Good morning. It is 5:46 a.m.

I open today with a poem, or really a greeting of the day, that brings me strength:

Waking up this morning I smile,
Twenty-four brand new hours are before me.
I vow to live fully in each moment
And to look at all beings with eyes of compassion.
~Thich Nhat Hanh

I open with this today because I must remember that each moment, no matter how busy it may be filled with duties and responsibilities, is filled with opportunities to be more understanding, more charitable, more patient, more loving.

I resume my “normal” schedule today with teaching, a full day of classes for the first time in two weeks. What does that mean? Derailment for me? A return to old habits to “get through” the challenges I face?

For the first time in many years, I do not dread the return of a normal schedule; I welcome it. Give me the day in all its glory and let me live it more genuinely as I was meant to do. Allow me to accept the challenges with a renewed patience and understanding, and allow me to use those challenges as opportunities to provide strength to others as they may need it, now or in the future.

Last night, I started a new project as part of my 40-day journey. I purchased a small piece of basswood and some carving knives, and I have begun the process of carving small Ankh crosses. It is a wonderful activity for meditation and focus, where I am learning the gentle practice of discovering beauty that lies hidden and within. After I finished my first carving session (I will provide pictures in a future post), I don’t believe I have ever felt so calm. Despite the world moving around me at the same speed, filled with the same individuals and the same challenges, my approach and my responses were not filled with emotion, were not reactionary, were not defensive. Instead, there was a rhythm to the evening, a flow that allowed me to be more of an observer than a participant.

I am grateful for the stillness.

Enjoy your day, all 24 hours of it, with eyes of compassion.