This morning I awoke early to the joyful sound of a chorus of birds calling in the sunrise. Even now, several hours later as I write this blog, the birds continue to sing to the warm sun. It is a heart expanding feeling just to listen.

A few confessions. I have wondered about the meaning of life and why we’re here for as long as I can remember. I also have always believed in magic.

Good morning. What if we chose every morning to really breathe in “good morning” for ourselves despite the sludge, the fears, the endless to-do list and our concerns from personal to global?

The other day as my daughter and I were driving to Denver for my youngest son’s college graduation a friend called and asked: “What niggling blog bounces in your head that you haven’t written yet?” Funny how quickly I responded: “the one about love.” I almost heard his smile. “Then write it,” he said.

Is there something that you’ve told yourself you need to do 10 times? Is there that conversation, project, email, errand, bill to pay, etc. that lurks in your head like some sort of gravitational swing, coming into your thoughts, only to be pushed away and swing back?

Yesterday afternoon I completed a weekend master coaching workshop with mentor Steve Chandler. The workshop was held near Times Square – about as opposite to Jackson Hole, Wyoming as one could get. As we were leaving the seminar, someone mentioned that Billy Joel was playing at Madison Square Garden at 8pm.

A bit ago, I sat at our kitchen table having dinner with my sons and some of their friends (all in their 20’s). I asked them, “What is success?” Someone burst out “a Lamborghini.” Another said, “a lot of money… a house… doing a double cork off a cliff (on a snowboard).” And so it went until my oldest son said, “The CEO of Sanyo was really successful…until he committed suicide.” Hmmm. Pause.

I lived in Boston for 17 of my adult years. I think of those years as my creative power years. We were creating babies and families, building careers and businesses, designing houses and homes that would be our best effort at secure bases for our children. It was truly the full-on time of life and I am deeply grateful for the families and soul sisters who were navigating similar journeys, and for all the connection and memories we share to this day.

Last weekend I had the huge parent joy of seeing my oldest son graduate with his Masters in Public Health from Westminster College (how I got old enough to allow that to be a reality astounds me – but not relevant here J). The Dean, in his commencement remarks, said something that has stayed with me all week. He said, we ask all incoming students, collaborators, donors and faculty one question when they begin our program: “Does your health matter to you?” While you and everyone else typically responds to that question with a resounding YES – the data around our behavior shows a very different story.

A few days ago, I got a call from my dear mom, Irene, who’s 86 and still lives in my childhood home in Livonia, MI. Her greeting went something like this: “Hi Sandy. I just wanted to tell you that I love your blogs….and I had one little question…are you breathing in what you’re writing???”

Between the moment something triggers us and our reaction, there is a space. Within that space, we have a choice. And with the choice we make, our reality emerges. Even if that space is a split second, there is time between the stimulus and reaction to check in with our values. We can ask where

For almost 40 years now, I have felt like I woke up 10 minutes late. The to-do list of kids, work, dogs, life stuff started running before I even opened my eyes. If only I were smarter, faster, more organized, more efficient…. Now, I realize I was starting my day from the wrong place. When