By Donna D’Cruz
On any ordinary day, life can change. In a moment—one heartbeat, one breath—everything familiar can fall away like a summer storm pulling petals from a bloom. Yet within this truth, there is a powerful invitation: to live a more present and awakened life, to recognize that each ordinary day is, in fact, extraordinary.
As Leigh Sales reminds us in her exquisite book Any Ordinary Day, life’s fragility is not something to fear, but to honor. “To be conscious of the brevity of life,” writes Rumi, “is to begin to taste the sweetness of it.” Each moment, precarious and precious, beckons us deeper into the sacred act of living.
When we dare to unfold our myth—to step beyond survival into a more soulful existence—we participate in a quieter, wilder truth: We are here to be, to become more than we ever dreamed possible. The unfolding is not a race or a performance. It is a sacred remembering.
As Joseph Campbell said, “We must let go of the life we have planned, so as to accept the one that is waiting for us.”
And what life is waiting for us this glorious summer? Maybe it’s not the endless striving, or the picture-perfect dream. Maybe it’s a sun-drenched afternoon where we feel the full weight of our joy, where we hear the symphony of our breath, where we honor the ordinary miracle of being alive.
Summer is an awakening season. It asks us to slow down and become conscious of what is already ours: the abundance in a ripe peach, the laughter spilling from a child, the soft gold light of an evening sky. The riches we seek have always been here, humming beneath the noise, waiting to be witnessed and enjoyed.
The call of consciousness is simple: Pause. Notice. Bless. Bliss. From this space, we “Dip Into Bliss”—not a bliss that denies sorrow, but one that embraces the bittersweetness of life fully. Bliss is not escape; it is entrance. It is remembering that even in our fragility, we are luminous.
This summer, I invite you to join me in this gentle ritual of presence:
A Summer Blessing Meditation
Close your eyes softly.
Breathe in through your nose to the count of four. Hold for four. Breathe out for six.
Feel the warmth of the season on your skin, even if only in memory.
Picture three blessings in your life—large or small.
Silently acknowledge them.
Whisper to yourself: “I am here. I am abundant. I am unfolding.”
Stay with this feeling for a few breaths longer than you think you need. And when you open your eyes, see your world anew—fragile, fleeting, but profoundly, gloriously yours. This is your sacred invitation. This is how we unfold our myth. One ordinary, extraordinary day at a time.
Tune in for weekly “Dip Into Bliss” meditations every Thursday with Cristina Cuomo and Donna D’Cruz on Instagram, @donnadcruz1 and @cristinacuomo; donnadcruz.com