What joy is right in front of you?

I am gazing out my window at a beautiful sunrise.

Purple against the horizon, then a dark peach color, some wispy clouds which are a slightly lighter purple, and then a streak of vibrant yellow topped by more scattered clouds, fading upwards into blue.

It is definitely earlier than I would have chosen to wake up. Given the new schedule of one of my family members, the household is buzzing just a little after 5am these days.

I could be grumpy about it, and some days I might be. Or I can notice how peaceful this time of day is. I can appreciate the extra time I have and make use of it. My “writing mind” does work best first thing in the morning. And I have an awesome sunrise view out of my little 3rd floor office.

At the moment, I feel peace and joy. The way the clouds are reaching upwards from the brightly colored horizon into the light blue morning sky makes me think of possibility and the uplifting of the human spirit.

Our “survival” minds were created to keep us safe from danger by focusing on everything that could possibly go wrong. I do believe this was useful throughout the centuries, and, unfortunately, it is still useful in many parts of the world today. However, it is no longer particularly useful for many of us.

Notice right now. Are you physically safe? Can you let yourself feel physically safe when you are physically safe? If you are indeed safe, what beauty or joy might you appreciate that is right in front of you? What can you be grateful for?