A New Question

When I walked out through the Eastern door this morning, I was so struck by the mild pleasantly humid air that I said, “Good morning!” right out loud. Then I walked to my spot and sat down. As I sat and breathed, a question came to me.

“Why am I here?”

It seems important to write that the emphasis was on “Here,” and not “Why.”

It's been more than a month since I injured my back, and I had my wisdom teeth removed last Friday. As a result I have been living through a period of slowly diminishing pain, and though focusing, I have found it distracting.

I pondered all of this for a bit. Why, Here? With regard to the pain, I am here because of a lack of focus and choices I have made. Then this phrase came to me. “What choice can I make in this moment, right here right now that will enrich my life?”

That stopped me in my pondering tracks for a bit. Then I came up with an answer, “To take in as much of the beauty of this moment as I can.” With that answer rippling out into the Cosmos, the dim colors of the early morning seemed to come into greater relief. The browns and oranges of the early November leaves got brighter, and the details stood out more clearly. That was cool.

That moment passed, so I asked the question again, “What choice can I make in this moment right now that will enrich my life?” This time the answer was to pay closer attention to the way the air felt as I breathed in and out.

Well it's been quite a morning. I have modified the question a bit. Now I am saying, “What life enriching choice can I make in this moment, right here right now?”

Today, I will be asking myself that question over and over again, and listening to the answers. I can't wait to see where all this takes me.