I was tired. I had very few hours of sleep before getting ready for an early morning flight—my first flight in nearly a year. Even after driving to the airport, picking up people on the way, parking, and going through security, it was till dark as I boarded the plane—but the light was peeking along the horizon. I’d flown often enough in the early morning to know I was going to see a vibrant sunrise.
I faced a long day of travel, and I often easily relax in my seat while preparing for takeoff—so much so that I frequently miss the actual takeoff. I am sometimes asleep. This particular morning, I was definitely tired enough to close my eyes and snooze through most of the first flight, but I also knew that would cost me the sunrise.
I stayed awake and watched the horizon as we ascended. I grabbed my phone in time to snap a photo, although it didn’t do the colors justice.
I was glad I stayed awake even though I missed my window of sleep time, since I couldn’t rest after the spectacular wake up alert. The sun was shining, the colors were beaming, and I anticipated the adventures the next week would include.
Sometimes we make sacrifices for the wrong reasons. We reject sleep even though our body craves it. We fill our schedules for others even though we are overwhelmed. We work long hours to dent the to do pile that never seems to lighten. But it is sometimes in the smallest sacrifices that we get the broadest and deepest impact—and step through the moment recharged, prepared, and grateful.
Pause long enough today to savor what is right in front of you.
Pure Purpose 