After a hectic morning, the invisible hand of my wiser self pushed me out the door today. My to do list would still be here when I returned and I knew a short hike would do me a world of good. Without pausing to clean up the morning mess, I stepped out into a beautiful balmy morning. Phoenix is not usually grey and definitely not balmy, but occasionally we get some moisture and it feels like a real treat.

My mind was busy most of the way up the mountain and therefore I didn’t really pay much attention to the surrounding desert beauty until I got to the top. It only takes about twenty five minutes to reach the summit of the small mountain behind my house, but I never fail to shift into a different mental and emotional state by the time I arrive. Today, I was greeted by the tail end of an amazing sunrise. The glimmer of a pink-orange sun behind the silhouette of purple-blue mountains in the distance took me by surprise.  My thoughts and concerns suddenly felt so insignificant in the larger scheme of things. My mood lifted instantly.

I became aware that it had been a very long time since I had seen a sunrise. Perhaps I’m just feeling more sentimental as I approach my birthday but I decided it would be delicious soul food to have this experience more often. The sun comes up later in Arizona in the winter because we don’t change our clocks. Maybe there is an opportunity lurking there. If I can soak up a sunrise once in awhile, it might help set the tone for the rest of my day. And possibly, as I did today, I’ll see a pack of coyotes doing the same. Or maybe they were just searching for food.

Allow yourself to witness a sunrise or sunset one time this week.

Cost: free

Time investment: a few moments to really soak it up

Possible side effects: a tiny shift in your awareness or your mood

Sunset North of France taken by my daughter, Rachel