Watch this video of a renowned concert violinist playing for free in the subway and see what happens. Elisha Goldstein, author of The Now Effect, offers thoughts on how mindfulness enhances resiliency. Funny I didn’t expect to use this lesson just a few minutes after reading his post.

This morning woke up with a purpose: to appreciate the small beauties that surround me. Just being able to use my legs to walk, the softness of my dog’s fur, hot water when I want it! I was doing great when my daughter called from school needing something urgently that she forgot. She needed me to drop everything and bring it to her right away!

My body tensed up like a spring. It was remarkable how fast I went from serene to severe! I was irritated that my routine was being interrupted in this rude manner. I couldn’t shake the feeling entirely but I was able to breathe enough, create enough space, to lower the volume on the irritation and know my perspective would return if I gave it a little time.

When I dropped the stuff off that my daughter forgot, she looked me in the eye and said, “I’ll make it up to you.” Knowing that she meant it, I smiled, recognizing another small beauty, and said, “Thank you.” Just like that, I fell back into balance.