Listening as rain drips from the branches of my pear tree, I hear the morning birds call to me chirpily. I wake from my night’s sleep and step into some clothes, walk downstairs and turn on the kettle to boil water. When its done I make tea in my favorite mug, its burnt orange smoothness held easily by my thick, dry hand. Scooting into my old house slippers, I step out my front door and into my morning walk.
Summertime in the Pacific Northwest doesn’t bring guarantees of heat or humidity, and invariably comes with too much dampness. It rains a lot in the early summer. Its foggy some mornings. And when it does get humid, its dank. So taking on morning exercise and doing that walk provides me consistency the rest of the year can’t, if only because I don’t always have to wear my raincoat. Any given day on the rest of the year it’s a sure bet you’d need your raincoat for a walk in the morning.
This is my early morning engagement, something I do almost everyday and have for sometime. There are days when I go no further than the edges of my garden, sipping hot tea and just taking it all in slowly. Other days I roar off into the day with my bag strapped over my back and my computer ready to fire away when I get downtown.
What do you do to get engaged in your days? Some people are very engaged in morning reading, making love, great breakfasts, yoga, or singing in the shower. Others are really engaged in their sleep and have to wrestle themselves out of bed and into the day. This morning I leave you, the sleepers, with Carl Jung’s edict: “Your vision will become clear only when you look in your heart. Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside, awakens.” By sleeping are you dreaming? By simply waking up are we looking inside?
Good morning!
CommonAction staff are available to train on personal engagement and much more. Contact Adam Fletcher to talk about the possibilities by calling (360) 489-9680 or emailing adam@commonaction.org
Adam F.C. Fletcher 