I shared a story with a man once about an accident I had when I stepped off my roof and my ladder broke. I told him that I had no explanation for why I wasn’t killed or seriously injured. The man told me that I had a guardian angel. He then said he knew my angel’s name, so of course I asked him, “What’s his name?”
“What did you say when the ladder broke and you fell off the roof?” the man asked.
“I said, Oh Shit!”
“That’s his name,” the man replied.
I can’t tell you how many times in the midst of disaster I have yelled out my angel’s name and ended up laughing, avoiding disaster after all, because of how relaxed I became at that moment. Relaxation is a powerful tonic for the body and mind. Humor can definitely bring on a sense of relaxation, and so can doing something that makes you lose track of time, losing all awareness of physical and emotional problems.
There is only one thing you can control—your thoughts. You can control how you choose to react to things that happen in your life involving other people. You also can control your response to physical afflictions, whether they are acute or chronic. By controlling your reactions to the people and events you encounter in life, you establish a rhythm. Rhythm varies from person to person. Some like a loud, fast-paced life while others want a slower, quieter environment. Find your unique rhythm. What sounds and pace improve your feelings? What can you identify around you that robs you of a sense of comfort and peace? Discover your pace and live it. Life may be a marathon, but you don’t have to finish first to be a winner.
Every child and animal knows a truth that somehow is lost to us as we get older. This all important truth is Today Is The Only Day That Exists. The future is unknown and we are here to enjoy the day. If we destroy our days with fear and worry about things that most likely will never actually happen, our body is in a protection mode and not growth and repair. Instead, relax by doing something that makes you lose track of time—you will find that you also lose all awareness of physical and emotional problems. You will find yourself in a state of true relaxation.
No matter what circumstances you live in, take my wife’s excellent advice: “Life is uncertain. Eat dessert first.” “Never go to bed mad. Stay up and fight.” and “Never argue with a woman when she is tired, or rested.”