On my early morning walks, no matter where I am, I allow my brain to be quiet and focus on what is in front of me. One of the most fascinating things about nature is that there are so many lessons for us – if we just look more closely.

There are patterns to observe – I have been seeing so many pelicans and noticed that they have an order they follow, which we can learn from so beautifully. The pelicans sit, watch, glide, dive for food, and rest. They work and soar and pause.

We tend to have our attention mostly on the work in front of us and not so much on the soaring. Our eyes are usually down on our phones and computers and other devices and I know that we miss so much when we have this narrow focus.

When we allow our spirit to rise above, we get a whole new perspective. Just as the pelican sees so much more clearly from above what they are seeking, so can we. Give yourself a break from the usual unrelenting tasks. Set a timer every hour to stand up, look around, go outside and look at the sky or trees or people going about their day. Breathe in something new. You will have a few moments of rest and maybe even you will receive new ideas and clarity, or just a much needed rest so that these pauses create even a little bit of soaring for your soul.

When we allow our spirit to rise above, we get a whole new perspective.

The theme of balance is coming up and I’m enjoying the playfulness that springs from this. There are two days of the year when day and night are equal and balanced. On March 20 at 5:24 pm EDT, we get to celebrate the return of more sunlight and increasingly warmer days in the Northern Hemisphere, after a long cold, snowy and rainy winter for many people.  The photo above is the cherry blossom tree in my yard, and I look forward to it blooming every year. It really makes me, and anyone walking by, really smile.

One of the things I love about any kind of holiday or calendar event is the silly things that we can do like balancing an egg on its’ end (word is you can do this 365 days out of the year), and even balancing a broom (just heard of that one – but a new broom apparently works better than an old one!). People get together and eat scrambled eggs in Bosnia, and in England, they throw wheels of Gloucester cheese down a hill and then people throw themselves after it.

The spring equinox is a perfect time to reflect on the balance of life and have some fun. Here are two tips to bring balance into your everyday.

It’s about feeling centered and light- you know inside when you are. Notice when you feel peaceful and what types of things you are doing to bring in these good feelings. Do more of them! On a phone call the other day a dear friend told me to give my ‘playful self’ permission to come out and play more. You don’t need to throw cheese but find something fun and lighten up.

Take time to notice perhaps the ‘dark’ side of your feelings as well. What makes you gloomy or crabby or short-tempered or jealous? Make a conscious decision to do less/none of those and refer to point # 1 and play more.

As we transition from the darkness of winter to the light and brightness of spring, we are reminded that it’s good to seek balance in our lives. We may not need to balance an egg on its end everyday – but we can balance ourselves just by noticing and making better conscious decisions.

And who can’t use a little extra sunshine and lightness in your step today?