StressCON 5.0

Yesterday––despite my tools, Zen, yoga, and faith––I jumped into StressCON 5.0. My malfunctioning brain launched me towards my To-Do list like a fireman rushing into a fire; the problem is that I was holding the match.
When does a creating a habit create despair?
I’m entirely in favor of forming patterns and staying focused, but I’m ready for balance and I accept that I hold all the power.
Like Dorthy waking up in Kansas; I can leave OZ whenever I decide to (REALLY) trust the process and stay present.  I know that it is in the NOW that I will find the answers to the most important question: what can I do today?

Now Is Always Here

As an artists, I’m always searching for inspiration––which inevitably leads to an endless loop of reliving memories, revisiting ideas and thinking about how to anticipate what’s next.
I’m constantly resisting the urge to overanalyze. Like getting stuck in an all-night Google search session; you started out the journey looking for one answer, and somehow you’ve ended up reading about the success of your teenage crush.
Tapped in the past, or lost in the future––neither will help me in the present.
Creating meaningful work requires staying connected to what’s happening now; that awareness is the key to evolution.

The Power Is In Your Hands

The ability to release the guilt from yesterday,
and resist the anxiety of tomorrow––allows us to be more productive today.
The past is gone. The future will never be here;
All we have is the present.
Nothing from the past or future can come in contact with the present;
Unless you enable it to enter your mind.

Breathe In The Climb

Living in the present requires relinquishing control;
For someone who identifies with type-A personality traits, this is similar to a mental expedition up Mount Everest.
Without the proper tools, the trek will be impossible.
Even after doing the research, training and preparation––there is no guarantee that I will reach the top.
That is the beauty of an endeavor so massive;
The fulfillment is not found looking down from above––instead the gratitude is inhaled one breath at a time.
The past is gone, the future is never here––the present is all we have time for.

With A Present Like Today...

Who cares about tomorrow?
Fleeting moments of clarity always arrive precisely when you need them most.
It’s so easy to become overwhelmed with the quest for continued success, that I miss opportunities to bathe in the accomplishment that surround me now.
The best birthday present I received this year, was one I gave myself; the gift of release.
Release the need to:
Do it all.
Keep lists.
Cross things off lists.
Predict the future.
Maintain a perfect body.
Deprive myself of guilty pleasures (in moderation).
It’s frightening to let go of the obsessive behavior that I connect to my success.
Will I still get things accomplished?  Will I be ready for the future?  Will I overlook an email and lose an opportunity?
No.  I believe I will enjoy the work in front of me. I will be more productive and I will be able to celebrate accomplishments as they happen.
More than anything, there will be less stress in my life and I will be able to find the balance I’ve been seeking for years.
My Faith reminds me that I will be where I need to be, when I need to be there.
What’s that quote? Today is always here––tomorrow, never!