Friday Perspective: Sunrise reminder

This morning, I got to witness a breathtaking sunrise just as I was dropping Tater and Bud off at school. For 10 minutes, the sky was awash in fiery peach, pink, and orange. It was a marvelous sight to see.

It took my breath away.

Had I not taken my sons to school this morning... had I not kept to my routine, everyday schedule... I would have missed it.

It was a reminder to me to continue to strive toward being mindful and fully present at all times. There is joy to be found even in the seemingly mundane.

Once upon a time, I believed that I needed excitement and could only be truly happy living in a life full of changes and surprises.

I served in the Navy (not just a job, it's an adventure).
I held a multitude of jobs, from skydiving school to world-class hotel to golf resort.
I moved all over the country, never setting down roots for long. California to Florida and all points in between.
I made friends all over the world.
I climbed mountains, rappelled off cliffs, crossed the highest bridges and stood in the tallest city towers.
There was never a dull moment.

My days were full... but my life was empty.

I missed a lot during those years because I wasn't fully present. I was never satisfied, always seeking the next adventure.

This one a long time have I watched. All his life has he looked away... to the future, to the horizon. Never his mind on where he was. What he was doing. Adventure. Heh. Excitement. Heh. A Jedi craves not these things. - Yoda, "The Empire Strikes Back"

The sunrise this morning reminded me of all that. But it reminded me of other things, too.

I compared my life then to my life now.

It's true that I'm not going "a mile a minute" anymore. I no longer dance in the skies. I took the exit ramp off the fast lane.

But the more I have simplified things, the more I have begun to understand.

It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. - Dr. Seuss, "How the Grinch Stole Christmas"

Those whose lives are most rewarding are those who have lived each moment as though it were priceless.

Each sunset -
Each sunrise -
Each bite of food -
Each step -
Each breath -

... priceless

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