Purpose Followed by Joy

This morning, I was slowly jogging along a trail near my home when the sky stopped me in my tracks.

The sunrise was painted in brilliant reds and oranges.

Total awe.

I paused.

Because moments like that deserve to be noticed.

I stood there for a minute, breathing in the desert air.

In for four.

Out for four.

Slowly.

Slowly.

Settling into my body.

Matching my pace to the rhythm of the morning.

A little farther down the trail, I spotted a roadrunner.

What immediately came to mind was purpose.

Not rushing.

Not hustling.

Purpose.

Moving steadily toward what matters.

That's exactly how I've been feeling these days. Not forcing. Not pushing. Just showing up, staying present, and caring for what's right in front of me.

Then, almost immediately afterward, I saw a hummingbird.

A roadrunner followed by a hummingbird.

Purpose followed by joy.

A little morning synchronicity.

Whether it was a message from the universe, my own meaning-making mind, or some beautiful combination of both, it felt worth noticing.

And that, to me, is the point.

Ordinary things.

The kinds of things that can easily be missed when we're rushing from one thing to the next.

The things we only see when we stop long enough to notice