At the end of each evening as I’m getting ready for bed, I think about the day that is coming to an end and I look back on how I lived it. Was I fully present in all the moments? Did I move through the day with mindfulness and gratitude, aware of the beauty that was always in front of me? Was time spent in stillness and meditation? Did I remember the things I believe to be important and true, and did I connect with others in a meaningful way? Ultimately, for this day, did I contribute to the energy of love and compassion in the world around me?

I love how every morning is a fresh start. I woke up this morning to a rainy day, and I took some time right away to enjoy it. I stepped outside onto my patio and just stood there for a while, watching the rain fall, listening to the gentle sound of it around me, and breathing in the fresh clean air that comes with the rain. I felt the cleansing experience of it all, and I came back inside after some minutes feeling renewed. I was alive for another new day, and I had a fresh start in how I would live it. I was filled with gratitude.

It’s so easy for me to get pulled off center and off onto a track that is not how I want to live. I can easily get hooked into thoughts and feelings, especially ones that are old patterns of living, that don’t serve me or others well. My choices and actions can then become driven by things I don’t want guiding me – anger, frustration, anxiety, pride. I can become unhealthily focused on attempting to control what someone else is or is not doing, and forget to stay centered in the control I do have, which is over my own choices and actions. Those things are an ongoing part of the challenge of life and growth, and they are part of my path and what I must deal with each day. I recognize that and appreciate it for what it is.

Some days I do better with these things and some days I struggle more. Some days feel easier and some more difficult. Every day is different, and I think reflecting on this each day is important. It’s a part of learning and growing, and it also is an opportunity to connect with gratitude for all that is on my path. The process of life goes on, and it feels so good to me to know that the morning of each new day brings a fresh start.

I hope you enjoy a fresh start with your new day today!