Just keep swimming

After nearly a month of illness at the beginning of the year, I’ve made several lifestyle changes. More sleep; less commitments. More yoga; less worry. More leafy greens; less processed foods. Reading more and writing a new book (which hasn’t made it from my imagination to paper… yet). Getting more organized and less cluttered; spending more time serving others. Doing the good stuff while eliminating the bad stuff, all in the name of balance. I start each day with positive intention; I end each day with gratitude and an asana. But now I’m sick again. Up until January, I had not been sick for over three years. Yet even though I’m doing everything I should be, there are still no guarantees. Once again, the single thing we can control is our response to any given situation. And at the end of the day, we only have three choices. We can tread water (get nowhere), sink (give up) or just keep swimming.

What’s your choice when the water rises?

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If you don’t know what you want, how do you choose?

For the past couple of months, I’ve been waffling on making a decision about my writing career—or pursuit thereof. In an attempt to help, a friend asked me to list the top five things, in random order, that make me the happiest. That’s easy: 1) spending time with my love, 2) reading, 3) writing, 4) yoga and 5) laughing with friends and family. Then he instructed me to pare the list to four: okay, still pretty easy. Then to three: no sweat. Then two: uh oh, now it’s getting tricky. And then one. Do I dare admit that writing didn’t make the final cut? Or that it almost (but not quite) tied with my second-to-last choice? Does that mean my vocation is not my true passion? No, I think it means I’m better at prioritizing than I give myself credit for. And that when push comes to shove, I’d rather spend time reading with my love. P.S. The decision was a no-brainer.

What’s your go-to decision-making tactic?

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