What a difference a day makes!!

Wow, there is a lot of truth in that statement! By yesterday afternoon, I had myself wound up pretty tightly until I thought I was going to explode! I guess the stresses in my life and my high expectations of myself converged this past week until I was close to melt-down. I think my disturbing dreams were my wake-up call to listen...and listen I have with the help of some friends.

Isn't it funny how you can have something staring you right in the face, but it takes a friend standing next to you to point out what should have been obvious to you in the first place? The burdens and stress that I have been carrying as well as my high self-expectations have been staring me in the face for quite a while. But have I been choosing not to see them or have I just not been paying attention? Does it even matter?

There was a good kind of covergence of events that began yesterday afternoon. First, I went for my hike, but I didn't treat it like the Olympic Trials and instead decided to enjoy the scenery first and put the exercise second. And guess what? It was an enjoyable relaxing walk and run. I didn't see another soul the whole hike with the exception of two deer grazing along the trail, and I stopped to watch them for a few minutes. I never get tired of seeing deer and these two let me get close enough tolgaze into their beautiful brown eyes. Upon returning from my hike, I had a wonderful e-mail waiting for me from a friend. The note brought me a smile and a laugh, and it was a playfully sarcastic reminder to take a chill pill and cut myself some slack. I got the message! Then last night I began reading a book called, Start Where You Are...a guide to compassionate living. And talk about the synchronicity of life...the chapter that I ended on last night was about not letting the big stuff in life get to you...treat it as no big deal...Regard All Dharmas As Dreams or stated another way...Every Situation Is A Passing Memory. I won't go into detail here about it, but suffice it to say the book isn't New Agey crap but good common sense advice that we too often forget for ourselves. And once I got to the section of life being a dream...and all of life is nothing more than passing memories upon passing memories....well it just added to the seed of peacefulness that I had begun feeling. I slept well last night and had pleasant escapist dreams. I worked in my beloved gardens this morning. And just before I sat down to write this post, I received yet another email from a friend. In it she empathized with my plight, and then she wisely reminded me that perhaps I should heed one of my posts from earlier this week, Laughter being the best medicine. Ah-ha I have been well and truly caught! Thank you and point well taken!

So why am I writing all this down? Well for one, somehow it feels good to dissemble onto paper, so to speak. Somehow it helps me release any remaining anxiety and I figure like my laughter post, this post may come in handy to me in the future as a helpful reminder. Also, I figure that the events and feelings that I've discussed here don't just apply to me, they really apply to most of us. Too many of us let things pile up on us until they become a large burden and our high self-expectations make the burden that much heavier. So maybe someone else reading this may see a glimpse of themselves and maybe in that way by helping myself I can help someone else too. And that's what it's all about...helping ourselves and each other.

So remember if you're having a bad day...don't worry it's a passing memory...and if you're having a good day...make sure you embrace it....because it's a passing memory! And take a chill pill, and smile and laugh...it can only help!