Title: Taking Charge
 

Don't wait for a change of environment before you act; get a change of environment by act.

The alarm clock jolts you out of a deep sleep. Groggily you reach over, pushing the tiny button for snooze to turn off the noise. Your day is beginning. So much to do; meetings scheduled, the phone is ringing off the wall, the kids have to be sent off to school, you're running behind and may be late for work if traffic is heavy on the freeway. Gracious, the list of to-do's is a mile long. Will there be enough time in this day to take care of everything that needs to be done. You are 'pooped' before your feet hit the cold floor of early morning.

You wonder as you drive to work, "Time passes so quickly. Will I ever catch up? How can I get everything done that needs to be done?" Your mind is going a thousand miles an hour. As you reach the parking lot of your destination you are so frazzled from your mental frustrations that your day seems to hold a note of failure.

Does this scenario sound a little familiar? Take it from one who has played out this scene more than once over the years, (it's me if you are wondering), it doesn't have to be that way at all. Trying to be the "Super Person of the Universe" is a supreme waste of time, effort and energy. I found that I had developed the 'habit' of overloading myself with work, then trying to do everything perfectly and wondering why I felt so out of it by the end of the day.

So how does one take charge of this rush, rush, rush and do, do, do patterning? Here are some suggestions. Perhaps you might find them useful.

A. Learn to say 'NO' to projects/activities that you really don't have the time or interest for. If you have a lot of interests then prioritize them in order of preference and do only the top on your list. This can be applied to other areas of your life as well.

B. Lighten up. Loosen your mental corset of attitude, take off your 'should do' girdle and relax. Take a deep breath and realize that the world is spinning quite nicely all by itself and won't change a whit with your worry and stress. Make a point of having a good laugh more than once during the day. If you find yourself not able to do that easily, go into a bathroom, stand in front of the mirror and make goofy faces.

C. Find a quiet spot, where you can be by yourself and take out a journal. With pen in hand, write out what is pushing your 'stress buttons'- be honest with yourself -this is just between you and the Universe. Then write down what you want, don't judge what is or isn't possible, just put down the first thoughts that come to you. Then reread what you have done. All of the stress in the world never solved anything. However, right thought, faith and action have.

D. Look at those things you have written about. Focus on what needs to be done now. Choose the top '3' priorities. Note them on the side margins in big letters. That is what you are to give your attention to. Look to what you can do today and do it well. If you are able to get those '3' done, you can always add more to your list of to do's.

E. Work in your environment with joy and positive expectation of the best. Don't worry about the mistakes of the past, or the 'what ifs' of tomorrow. Today is the day you are living, give it your best and tomorrow will take care of itself. How you live today creates your destiny of tomorrow. Learn to accept life as it is and move on. You may not be able to make big time changes to this world that surrounds us but you can take charge of yourself, your attitude and your actions. When you do this you change your world, your world of self, empowering you to be the best you can be and that makes a big difference.

Tomorrow will always bring challenges, joy, tears, adventures, love and the unknown. Work will always be waiting, so enjoy today's riches, choose your priorities, be your best, and above all take time to laugh. After all, laugh lines always look better than the frown ones do.