Had to laugh - I just woke up (late) and though in a rush, I saw you had a new recording out so I decided to listen as I tried to orient myself to the day and what I needed to do.
See, I had foot surgery 5 days ago, and every morning, I've woken up early with my foot on fire, the pain meds having worn off and the TENS unit underthe dressing providing barely tolerable relief (except for yesterday when I woke up with the unit's batteries having died overnight). But I have a virtual conference to attend, starting in less than an hour. I got to bed late, doubled up on pain meds and ensured the batteries were good and strong, etc, so I could be well rested. Didn't bother with an alarm - I've woken up well ahead of time everyday, after all.
Not today. Woke up at 10:05 am. Pain okay, but took my meds, and now I need to try to get dressed and relocated downstairs, possibly moving my equipment in less than 45 minutes. I can do it. But I was flustered when I woke up, quite frankly.
I was going to put on some upbeat music to help, but as I said, I saw you'd uploaded something and the topic seemed (as usual) to be spot on for my needs. So it was. Go slow. Don't rush. Rushing leads me to make mistakes. Always has.
I have, my whole life, moved either at supersonic or tortoise speed. When I move too fast, not only do I make mistakes, but things happen do fast that I forget I did them or that they happened. I deliberately have to stop myself, LOOK at what I am doing, and blink slowly, pretending that my eyelids are the shutter of a camera, taking a mental photograph of how things are in that moment do I am not later agued with those "did I remember to turn off the light/lock the door/turn off the oven/put the leftovers away?" type questions.
This is part of what drew me to the practice of Tai Chi in college over other martial arts. Slow flow. Learn how it feels to FEEL how I move. Observe what's around me as I move. This is also what led me to my ongoing practices if contemplative photography, shinrin yoku, and general meditative/mindful walking.
As I have deliberately taken time to stop and write this, time has not stopped. But my mind has fully awakened. I have taken all but one medication (located elsewhere), identified the items I need to bring downstairs with me with a slow, deliberate glance around the room, and determined what shirt to wear. I might leave the PJ bottoms on, as it's achaenge to get them over the surgical boot and they ARE quite comfy. But I know what I'm doing and the most efficient way to get there. No more "ohmygoshineedtohurryup" mode for me now. ☺️
Thank you, as always, for your wisdom and willingness to share it with others, Betsy. I see you and the light within you. Be well. 🤲🏻❤️🤲🏻
