Day 3,189

Growth:

When I was learning to shoot a bow as a kid Dad gave me the advice to breathe in, breathe out, hold steady, and then release. This advice has served me well in so many aspects of life when I remember to heed it. Today was another example of something I almost ran with too early, but thankfully I paused to breathe first. With the clarity of a held breath I saw the target and it hit.

Slow the mind, remove any potential disturbance, focus, and then act.

Appreciation:

For the first few months of the year I was doing an excellent job of ending each night with a quick accounting of my day. It is a very short scorecard I use to grade myself before I go to sleep. After my trip to Patagonia I somehow fell off the habit. I’ve recently started it back up and I am so thankful I did! One of the biggest gifts it offers is the question:

“If I only had 10 years to live, what would I STOP doing today?”

The insights generated by this question, especially after an exceptionally tiring and exhausting day, are profoundly perceptive! My brain lets down its ego, sees that I’m not likely to immediately change, and goes with what was one of the biggest frustrations of the day. Taking the time to do this has really helped me see life so much more clearly this week!

Presence:

This moment right here… sitting on the couch, alone, typing my blog. No one else stirs in the house, there is no music, no television, or distraction. I can hear the sound of the ceiling fans, the light tinkling sound of one blade ever so slightly out of balance. In a sea of busyness of the day my mind is calm. I’m grateful for this quiet.

Thanks!!!