Each sunrise and sunset is a reminder. Return to the Treasure.
My dog and I start every day with a sunrise together. My direction begins West so that when we turn for home, a full Eastern sky bedazzles us. Every day I am amazed. It is a gift of stunning color, a flash of appreciation. The moment is entirely cleansed of future thoughts, past lingerings, expectations or worry. This is freedom. Awe is a natural reset.
Put It Down: A Practice
What practice allows you to take off the expectations of the day and be in awe? Looking back at your times of great balance and fulfillment, what was happening? What were you doing which allowed you experience wonder? What is your sunrise of the soul?
“To be five years old is to be surprised by life. I'm amused by my children's awe at quotidian things - a toy helicopter, a bubble bath, the visible tentacles on a plate of calamari. And I'm envious of their ability to attain something I often can't: a state of transcendence induced by art.” — Rumaan Alam
Put It Down: A Surprise
When was the last time an art form swept the cobwebs from your mind and allowed a freshness in being? Visual art? Music Art? An unexpected stillness? How do you want to foster awareness around discovering astonishment?
“Make a little birdhouse in your soul.” — They Might Be Giants
Put It Down: A Choice
There is also the sunset of letting go. The wonder of a new day is bookend with the sunset. The rest. The day is done. To let go of the day is the same as letting go of what is no longer happening. How do you put down burdens that are done? The sunset of setting down what we no longer wish to lug along offers the sunrise of brilliant unshackling. To be unchained. Is there something that is ready to be set down?
“You can't forgive without loving. And I don't mean sentimentality. I don't mean mush. I mean having enough courage to stand up and say, 'I forgive. I'm finished with it.’” — Maya Angelou
Pick it Up: A Practice
Driving forward with a constant push is not possible to sustain without a regular dose of letting go and allowing in the moment. To thrive as a human being we must remember that we house a body, a mind, and a spirit. All three need tending and care. All need rest, nourishment, and challenge.
Of the three, which calls to you? How do you practice rest? What embodies nourishment? Is there an extra push that can challenge your growth?
Namaste,
Laura