To begin a day:
Wake early, when you’re able.
Meet the day wherever you are—rain or shine.
Step outside or settle near an open window or doorway.
Find a place where the morning can reach you.
If there is a garden nearby, spend some time there. Barefoot, if you can.
A balcony with flowers, a front step, a bench, a patch of grass, or a tree along the street will do.
Even in a bustling city, there is usually something living nearby.
If you cannot see it, watch and listen anyway.
Sooner or later, a bird or an insect will pass by.
Grasses will sway.
Leaves will rustle.
I once watched dragonflies from a terrace on the 57th floor of a skyscraper.
When something living arrives, give it all of your attention.
Notice the colour.
The shape.
The texture.
The size.
The movement.
Listen to the sounds it makes.
Even if only for two minutes—
before the day asks anything of you.
