Day 33 - Pause

“The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.” ~Buddha


What a brilliant day! Not just the sunshine, but the pure joy that surrounded me, literally: in my car, were four little girls singing their hearts out in pure love to their favourite songs by Justin Bieber. My heart was filled as I watched these girls who played with utter abandon under the sunshine in Bowring Park. Without a plan, they occupied themselves for almost 2 hours in temperatures that hovered around minus 10 with the windchill. They shared such delight in feeding the ducks, chasing pigeons, and stopping to pet EVERY dog that walked by. It was wonderful. And then it was gone...

Yes, unfortunately it wasn’t that long after that I was ‘confronted’ by my tricky ego and sent spiralling into the mire. It is easy to get distracted from the loveliest of days by the obligations that adulthood brings, but I have learned that it is also easy to SWITCH your mindset. All you have to do is Pause. In this present moment, there are no problems. It is only when we allow ourselves to be consumed by negative images of the past and worried about the future that we create problems in our minds.

Now that I am an expert at recognizing this, I can more easily pull myself out of it. I remember to be gentle and compassionate with myself as I would be with another. When I do, everything falls into place. I gained a different perspective and realize that everything is not as dire as it seems, nor as urgent, nor as dramatic. It is only my reaction to the situation that makes it so. Now that I have taken a breath, meditated some, washed the dishes by hand, and written a few words, my whole demeanour has changed. What has to get done will get done. I trust myself. I will try not to forget that again!

When you are struggling, take a moment and remove yourself from the situation. Pause before you react and you will gain a different perspective. Your response will be deliberate and inspired.

Embrace 40!

Lisa