As for the lessons we teach ourselves, did we know all along?

Everybody sees reality differently. First, through the lens of their own two eyeballs until an environmental stimulus finds its way down the optic nerve and the brain turns it into a conscious thought.

Why, then, do we all find such beauty and warmth when watching the sunset?

I left work today feeling cooped up and down trodden. Now I love my job, and I love the people I work with. But, sometimes, life’s subtle frustrations have their way of ganging up on you. Navigating work life, traffic, finding social circles, my people, my daily dose of creativity can get a little overwhelming at times.

I begrudgingly decided to head to the beach to run the steps and avoid Thursday rush hour. Running the steps is when I run up and down a total of 40 flights of stairs until I can’t feel my legs. I almost didn’t do it, as I realized I forgot my headphones as soon as I got to the beach. When I began my challenging run, I breathed in the air and the vibrant, varied group of people around me. I saw a group of senior citizens, discussing movies and Amazon over homemade sandwiches. Just next to them was a beautiful young couple taking wedding photos, an old man hula-hoping, and three housewives catching up over white wine.

As the sun began its descent, as the corresponding yellow glow filled the open sky, I became filled with the happiness, the joy, and the camaraderie around me. It wasn’t complicated, it just was… like all things should be.

The sea is just as mighty and terrifying as it is peaceful and gentle. I get to decided which way I see it as I gaze off into the horizon, wondering where it goes. After a week of swallowing my syllables, the words began to flow freely. I put pen to paper, get a “great job” email from a colleague, and finally watch the sun slink into another sky.

I continue to think about the world, and the beauty within it. I can watch the sun rise and fall everyday if I wanted to. The choice is mine, and tonight the sky is calm.