Day # 18 - The little things. The shift.

I have had bad days since I started this. I have had bad days before and when this is over, there may still be bad days. It's going to happen every now and then. It's how we handle it that matters. Yesterday was a pretty rough day. One of those to make me lose my temper, but I chose not to. I calmed down. I breathed. I made declarations and I asked God for help. Now, the nature of the problem is completely irrelevant. Personal problems are relative. What upsets me may be a walk in the park for you and vice versa.

My car didn't want to start yesterday morning. That was the beginning. The battery is relatively new (2-3 months) so it shouldn't have been a problem. That could have set the tone because the problems only got worse.

I decided it was, like all challenges, a test. One I would not fail. I found myself angry and brooding, so I retreated. Instead of being in the house where the kids would witness me popping if I lost control, I went outside and did yardwork. Breathing and thinking - not stewing and brooding. I worked through it in my mind and conquered the demon.

What I find really interesting in all of this is that each time I read the words of an ancient philosopher or self-help guru or spiritual leader, it all sounds familiar. I am not making discoveries. There's no need to rewrite the Bible, it already exists. The same can be said for most of what is changing my life as I write this. Maybe my method is new (accountability to cyberspace? I don't know what to call it) but the idea is age-old. I guess the lesson is that if I can do it, anyone can.

I really don't know if this is helping anyone other than myself. I have received some words of encouragement from friends. I was taking with Abby yesterday and I told her this entire experience would be worth it even if I never shared it with a soul, but to really make it matter, I have to share it with anyone who needs it. This, of course, left me pondering my future. There is nothing wrong with preparing for the future, but not at the expense of the moment. Live in the now. If spend all your time planning for tomorrow, you will miss today.

I know the time will come for me to share this with the world in a more serious manner. Until it does, I'll continue my education and personal development.

Lessons:

- Empathy. You may not understand what a person is feeling, but that doesn't make it less real.
- Nothing builds more than love. Nothing destroys more than anger.
- No need to reinvent the wheel. Stand on the shoulders of giants.
- Live for the future, live in the moment.
- Education continues long after school ends.

Today's Declarations:

- Day by day, in every way, I am getting better and better.
- I will live for today, a day which God has made for me.
- I will be a friend to someone who needs a friend.
- I am the master of my emotions - not the other way around.

It's Sunday. Go to church. I mean it. If you feel like you are missing something in your life, perhaps it's time you went out looking for it.

Make it your best day yet. God bless you.

Always,

Adolfo


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