When a simple article about cleaning cars sends your pulse racing, sometimes the best detail job is imagining a beach escape instead.
Each morning as I sip my coffee and eat my oatmeal, I read an online magazine that’s filled with today’s news, sports, and other interesting topics. A topic that caught my eye was. “How to keep your car really clean.” My children are all grown. My car stays pretty clean. I don’t go to fast food drive-through’s. So there are no leftover containers in the car. But the Sahara dust blows through South Texas and things get dusty and grimy. I thought the article article was going to give me some good tips and a quick way to get rid of the dust and grime. Anything to save me the the cash I’ll have to pay to have my car detailed. I read the first two paragraphs. So far there was no mention of how to clean only all the different things I’d need. I felt my heart palpitating. Sweat started beating on my forehead. Was I getting dizzy or just imagining it. I closed my eyes took 10 deep breaths and breathed out very slowly. I felt my body returning to normal. I opened my eyes and I saw the headline again. I could feel my heart race. I quickly selected a different article,”Five cheap flights to dream beach vacations.” That’s more like it. Now my mind raced with visions of white sand, the sounds of Caribbean music, and crystal clear water. My world was all right whether I visited one of the resorts or not.
✨ Points to Ponder
- How often do we let minor inconveniences—like dust on a car—cause outsized stress in our minds?
- What daily rituals (coffee, reading, walks) give you a chance to reset your thoughts when life feels overwhelming?
- Where does your imagination take you when you shift from stress to peace—white sands, green forests, or someplace else?
- Could humor be your best defense against the little irritations of daily life?
- What “dream vacation” in your mind helps you stay grounded when the Sahara dust (or life’s chaos) blows in?