Sunshine is a State of Mind
Sunshine is a State of Mind
The first time I went to Sedona, Arizona, I had a very specific picture in my mind: Red rocks glowing at golden hour. A long, grounding hike. That feeling people talk about when they say, “You can feel the energy here.”
Instead, it rained... In the desert.
I remember feeling so disappointed. We had traveled all that way, had such a small window of time, and now the plan I’d been dreaming of was dissolving in front of me. So instead of hiking, we wandered. We putzed around the small downtown, popping in and out of shops, many of them leaning a little “hippie dippie,” as Ronnie would say, because Sedona is known as a spiritual destination, full of vortexes and energy centers.
In one of those shops, a woman behind the counter asked how we were doing, and as one does, I made a quick, casual complaint about the rain, being travelers, and about our limited stay.
Without hesitation, she said “Sunshine is a state of mind.” Not dismissively. Not cheerfully. Just… clearly. Soft, and knowing. Like it was something she knew in her bones, something she’d practiced long enough that it had become her default way of being.
And as wild as it sounds, more than a decade later, I still see her. I still hear her voice. Those words followed me home and quietly threaded themselves through my life.
What It Means
“Sunshine is a state of mind” has taken on a life of its own over the years.
To me, it’s a grounding reminder that no matter the circumstances, the weather, the season of life, the amount of money you make, what you have or don’t have, sunshine is usually always just one warm thought away.
A thought that is grateful, appreciative, kind, supportive, empathetic. Those thoughts override a rainy day, and even a shit-storm situation… the hardest part is remembering to choose sunshine.
I’ve noticed how easy it is for people (myself included) to grip tightly to what’s going wrong, to ruminate, to replay, to pull the people around you into into that spiral. And to be fair, our brains are wired for that, it’s biologically easier for us to scan for danger than delight, but the power of thought is a remarkable thing. And the power of reminding yourself and others that sunshine is one choiceful thought away, can turn a dreary day or situation into a moment that you’ll remember for a lifetime.
When we consciously tell ourselves, “I am going to choose sunshine,” and then gently feed our minds thoughts that support that belief, something shifts. We interrupt old patterns, we create space, we even zap ourselves out of our heads and into the present moment, where we can see, feel, hear, smell, touch, and sense what is good around us.
There’s biology to this too — our brains struggle to co-exist in two opposing states at once. We can’t be anxious about the future and truly present at the same time. We can’t be consumed by desire and grounded in gratitude simultaneously. Those experiences pull from different places within us.
Living the Mantra
Embracing this mindset doesn’t mean pretending things are perfect or forcing positivity when life feels heavy. It means choosing softness when hardness is available. It means asking, “Where is the light in this moment?” even if it’s small.
Sometimes sunshine looks like adjusting expectations. Sometimes it’s laughter in the middle of disappointment. Sometimes it’s a deep breath and deciding not to carry a bad moment into the rest of the day.
Sunshine is a state of mind is a practice. A quiet one. And a worthy one.
Some days, choosing sunshine will feel effortless. Other days, it will feel like the hardest thing you do. Both count.
My Wish for You
My wish for you, my darling, is not a life free from storms, or shit-storms for that matter. Inevitably, as much as you try to avoid it, and the people around you try to protect you from it, you will have rainy days, unexpected ones, inconvenient ones, unfair ones.
My wish is that you remember this one truth: Warmth is an inside job, and you carry the sunshine with you.
And while your ambition and drive is one of the greatest blessings you’ll hone over your life, at the end of it all peace and love is the point, that starts with sunshine. And sunshine, is a state of mind.
A Treasured Recipe
On my second trip to Sedona, Ronnie proposed. We drank this smoothie the morning of the proposal, and the resort was kind enough to share with me a handwritten recipe… my love language!
