn't have a deliberate intention for any of them and that they came at a time in your life when you were unattached to any outcomes and living freely and full of expression. You see, we get what we are aligned with and generally we are aligned when we are living our truest live and our heart's desire. Then, the universal properties of abundance align with our purpose and shower us with riches.

Revealing Greatness

My first proper sunrise in Sydney this morning. It was almost overcast but not completely. As the morning went on the sky go clearer clearer revealing a gorgeous landscape and endless view of the Pacific ocean. The beauty was there all along but took its time to be revealed slowly and with much anticipation.

Everyone has a unique greatness within them waiting to be revealed. Everyone. No exception. Most people are unaware of this fact and go about living their lives with the feeling that something is missing. They mistakenly look to the outside for the fulfillment of this emptiness. However, the only way to feel complete is to reveal your greatness from the inside-out. This expression will bring you into alignment with who you really are and therefore fulfill your deepest heart's desire.

Disappearing Days

I watched the sun eventually rise from the window of my seat on the flight from Toronto to Sydney. I lost a day in the process. It will be tricky to maintain the blog on eastern time but that is my intention. It was so good to see the sunrise this morning because it meant that there were only 6 hours left on my 24 hour journey. I can't believe you can fly for almost 18 hours and only be over the Pacific Ocean the entire time.

It reminds me how immense this world is and how tiny we are in comparison. It gives reference to my problems as I hold them in my mind. I am once again humbled by the vastness of my surroundings and how every experience becomes a matter of perspective. There is no challenge that cannot be overcome by simply chunking up to a larger meaning. This is a very powerful distinction and one that I was reminded of again this morning.

Upside Down

I'm sure the sun is rising somewhere right now. I'm on a flight to Australia and look forward to writing about the sunrise as soon as I see it.

Morning Glory

What a magnificent sunrise. There must be something special about the air this time of year because the sunrises have been spectacular. There were so many changing phases this morning. I couldn't decide which moment of beauty inspired me most. I wanted to freeze time and just watch.

We all have hidden talents and a myriad of possibilities inside us. Yet, few people express their deepest gifts. Instead we spend time doing the same things day in and day out. I think it's fear that prevents us from sharing from our deepest core. Perhaps we were hurt as a child or shamed or embarrassed. The perceived risk of repeating these experiences prevents us from exploring and cultivating our deepest heart's desire. There is only one way to really do it. You must be who you really are regardless of the circumstances; regardless of your past. Just dig down and share with us from your truth. It will be the most powerful thing you will ever do.

Hiding Greatness

The sun was hiding its greatness this morning. There was a long thin band of cloud along the horizon this morning. There was the faintest glow of colour above it but not much. It seemed diluted.

How often do we hide our own true greatness? How often do we play small out of fear, doubt or shame? What if your only purpose was to let your brilliant light shine for the whole world to feel? What is holding you back from unleashing your power in your world? We need you. We need your greatness. Life is too short to play small. Life is too short to waste your gifts and talents. What would you do if you knew you would not fail?