As you look at the redbud tree, think about adaptation. Please join me in an exercise in exploring awe through the five senses. To start, pause, take a deep breath in, and then exhale fully. Notice how you are feeling right now. Next, look around you. I want you to notice five things that you can see.

What strikes you about these objects? Now, I would like you to explore and notice four things that you can feel. Tune in to your sense of touch. Notice and describe the texture of four things that you can touch. Next, I would like you to notice three things around you that you can hear. Listen carefully.

Notice and identify three sounds you hear in your environment. How do these sounds connect you to your environment more intimately? Now I would like you to notice two things you can smell. Notice and identify these two smells that you may or may not recognize. Finally, please notice one thing you can taste.

If you are able, you can take a sip or a bite of something accessible to you, or simply notice the current taste in your mouth. As you brought attention to each of your five senses, you may have felt a shift in your awareness, a sense of being more attuned to the present moment. If you are still enough and open to exploring things with attention, The world around you will come into focus, inspiring awe and amazement.

Wonders will appear in small and large ways when we embrace the power of noticing. Take a few deep breaths and come back to your body.

Relish in this sense of wonder. Wonder combined with delight can lead to experiencing deeper meaning in our lives.