Creating Lena » morning

Frosty Morning

Helena — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 13:57:50 +0000

At -32C this morning, I ended up driving my son to work because it was just too cold for him to ride his bike. Everything was covered in frost, including me. I almost got frostbitten fingers just snapping these few pics:

Stillness and Silence

Helena — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 03:53:35 +0000

“No thought, no action, no movement, total stillness: only thus can one manifest the true nature and law of things from within and unconsciously, and at last become one with heaven and earth.” ~ Lao Tzu

A New Way To Start The Day

Helena — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 12:24:37 +0000

I started my day in a new way this morning, and already I’m feeling the effects even though it’s only been an hour.

Last night I started reading Leo Babauta’s new book on focus last night. Already I’ve learned a few things just from skimming through a few pages.

One of the things I really have issues with in my life right now is that I get up in the morning and rush around doing for others and not starting my day in the peaceful way I would prefer. Even though I love the morning, and early morning (like sunrise early) is my favorite time of day, I am not a morning person. I need that hour or two of peace and quiet before anyone else gets up to really get myself set to face the day. And right now, I just don’t get it.

In the book, Leo says to do something amazing every day and to do it as early in the morning as possible. So this morning I got up when I woke up instead of waiting for the alarm to go off, and I meditated for five minutes. I was hoping that maybe something would come to me that would really jump out and help me to figure out what I really want to do today that would be my “Something Amazing.”

I was amazed at how calm and peaceful I felt, just sitting on the edge of the bed with my eyes closed, focusing on my breathing. All the thoughts in my head just sort of floated by… It was kind of like that feeling you get watching tropical fish in an aquarium. I could see them there, and they looked lovely swimming around, but I couldn’t reach out and touch them, or hold on to them in any way, and it was a very freeing and calming experience. A much different way to start the day than what usually goes on in my mornings.

Even right now as I write this, I am still feeling calm and peaceful. The only noise in the house is the sound of the fan and the sound of my pen moving across the paper. (I actually wrote this out by hand in my journal right after I was done meditating… something else I love to do first thing in the morning, but never seem to have the time for.)

The other thing I’ve learned so far from Leo’s book is that it’s okay to not have rigid goals and lock yourself into a to-do list. I’ve always tried to be that person who plans and follows goals and makes lists and then beats herself up when things don’t go according to plan. Even yesterday (before I started reading) I spent most of the day working on a plan to get all my websites in order and set a schedule of what I would work on each day. When I read what Leo had to say about letting go of goals it was a very freeing lightbulb moment for me because I’ve never felt comfortable being that person. It’s not me, and I always felt like a bit like a little girl playing dress-up by trying to make a formal system work. I’m a much more spur-of-the-moment, go-with-the-flow kinda girl, and have never really allowed myself to fully be that way, especially when it comes to business. To my mind now, it certainly feels like this is a big reason why I have to fight so hard to be productive in a day… Even though I love to write, it’s always felt like I’m trying to move a ton of bricks to even get one article down on paper because I’m always working on what I think I “should” be working on, instead of what I really want to be writing, what’s fighting to get out of my head.

Back to the whole meditation thing for a minute… The one thought that stuck with me even after my meditation ended this morning was “I fill myself with the energy of possibility.”

So today I am going to open myself up to everything that’s possible, toss the to-do list out the window, and let all the “should do’s” go with it. Today is for “could do” and “want to do” and even if my one amazing thing for the day turns out to be this blog post, it’s still a good day. I’ve started this day my way — how could it be anything else?

I hope you’re having a great start to your morning too!

Starting My New Year Right

Summer Sunday Sunrise

Helena — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 14:14:56 +0000

Not today, mind you. It’s grey and dreary and trying really hard to rain…. again. :)

These are from a couple weeks ago, one of the few mornings I actually made it out of the house early enough to catch the sunrise.

For more beautiful shots straight out of the camera, visit:

Have a wonderful day!

Early Morning Solitude

Helena — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 14:14:20 +0000

One of the things I love most about getting up and going out early is the solitude. For those few moments when it’s just me and the birds and the river, I can forget that I live in a city, let my mind wander and envision the day I live by the water and can enjoy my early morning solitude in the privacy of my own space rather than a public park.

Today is a rest day for my legs after three long walks in three days. So here are a couple more shots from yesterday’s outing…

For more beautiful scenery and shots straight out of the camera, visit these wonderful sites:

Have a wonderful day!

Sunrise Through The Trees

Helena — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 16:30:00 +0000

For more great skies from around the world, visit Skywatch Friday. The Thursday Challenge is for sky photos this week too, so make sure you check out the wonderful stuff there as well!

Have a wonderful day!

Early Morning Skywatch

Helena — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 17:03:43 +0000

I’ve always felt like each morning is a new beginning — a chance to start over, to finish things, to fix things, or to explore in a completely new direction. So when I actually get a chance to get up and be outside in time to watch the sunrise, it makes for an extra-special new beginning.

“With each sunrise, we start anew” ~ Author Unknown

Next time a sunrise steals your breath or a meadow of flowers leave you speechless, remain that way. Say nothing, and listen as heaven whispers, “Do you like it? I did it just for you.” ~ Max Lucado

“Nothing is more beautiful than the loveliness of the woods before sunrise” ~ George Washington Carver

“I greet you. Not quite as the world sends greetings, but with profound esteem and with the prayer that for you now and forever, the day breaks, and the shadows flee away.” ~ Fra Giovanni Giocondo

Click on the logo below to see more awesome skies from around the world:

Have an amazing day!

Morning Solitude

Helena — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 02:12:42 +0000

There’s nothing quite like spending the early morning on a beach, even if it’s just a little one. :)

For more beautiful scenery and shots straight out of the camera, visit these wonderful sites:

Have a wonderful day!

Wordless Wednesday – No April Showers Yet!

Helena — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 16:13:02 +0000

The rain started about 5 minutes after I got back inside!

Happy Wednesday!
For more great photos, check out Wordless Wednesday.