Nature Didn’t Spring Forward

A Sunrise Lesson in Presence

The birds didn’t know the time had changed.

Nature didn’t “spring forward.”

Nature simply kept doing what it always does — expressing itself, unfolding in its own rhythm, experiencing its own Divine magnificence.

I, on the other hand, experienced the effects of the time change.

When I woke up this morning, I rolled over and looked at the clock on my nightstand.

4:53 a.m.

Ugh, I groaned. Why did I wake up an hour early?

I rolled back over and tried to fall back asleep until my 6:00 a.m. alarm went off… which happened only seven minutes later.

I grabbed my phone, confused.

“What the heck?”

And that’s when I figured it out. I had forgotten to change the time on the clock next to my bed.I groaned again as realization dawned. No wonder my body felt confused and not quite ready to “spring” out of bed.

So I did what I do most mornings. I closed my eyes and settled back into my brief gratitude and intention-setting practice before getting up.

Three slow breaths. Deep and Deliberate.

Feeling each breath move into my body—down into my chest, deeper into my belly—pausing for a moment before letting it slowly move back up and out again.

With each breath, my nervous system softened.

I felt gratitude for my breath, my body, my warm bed, and for the blank canvas of the day ahead.

Then I imagined myself stepping into the day. I saw myself getting out of bed feeling strong, flexible, and connected. I walked myself through a few moments of the day ahead, seeing each one filled with presence and quiet joy, ending with that beautiful feeling of fullness that comes from a day well lived.

And then, for a moment, I stepped even further forward. I imagined a future version of myself — confident, calm, embodied — standing in front of a room full of people, sharing ideas about joy, presence, and living fully alive.The room felt electric with shared intention of love, joy, and presence.

Taking another breath, I returned to the moment.

Swinging my feet out of bed, I whispered quietly, “Thank you.”

Thank you for this day, Spirit. Let me rejoice and be glad in it.

I walked through the darkened bedroom and opened the door into the hallway — surprised that it was still dark. “What is going on?” I thought. And then it clicked.

Oh right—the time change.

By nature’s clock, it was still an hour earlier than yesterday, even if our human clocks said otherwise.

I continued my morning practice downstairs in a west-facing room. Slowly, the sky began to brighten. The darkness softened, and the first hints of light began to appear through the clouds.

By the time I wandered into the kitchen to make my morning cup of tea, nature was in full splendor—soft pinks, warm golds, and clouds glowing with reflected light.

I stood there quietly for a moment, taking it all in.

And I remembered something simple and profound: Nature is on her own time.

The birds didn’t rush this morning. The sun didn’t hurry. The sky didn’t check a clock. Nature simply continued expressing itself, moment by moment, in perfect rhythm.

So often we rush ourselves through life according to numbers on a clock, forgetting that life itself unfolds in a deeper rhythm—one breath, one moment, one sunrise at a time.

My quiet minutes this morning reminded me of something I forget sometimes: The beauty, the peace, and the presence we long for are not somewhere else.

They are already here.

Waiting for us to notice. Waiting for us to slow down long enough to receive them.

Today, take one small pause.

Step outside.

Look at the sky. Feel one full breath move through your body. Notice something beautiful that you might normally rush past.

Nature will still be doing what it does — expressing its own Divine magnificence.

And for a moment, you might remember that you are part of that magnificence too.