Meeting Yourself in a Distracted World: Daily Sama 139

Partway through this morning’s practice, a red-tailed hawk started screeching near my summertime office—the porch. Loud, insistent, and going about its day with full gusto.

It pulled me away from myself. I was the one leading the practice and my attention went straight out the window, to the bird, to the noise, to whether you could hear it too.

And then it became the practice.

The distractions in our environment. The thoughts. That is the world we live in, and it is pulling our minds in different directions.

So how can we be in the middle of all of this dynamic life and still stay connected with ourselves?

That’s the practice today. Meeting ourselves in the middle of all the distractions. Seeing ourselves, truly seeing ourselves, not through the lens of expectations, of shoulds. Just seeing. Being with who you are in this moment.

That’s what I See Me is for. A hand on your chest, in the middle of your actual day.

Return. One or both hands in the region of your heart. Feel the touch of your hand, the warmth or the coolness, your own beating heart. Let the breath rise and fall right there — the chest lifting on the inhale, the body softening on the exhale.

Then, before anything else, notice one good quality you already bring. Your sincerity. Your generosity. Your playfulness. Whatever is actually true of you.

Listen. From that place, let the reminder drop: I see me.

See what comes. Self-doubt may come. Judgment may come. Expectations may come. Let them. We’re not sorting anything into good and bad, we’re making room. Not who you were. Not who you want to be. Who is here, in the middle of your world as it is.

Then listen for what’s asking for your attention today. More movement, more rest, more water, more creativity. Or maybe nothing more than this, that you gave yourself the time. That’s enough on its own.

Begin. Carry it into the next thing.

If writing helps, write. Eyes closed is fine — I often do. No editing, no worrying about grammar. Just let what’s there come through your hand.

Not by feeling better. By the body.

Every time I actually meet myself and touch that place, there’s a release. A letting go. If you noticed that, you met yourself.

And if the hawk was still screeching while it happened, even better. That’s the whole skill.

One of you wrote afterwards: “I’m starting this day with a sense of calmness and acceptance.” Not a goal. Just something we return to.

Today’s session was open to all.

Daily Sama runs every day — one skill, one micro-practice, brought into an ordinary day. This week is Compassion. Last week was Awareness. Next week, Curiosity.

If you’d like to join regularly and have all the micro-practices and the recordings, a paid subscription is what makes that possible. My commitment is to keep this accessible to everyone, and it’s subscriber support that lets me keep offering it across the different channels.

And if cost is the thing in your way — send me a message and I’ll give you free access. No conditions, no explanation needed. I would rather you practice.

Return. Listen. Begin. Stay Sama. 🪷