The morning was alive with questions. I took my coffee and morning reading to a favorite lookout point in Hollywood. It was clear and cloudless with a joy-inducing view of the Hollywood sign. I situated myself so as not to look at the concrete landscape of LA, but rather the mountains, the sign and the scattering of homes tucked into the hills. As a small-town-kid-at-heart, it’s easy sometimes to feel weighed down by the heaviness of the city. I often feel the pull of the land and sky. It brings me back to a sense of home.

So, as I allowed my mind and body to still, as I relished my coffee, the veil over my eyes lifted and serenity peeked in. I was alone and it was heaven. In that moment, a lone bird with a huge wingspan soared across my view. It circled and found its landing spot. It did that a few times, each time the circle growing a bit wider.

It made me wonder if the bird realized it had the entire sky in which to roam, an entire world of sky to explore and a path of unending treetops to land and feed upon. Did he know he doesn’t have a mortgage payment or a job where he has to show up every day? Sure, it's possible he has a family he’s tending to if there are wee ones in the nest. But, I found myself saying, “Don’t you know you have the world at your wingtips? With places that have cleaner air and deeper greens? You have the power within you to go anywhere, with virtually nothing to hold you down. Even the nests you build are temporary, meant to house you for a time. Do you feel free? Or are there creature comforts holding you here?”  

As if on cue, the bird soared out of my scope of vision and I did a silent victory cheer for him. Even knowing that he’d probably be back, I admired the ability to be able to pick up and fly.

It got me thinking about creature comforts.

Do they really comfort us or keep us in the status quo?

Something to think about. The bird seemed pretty content, but you never know what’s lying just beyond comfortable until you step beyond it.

 Related: Pick a Lane, Follow the Road Baby

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