Day 70

Day 70: Real Time
Day 14: 21 Day Complaint Free Journey


"Often we allow ourselves to get all worked up about things that, upon closer examination, aren't really that big a deal. We focus on little problems and concerns and blow them way out of proportion.....Rather than let it go, and go on with our day, we convince ourselves that we are justified in our anger. We play out an imaginary confrontation in our mind. Many of us even tell someone else about the incident later on rather than simply let it go." Richard Carlson, "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff...and It's All Small Stuff."

It's amazing to me how these bits of wisdom show up on my doorstep at exactly the right time. I can justify my anger with the best of them, and generally I am compelled to share it with a nearby ear.

Once I do that, however, I am no longer living the present moment. I am stuck in the past, reliving the irritation over and over again. Those car repairs keep driving by, shooting out the windows of whatever calm I might have finally achieved. Previous conversations with irritating folks get stuck in a groove, skipping over the good that is happening right in front of me.

I must be getting more adept at avoiding the drama, though. I'm beginning Day 14 on my 21 day quest. The quest that is actually one of a life of honoring the present moment.