On my morning walk along the acequia ditch after a night of rain, there was a cloud infusion that spread a thick heavy fog that made it hard to see more than a hundred feet ahead. As the novelty of the weather wore off, I noticed my mind wrestling with my to-do list and some goals that felt unattainable at the moment. I felt tension in my jaw and throat as I wanted to jump into the future to have my tasks closer to complete.

In the midst of my frustration a swarm of iridescent blue-tailed birds dove out of an elm tree toward the ground and swooped up before hitting the ground. They flew off ahead with a quick flap of their wings and then floated off to the next elm. I couldn’t help but laugh, as it seemed like they were taunting me. As if they were saying, “Hey wake up and look at what you are missing … this absolutely glorious moment.” The birds helped me find my way back to feeling of awe with their play and the thick heavy fog, a rarity in the New Mexico desert.

It occurred to me that we might actively pursue our goals by working on being present as it helps us deepen our inner awareness and space for our intuition. A place to begin could be creating space for regular practices that ask us to be fully present, whether it is exercise or yoga or meditation or being in nature. As we continue to come back to our breath, our senses activate and new pathways open up connecting us to our intuitive voice. And from here anything is possible.