Perspective – The Sun rises & falls, only to rise again. Which way does the spiral lead?

I rise much earlier now each morning, that is another topic talking about sleep and what sleep and escape signify in my past. But needing far less sleep and waking early in the morning, that is part of my process and transition to growing and embracing each day and the place I have in it. Thinking about what is ahead of me, not what is behind me.

The morning is so full of opportunity – what is in store for the day, what can I do, what will I see, what will we learn, what will we do?

I think about watching the sunrise in the morning and the sunset in the evening – the moment is usually very quiet and clear, and is an important reflection and inflection point. This moment shows me the importance of perspective.

Is my sun rising, or setting, and if it is setting, that is only to rest and return, rise again tomorrow even brighter. Take nothing for granted, ensure your perspective and view is positive as your first step towards accomplishing whatever your goal is. And your light shines on so many, just as the light from others brightens your world and gives you strength, energy.

The darkness brought on by the sun setting is a necessary part of life, and in some cases we need the sun to set on habits, thoughts and memories in order to put them to bed while knowing our sun will rise up from the darkness. The darkness is temporary and will be driven out by light in due time, a certainty.

Sometimes when looking at the picture in front of us, we get mixed up in whether that sun is rising or setting – don’t assume. Lean in and ask, engage that sun to understand and know for sure. Help ensure that sun is rising, lift it up.

You can look at anything two ways – for so long I related my life to a downward spiral. The pessimist, and I’m not talking about the unexpectedly pleasing wine of that name, that is another story also. But that downward spiral, pessimistic outlook - that all started when I was about 12, so about 30 years ago. Which is over 10,000 days ago and is painful when you look back, but sometimes only through great pain and suffering, do we make transformational progress, growth and learning. Music has always been integral to who I am, and hearing Nine Inch Nails from the first note also right around the time I was 12, I immediately latched on, I was hooked, addicted to the sound, so raw, industrial and hard, chaotic. And the thought then became engrained in my head – broken and then the downward spiral.

Lyrics from Wish (Nine Inch Nails – Broken 1994)

This is the first day of my last days

I built it up now I take it apart climbed up real high now fall down real far

No need for me to stay, the last thing left I just threw it away

I recently looked at a spiral staircase leading to a rooftop deck, one that could be looked at positively as an upwards or downwards spiral. Focus on the former, and take the spiral up, there is beauty and value in that perspective. And above me, taking that spiral upwards to the next level above - there was light and hope, an exponentially-improved view and visibility of the world around me, just a few steps up and away. That is my story.