You Can’t Exhale Before You Have Inhaled

You can’t exhale before you have inhaled.

It’s impossible.

Perhaps that’s why I’ve come to believe the same is true of living.

There is something almost sacred about stepping outside, lifting your face toward the warmth of the sun, and closing your eyes for just a moment. It isn’t simply that the sunshine feels nice.

It’s an experience.

It’s an emotion.

It’s a place.

A place that quietly reminds us we belong to something much bigger than ourselves.

When I walk outside each evening, I feel as though I’m breathing in the world before I ever breathe anything back into it. The golden light filtering through the trees, the breeze that carries the scent of summer, the rhythm of my footsteps, the moon beginning its slow climb into the night sky—it all fills me.

Only then can I exhale.

Only then do my thoughts seem to settle.

Only then do I find clarity.

I’ve begun to think that perhaps our greatest peace isn’t found inside our homes, behind our screens, or in our endless lists of things to accomplish.

Perhaps it’s waiting just outside the front door.

The more I seek the warmth of the sun, the glow of an evening sky, the sound of birds greeting the morning, or even the quiet beauty of a rainy afternoon, the more alive I feel. Nature has a remarkable way of broadening our minds while calming our hearts at the very same time.

It reminds us that we are part of something beautifully ordinary.

And beautifully extraordinary.

It makes me think of Forrest Gump.

There is something wonderfully human about his decision to simply run.

No grand speech.

No complicated explanation.

Just the overwhelming desire to move through the world.

I think most of us understand that feeling.

The desire to walk.

To hike.

To bike.

To wander.

To sit by the ocean.

To watch the clouds.

To stand in the rain.

To feel cold air on our cheeks in winter and warm sunshine on our shoulders in summer.

Rain or shine.

Morning or midnight.

Every season has something to offer us if we simply step outside long enough to notice it.

Lately I’ve also been watching Silo, and without giving away a single spoiler, one of the things I appreciate most about the series is how it quietly reminds us not to take our freedom to experience the outdoors for granted.

Imagine living your entire life with only a small, dirty window separating you from the world.

Being able to see the sky…

But never feel the sunshine.

To watch the wind…

But never feel it brush against your face.

To know trees exist…

But never stand beneath them.

It made me unexpectedly grateful.

Grateful that tonight I can lace up my shoes, open my front door, and step into a world that is endlessly inviting me to participate in it.

Sometimes we think adventure requires an airplane ticket or a passport.

Sometimes it simply begins with opening the front door.

Perhaps that’s why I treasure my evening walks so much.

They aren’t just exercise.

They’re how I inhale.

And I’ve learned something wonderful.

Life feels far easier to exhale into once you’ve first taken a deep breath of everything this beautiful world has been trying to give you all along.

Honey Note 🍯

Never forget that your soul needs fresh air just as much as your lungs do.

When life feels heavy, don’t always look for a solution first.

Sometimes, look for the sunshine.

Go outside.

Watch the clouds drift by.

Listen to the birds argue over absolutely nothing.

Feel the breeze remind you that the world is still moving, and so are you.

The world has a remarkable way of filling us back up when we remember to step into it.

Love,

🍯 🐝

Honey 🤍

May you never become so busy living that you forget to experience being alive. And may every deep breath remind you just how extraordinary this ordinary world truly is.