"Stop acting so small, you are the universe in ecstatic motion." -Rumi

I love this quote. It rings true in my everyday (what seems to be mundane) life. I'm pretty normal (kinda). I wake up, make myself coffee, make the kids breakfasts, lunches, snacks, blend myself and my honey a healthy shake, and then take at least ten minutes to figure out what I FEEL like wearing. When you get older, it's not about what you want to wear, it's what you feel like wearing, depending on how your body is treating you that day. Pretty basic, boring stuff. And, on most days, I find it dull as well. Yet, there are times when I marvel at my life; days where being blessed with this beautiful existence brings me to tears. I tend, like most of us, to focus on the "mundane" more often than not.

I know that the small tasks, day in and day out, do matter. I have the Universe/God within me. I am living, breathing, and taking care of two precious souls. I am a wife, daughter, sister, healer, friend, educator, yogi and so much more. Yet, that vanishes from my psyche as I vacuum my bedroom, wash the dishes, make dinner, or do laundry.

I get overwhelmed, irritable, anxious. My brain can't keep up with my thoughts, and my heart can't keep up with my emotions. I always feel behind, then self pity sets in. I forget why I'm doing all of this in the first place and begin to keep a scorecard of tasks from the day; acting as if I am a victim of my own life.

My intention is to spend more energy marveling at the small things in life, to remind myself that the whole universe is within me, that people rely upon me, and that’s not a burden but an honor. How do I get there?

Be grateful- Usually, we wait for something tragic or amazing to happen before we find gratitude, before we take a step back and appreciate our gifts or what someone means to us. I want to start being grateful for having arms to clean my house, for even having a house to clean. When my children are whining and I feel like they aren't thankful for a meal I've prepared, I want to remind myself that they are healthy enough to whine and fortunate enough to have the choice of what to eat. In the midst of my exhaustion and irritation, I want to be able to take a deep breath and find the gratitude that I know exists within me. Don't get me wrong, I encourage being in your feelings, and I know I will never be Mother Theresa, but I can always strive to be better than I am today.

Be still- My mother has repeatedly told me, "you seem like you're always chasing something." She's right. When I was young I never took this comment seriously. Now, as I get older, I recognize that I am always chasing something. In my mind, I find myself searching for excitement, an escape from what seems to be the "mundane," yet if I am just still and focus on what is in front of me, I see miracles. Being still helps us to acknowledge what we already have. We can start with our bodies; we have skin, blood, veins, organs, bones, muscles, that's just the beginning. There are so many miracles happening within us. Let's start to marvel at that!

Be spiritual- Why are you here? What is your purpose? Who are you? Are we alone? Are we the aliens? I could go on and on. Spirituality can mean something different for many. For me it means to continually recognize and search for who I am, and why I am here. I still haven't figured out exactly what this whole Universe thing is about, but I do know that I am connected. When my heart beats, when I breathe, when my feet touch the earth, when I'm pregnant, when I hold my children, I am connected to something greater than myself. Sometimes, I wonder if we’re akin to an ant farm belonging to some genius kid alien; but hey, even if we are, those are some damn cool ants. We have a beautiful ant farm called Earth, and if that's not a miracle, I don't know what is. We weren't meant to understand our existence, only to learn from and enjoy it.

I want to leave you with my Yoga Instructor's words:

“It never ceases to amaze me the time we spend chasing the squirrels around our brains, playing out our dramas, dissecting our lives, complaining about traffic or slow internet, when we are sitting in the middle of a full blown Miracle that is happening right here, right now. We are on a planet that somehow knows to rotate on its axis, and follow a defined path as it hurdles through space. Our hearts beat, we can see, we have a love, laughter, language, living rooms, compassion, cars, fire, fingernails, flowers, music, medicine mountains, muffins. ALL IS A MIRACLE.

-Crystal Uyeno

I encourage you, as I encourage myself. Let's recognize our miracles and marvel at our lives!

-Nayantara