Highway to the rising sun

The sun rises in the east and sets in the west.

Every weekday morning, I drive east on the 10 freeway — and this time of year, I drive straight into the sunrise. It can be stunning. The yellow of the sun, the orange light glowing through the clouds — it gives me a moment to pause and take in the beauty around me.

As I reflect, watching the cars pass on either side, it occurs to me that all of us are going somewhere. We're heading toward tasks that matter to someone, work that will benefit someone else. We're all in motion with purpose, even if it doesn't feel that way at 7 a.m.

What I've noticed is that pausing to take in that beauty keeps me from zoning out — or worse, zoning into complaints about the commute, the traffic, or the grogginess that comes with returning to work after a long weekend. Beauty, even a brief glimpse of it, reorients me.

What small, everyday moment has the power to reset your mindset — and are you intentional enough to let it?