Soundtrack in my head: Burning Sensations, “Belly of the Whale”
Sometimes, when I hit a wall, I realize that it’s because I’ve been moving so fast that I’ve lost my center. That’s where breathing lessons come in handy.
I realize that I had one of those experiences–on April Fool’s Day, no less. I won’t say what it was–truly, it would be a waste of oxygen and give unneeded attention to people who frankly don’t deserve it. But as that unexpected something happened, I quickly realized that I needed to go back to basics to get things in order, that I’d been an out-of-control kite needing a good yank to keep myself from becoming one with a tree in a less than nature-loving way.
By “basics” I mean the basic things that I need to do to keep me grounded enough to do other things. Like, for example, you can’t do your job very well if you’re not breathing. Okay, with the exception of some asthma, that’s not a real issue for me. But for me, how I eat, how I manage my time, keeping my space orderly, meditation, reflection and prayer are essential things that, if not done right, can mess things up for me.
So, I decided that I needed to focus a couple of days just on those breathing lessons. I made an effort to clean my bedroom (my main habitation in this co-op house and which also serves as an “office” for me as well), and sort through the huge pile of papers perched on top of my file sorter like a game of pick up sticks. I dedicated myself to being more sincere in my prayers and in reading the Bahá’í Writings twice a day. I resolved to check “Astrid,” the personal organizer installed on my phone a few times a day to make sure I was doing what I needed to do, and to update it more often. I re-resolved to avoid eating out–both to control my budget and to eat in a more healthy way.
Some things just need to get done before other things, or the other things won’t go well. Renewed emphasis on these can make the rest of life move smoothly, and I can respond to life in a more calm, collected way.
The warm spring days have given to rain and 36°F, which, frankly feels colder than 15°F and dry because of the way that the cold rain soaks to the bone. Ironically, this is supposed to turn to snow overnight, with 1-3 inches predicted. Ah well, it may be spring cleaning but it’s also Wisconsin, and I wouldn’t live here if it really fazed me. As demonstrated in the video below, there’s no need to let a little bit of chilly weather get in the way of getting things in order…
