Breathe And Be Still

I am embarrassed to admit that my favorite yoga class, which I do once a week, is on a DVD. I might be the only person in America, or at least on the West Coast, who even owns a DVD player anymore. But I love the class and one reason I love it is the instructor’s narration. This is relevant for today’s post as it is a reminder of the power of being present.

Earlier this week, I cut my finger quite badly (as a result this will be a short post as typing is challenging) on an immersion blender while cleaning it. I ended up in Urgent Care and am now sporting a huge bandage and cannot use my finger. The worst part? This is the second time I have done this (and yes, I think I will get rid of it to prevent a 3rd incident).

As I lay in bed the next morning, all I could think was “How did I do this again?”

Being Anything But Present

It happened because I was far from being present in any sense of the word.

I had let life get too busy and rather than recognize what was happening, I kept trying to do it all. In this case I was trying to put away some groceries, order a couple of items on Amazon, and make myself lunch between a call and picking up one of my kids. And that was just a snapshot of 20 minutes in my day.

I knew when my son asked for a ride I did not really have the time, and yet I said yes. It was one thing too many in this case. As a result, I was rushing about and distracted by thoughts of everything else I needed to get done. Next thing I knew I was wrapping a wad of paper towels around my finger and dashing out the door to urgent care, my lunch all over the counter, and my son was calling Uber.

I usually find myself in these situations when I forget I can say “no” and I think, although history has proven me wrong time and again, I can do it all. In addition when it becomes mostly an exercise in crossing things off my to-do list, rarely do I get any real satisfaction or feel a sense of purpose in being so busy. It is all superficial. Being stuck on the hamster wheel is not fulfilling and does not mean I am getting the most out of life. When I reflect back, instead I feel like life outmaneuvered me…like I lost sight of the end goal and true purpose.

So back to my DVD. It reminds me to not take on too much. To slow down, to pause, to find stillness in my day. As Baron Baptist says, “Relax and magic will happen.”

Parting Thought

As we head into the holidays and suddenly there are more obligations and items on our to-do lists, hopefully this post can serve as a reminder to not over do it. To say no, to pause, to take a deep breath and be still.

To be continued…