Something happened to me at 50. I found myself inhabiting my interiority more; in other words, I became more of an introvert. Simultaneously, I transformed into a “first-class noticer” of awe in the world. I left the confines of my mind and began observing just how wondrous the world is, even amidst all of its imperfections. 

Inside and outside my overstuffed mind, magic was happening, and it took me until 50 to notice. Today, the crows in Santa Fe and the wren in Baja sing me morning lullabies. Sea turtles erupt like lava from the sand while whales joyfully breach amidst their migration patterns. Coyotes howl and deer come to eat the berries at my Galisteo home. The pace of nature has calmed me. If I am open to hearing it, there is always a cosmic tune playing that has nothing to do with my life. 

Ironically, the portal to this miraculous, enchanted world was when I noticed my breath. It was when I went inside to feel, hear, and even taste my breathing that I was able to experience the wondrous pulse of nature and my small part of it. 

‍What if you were to set an alarm on your phone at four random times today, so that when it goes off, you stop what you’re doing, close your eyes, and use your senses to experience your breath in the context of the throbbing world? The word “inspire” is derived from the Latin root “spirare,” meaning to breathe spirit in. Try breathing in a little spirit today and see how you feel.