Three days a week I practice balancing on one leg then on the other leg for 30 seconds. I repeat this balancing exercise three times with each leg. I’ve read where practicing balancing is good for our core and brain. It makes me think about my life. An important question is, “Is my life in balance?” A follow up question is, “If I am out of balance, where is my life out of balance?” When our lives are not in balance, we become stressed. We can only stay out of balance so long before we topple over. When we’re in balance we’re able to adapt to the organic process of living. Dial back on the things that are keeping you off balance. Place a greater emphasis on the important things that have been set aside.
Thinking Out Loud
Today’s Thought: Stress Happens It’s All Okay
Stress can blindside us. We’re coasting along, bopping our head to our favorite tunes when, out of the blue, it happens. An event stresses us out. We forget about the music we were listening to. We forget about the good mood we were in. All we think about is the stressor event. It may not even be a big event. A co-worker passes by and makes a snide remark. Your mom calls and wants to know why you haven’t called. Or, it could be one of the biggys. It’s easy for a friend to say, “let it go” when you know you can’t. It easy to hear advice that tells you to deep breath and you know you don’t have time for that stuff. The way I see it, you’re being human. Being human means we have to buckle up and ride out the bumpy parts of the ride. I’ve learned I can’t avoid stressors. I’ve also learned I don’t have to go looking for them. I’ll let them find me.
Today’s Thought: Changing Bed Sheets
Today’s the day I change my bed sheets. It’s part of my weekly routine. The bed sheets I took off the bed are in the washer and soon will be in the dryer. Changing sheets is a healthy thing. Throughout the week, bed sheets can accumulate sweat, skin cells, oils, and hair. These can serve as a breeding ground for bacteria and fungi, which may lead to skin irritations or infections. Changing sheets is a metaphor we can apply to our lives. Set aside a few minutes for reflection. Are there any things you need to change to help you become more physically and emotionally healthy? Pick one thing and then substitute something healthy for it. Amaze yourself!
Today’s Thought: At Life’s Crossroads
“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.” ― Viktor E. Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning
NOTE: I have a friend who has an addiction. My friend’s addiction is clear to those who love him. It is not clear at all to my friend. He claims he can handle his addiction. His addiction is now affecting him physically. He refuses to see the association between his addiction and his physical problems. He sets up a protective wall around himself that only those who act co-dependently can enter. He’s at a crossroads in his life. As Frankl points out, he is being challenged to change himself. Each of us will find ourselves in situations we cannot change. We can fight those situations and find ourselves increasingly frustrated or we can turn our attention inwards and ask, “How can I change what I am doing now so that I end the suffering I am imposing on myself and act in ways that will improve my life?”
Today’s Thought: What is the Source of Your Anger
“Anybody can become angry, that is easy; but to be angry with the right person, and to the right degree, and at the right time, and for the right purpose, and in the right way, that is not within everybody’s power, that is not easy.” – Aristotle
NOTE: Aristotle had it right when he spoke about anger. Anger can be a useful emotion when used in the right way, at the the right time, with the right purpose, and with the right people. How do you manage your anger? Can you hold it in check or do you tend to “Fly off the handle?” When you become angry do you recognize the source of your anger? Is the direction of your anger accurate? Or, is the direction of your anger an exercise in letting off steam from a personal setback. Anger is complicated. If we’re wise and honest with ourselves we can use anger in ways that produces a positive outcome. If we’re not wise, we may be emotionally injuring the people we care most about.
Today’s Thought: It Takes Two to Tango
I have a friend who is estranged from a family member. My friend wants to end the estrangement and is willing to let bygones be bygones. My friend sent her sibling a letter expressing her desire to get back together and forget the issues that divided them. She never got a response. It’s a sad situation. We can try to reconcile but it takes two to make it work. Part of the lyrics from the song, It Takes Two to Tango, read, “You can haunt any house by yourself / Be a man or a mouse by yourself / You can act like a king on a thrown / There are lots of things that you can do alone / But it takes two to tango two to tango.” The best one can do is to be open to reconciliation. If the opportunity presents itself, embrace it. Let the past rejected attempts go and be grateful it happened. If it never happens, one can be at peace knowing he/she gave it his/her best shot.
Today’s Thought: Are You Reading the Signs?
NOTE: When I drive on San Antonio highways I see lots of digital traffic signs. Some signs warn of congestion, an accident, or to refrain from texting while driving. The signs give us useful information if we choose to use it. When we ignore the signs, the signs are letters jumbled together. The highway signs are a lot like life. There are signs all around us. The signs may deal with our emotional or physical health, our relationships, or be leading us to an opportunity. As humans we have to be “awake” to recognize the signs otherwise we pass by them. What are the signs in your life telling you?
Today’s Thought: Tomorrow’s Promise
Where am I going today? That’s something to think about especially if we think about it at a deeper level. Where am I going today and will it lead me to a better tomorrow? When we link today to the quality of tomorrow it influences what we do today. If I don’t do anything, the world will keep spinning and moving through the cosmos, but I’ll be stuck in the same place. Tomorrow holds the promise that we work for today.
Today’s Thought: Who Are You Following?
If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away. ~ Henry David Thoreau
NOTE: Sometimes we get caught up with the crowd. We’re pulled along by public opinion, cultural trends, and media attention. We lose sight of where we were going and are dragged along with the prevailing trend. It takes courage to stop and step away and evaluate whether or not riding with the crowd is the wise choice. You may be call eccentric, weird, or a rebel. If so, you’ll joy a long list of people who made a difference because they chose to listen to their own drummer.
Today’s Thought:
There is a fundamental question we all have to face. How are we to live our lives; by what principles and moral values will we be guided and inspired? ~ H. Jackson Brown, Jr.hr
NOTE: What are your foundational principles and values? Make a list of ten foundational principles and values you believe guide your life. Now rank them and cross them off one at a time until you have the three most important foundational principles and values guiding your life. These are our bedrock foundation. When we are clear about them and do the best we can to make sure they guide our lives we can weather the storms we face.
