Calm is a Superpower

So many times we wait for answers, decisions, and choices OTHERS will make.  In the meantime, we have choices: recognize the choices are not ours, surrender the control we'd like to make to influence them, and wait before responding to the parts of the answer that affect us.  That's the calm way and the least exhausting way.

Other times, our choice is to overthink.  To ponder the worst, anticipate how it will affect twenty different things in our lives, and to make ourselves miserable, both day and night.  Sleep doesn't come easily when we're spiraling, food either becomes an enemy or absent, and we're not much fun to be around.

Remember the video on the Waste of Worry? (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naN4PfT-jQs&t=3s)  Do you want to waste your one precious day today on fruitful thinking or worry?  It's a choice and it is also tiring to actively push the negative or wasteful thoughts away, but it gets easier with practice.

Picture credit:  LordsOfHustle

Calm is a Superpower, and within your grasp.  Like everything else, breaking poor habits and building new ones takes practice.  Perhaps you need to inwardly rant for an hour - go ahead!  That can release some angst and you've affected only yourself.  BUT, if you're able to look inside and PAUSE to realize your efforts to hasten a decision or to influence a decision is not serving you well, you've achieved a breakthrough!

Here's to knowing we can only control our own responses to life's situations, and that we have kind friends who will help us when we reach out to them.  If you don't, work on finding/making friends, and don't underestimate the power of a pet!

Blessings and care,

Linda Kreter and the VeteranCaregiver.com Team