Woke up this morning in one of those panics. Yeah I thought I had overslept. I have been retired over a month now and I still look at the clock as soon as I wake and assess the situation. I work on Tuesdays and Thursdays at Solid Rock Running Company in Florence. I have to be in at 10:00am but still wake up most days at 5am and some days in a panic. The mind is trained and the body follows.
When I realized I wasn’t late I spent a few minutes lowering the old heart rate and calming down. I laid there thinking about all the times my mind and worry have led me down that path of anxiety and stress. Worrying about not enough time, not prepared enough, did I say the right thing, did I do the right thing...can I live with the decision. My point is all of that is pointless. My running course took me through the cemetery the other morning in Athens. Don’t do that often out of respect but needed to cut through. I caught myself looking at the names and dates on the markers. Some lived long lives and some didn’t. It got me thinking that one day that would be all someone will know of me. Name, birthday, and the day I left this earth. Is the time here meant to be spent stressing? Is that time here meant to be miserable from scenarios I’ve created in my mind? Is that time here meant to be spent trying to please others who will never be satisfied?
We can only truly be happy when we realize our happiness can’t depend on what others think, what others may do, and jeopardizing it by anticipating things that may never come to pass. Slowing down...saying no....taking time for yourself...and pleasing the One the best way we know how can lead us there. I believe it. Trying to practice it. Yeah, yeah I have a lot less stress now. Not gonna act like it’s not great! Taking time for ourselves is not being selfish. I think educators have the hardest time at this. One day when we are just names and dates in a field the things we worry about today will not matter. We’ve all heard about the dash in between those two dates. That’s our lives. Don’t waste the “dash” stressing and worrying! Now to practice what I preach! Have a good one!!!
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