Morning Meditation Inspiration

I've been trying something new in my meditation every morning.  I go outside for just a minute or two and look for some sort of message or inspiration about the day.  And then I come back inside and meditate on that message.  It has been very eye-opening. 

The first day I saw a squirrel jumping from branch to branch and decided the message was to be playful that day.  All throughout the day whenever I found myself tensing up or getting too depressed or serious, I remembered playful and found a reason to laugh.  I danced, I played a game, I looked online for a joke.  I just allowed myself to smile.  It worked so well I decided to keep doing it. 

The next day I saw a bird sitting on the very top of a street lamp and I thought about seeing the big picture.   So, whenever I found myself bogged down in the details of my life, the tasks, the maintenance, the numbers—I thought about the totality of my life.  I remembered that many things that seem overwhelming today won't matter at all in a year.  Again, it worked well and I felt my emotional day was more balanced. 

The third day when I went outside there were sirens blaring everywhere and all I could think was I need to be careful.  I had a bad day.  It took arguments and breakdowns, but several decisions were made to put off things that could have had dangerous results.  In the end, I got the message to be careful but it was not as easy for me to pay attention to that one. 

The next morning I noticed how brown and dry the grass was and how bunched and dry the leaves on the oak trees were.  I made me think about hydration and then to nurturing myself.  I also meditated on nurturing and "watering" my relationship with my husband.  I made an effort to consciously pay attention to my body's needs all day and to listen to my husband and show affection.  I felt wonderful at the end of the day.  It made me see how often I ignore those needs or put them aside in favor of things that aren't as important.

Late in the morning on the fifth day, I saw a father holding his small son and pointing out their home and showing him around.  They had just moved into the apartment complex.   I thought about how we are all sharing the same space and he was sharing with his son.  I meditated on sharing my space, my home, my joy, my creativity, me.  I felt more generous and was more aware of my level of compassion that day.  I also felt less exposed living here with all these other people. 

The next day I watched a very light breeze blowing the leaves of the trees.  What came to my mind was the winds of change are gentle.  Change is constant and doesn't have to be painful or difficult.  If I am like the leaves or branches of the tree, I can move gently with the wind and change easily.  We had overnight guests that day and it was a perfect theme for the day.  I was able to easily adapt to the changes in plans and go with the flow. 

I have found this idea of inspiration for a day to be very useful.  I find it is very easy for me to get going on what I think is my plan, schedule, life and this helps me to see that I miss many important moments, details, joys, and opportunities by sticking to the agenda.  My agenda is free form.  I have plans, I have a to do list, and I also have freedom to change, to adapt, to create space for love, peace, joy, gratitude, and thoughts.