Pink Glow

The sky radiated pink this morning. The glow just kept getting brighter and brighter and then eventually morphed into yellow golden light. Gradually and without apparent effort.

Each one of us has a light inside of us. In fact, each one of us is the light. Allowing it to glow is effortless. Blocking it is what takes all the effort. In fact, many people strive for things as if they were lacking anything. Nothing could be further from the truth. You already have everything you need inside of you. Your only job in life is to let is shine through. Let it shine through the obstructions, the doubt, the disbelief. You are lacking nothing except the awareness that you have it all inside right now.

Chances

I'll be honest with you. I didn't want to go walking this morning, I just wanted to stay in my warm, cozy bed and watch the sun rise from there. But something pulled me out of bed. That same thing pulled me all the way to the edge of the lake. The lake was flat, the air was nice and cool and the sunrise was so clear. I was walking for about 2 minutes when I came across this heart in the sand. The cool part for me was that it contained my initial and my husband's initial. What are the chances?

I know that this type of thing happens more than we acknowledge. We always chalk it up to coincidence. I live by a belief that there are no coincidences; that each moment is significant to our experience. Based on this belief, I try to pay attention to what is right in front of me so I can take the next step on my path. I'm not sure if this is really "true" but then again, how can you ever know what's true for sure. Perhaps it's true because I make it so. I can tell you one thing for sure, it's a lot of fun to live this way.

Gradients

I couldn't tell where the colour changed between the horizon and the top of the sky. It was definitely red at the horizon and blue way up in the sky. Other than that it seemed to be one uniform colour but really it was a brilliantly seamless gradient of colour with no apparent stops and starts. There was something universally comforting about the uniformity of the sky this morning. Perhaps it was the predictability that I spoke of the other day. Or more specifically, the lack of chaos.

Why do we crave the absence of chaos? Is it for peace and quiet? The reality is that the most beautiful sunrises I have ever seen have been the ones with the most chaos, the most uncertainty and the most variety. These things give us the spice of life. They make it interesting. Yet we continually push them away as if they were to blame for the uneasiness that we feel inside. Perhaps it's time to start looking inside to clear away the uneasiness instead of requiring the circumstances to change for that happen.

Cotton Candy

Do you remember that blue and pink cotton candy that you used to get at carnivals when you were a kid? That was the sunrise this morning. The sky was streaked with strings of cotton tinged with either blue or pink. It was dancing about the sky as the wind shifted and changed with the impending storm.

I miss being a kid. I miss the freedom that comes with not knowing so many things. I believe we call it "innocence". I yearn for simplicity in my life sometimes. I yearn to be free to run full speed from my living room to my sunroom or yell at the top of my lungs when I'm mad. This yearning usually lasts only for a moment and then it's gone. I was listening to a song by Lights this morning called "Pretend"; the lyrics capture that yearning perfectly. Maybe it would be a good idea to play pretend more often than we do. I bet it's more fun!

Resisting the Inevitable

I'm wondering if there is a day where the sun just doesn't want to come up. Does it ever wake up and wish it could not rise? My guess is no. The sun was a breathtaking ball of fiery red light this morning as it burst up over the horizon. It seemed to come right out of the lake.

I suppose I might be projecting on the sun. There are most definitely days where I don't want to get up. My work feels insignificant and the problems seem insurmountable. I feel beaten. I want to escape. But then I remember that I can't. That other people are counting on me. That my kids need lunches made and bathing suits packed. My students need a teacher to show up. Life keeps moving whether you do or not. It's days like this where I dig deep and discover that I'm made of more than I thought I was.

Hanging in the Balance

It was a stunning morning today. The full moon was setting as I came around the corner of the boardwalk. About 30 minutes later the sun completed the scenery with an intense purplish and red sunrise. I couldn't decide which direction was more beautiful so I kept turning around and taking in both scenes. I felt like the fulcrum of a teeter totter.

I noticed that being present in that moment was actually a balancing act. It was very dynamic. I would go back and forth between the sun and the moon. I never actually stopped moving even if just a little bit. I think that's the key to living in the present moment. It doesn't mean shutting down so that nothing bothers you. I think it actually means being aware of the tension that exists in everything and marveling at how it all works together. Fully feeling each moment instead of escaping any feeling is the key. In that way, you can be present to any set of circumstances.

Tension

There is so much tension in the air when thunderstorms are in the area. It can be incredibly hot one moment and then freezing in the next. There is a push and pull between the warm front and the cold front. This tension creates an enormous amount of energy. It always amazes me at the calm following a thunderstorm. It's like a recuperation period.

We often shy away from the tension within ourselves because it's uncomfortable. What we don't realize is the incredible amount of potential that also exists in that discomfort. Usually discomfort pushes us into new and innovative ways of thinking and being. If there was no tension then nothing would ever change. There would be no growth. Tension provides the catalyst necessary for change to occur. Once the change is initiated then there is always a calm period where you can gather yourself up before the next cycle starts all over again.