There must have been a time years ago when I was simply curious about the magnificent colors I saw in the morning sky. I probably asked someone about it, or maybe I just settled on a particular thought about mornings and what is predicted about the approaching day based on my experience. I’d like to think I was a long way into adulthood before those thoughts became fixed, but I’ve read that most of my assumptions about the world were solidified by the time I was six.

Sunrise has always been my favorite time of day. I love to witness the morning light unfold gradually, carefully illuminating the earth part by part. Occasionally I have had the opportunity to encounter sunrise while near a large body of water.

The experience of sunrise outside, barefoot on the cool sand, combined with the sounds of crashing waves and the faint sounds of humanity stirring in the nearby coffee shop, was my ultimate sensory start to a day. I enjoyed taking a minute to just notice the activation of the day, the first colors of light, the sounds, the thoughts of beginnings.

I was reminded of my favorite quote by Elizabeth David, “Every day holds the possibility of a miracle.”

Sunrise is a powerful time in the day, the time of awakening, enlivening. Mentastics minutes can be energizing as well as relaxing. My eyes opened to the rising sun. I breathed deeply, felt the breeze on my arms, the sand between my toes, listened to the sounds of the waves. In that minute of full participation in the sunrise, I was convinced that anything was possible.

A few minutes later, as I entered the coffee shop for the morning meeting, I noticed some of the others at the table were not smiling. They were angry. There was intense pressure to quickly make decisions, to right the wrongs, to change the direction of the company. My breathing became shallow and quick, the noises in the coffee shop were now irritating and there was tension in my arms. We had to be back at the office in thirty minutes. How quickly my body responded to the environment at the table, matching tension with tension.

As I took 10 slow seconds to retrieve my notebook and pen from my bag, I recalled the feeling of the breeze on my arms, the sand between my toes. The tension was leaving my arms, my mind felt clearer. Maybe there was the possibility of a miracle this morning.

Minute Mentastics:
– Take 60 seconds to participate in a sunrise outside – notice the world with all senses – feel the possibilities of the day that is just beginning.
– Recall that minute throughout the day, especially when environment is tense