What's next?

A young man walks along a crowded sidewalk; he's lost and needs directions. The thing is, no one seems to notice him. He continues to walk aimlessly for a bit, hoping to catch someone's attention. With that not working, he finds a bench nearby and he sits. That's all, just sits and breathes in the cool morning air. Without the crowd around him, his thinking becomes much clearer. He can gather his incomplete thoughts and realizes he passed his destination only two blocks ago. He gazes at his watch, still lots of time to get where he needs to be.

So, what does that short, short story mean? 

Sometimes, we let ourselves be surrounded by everything going on in our world-- kid's homework, dinner date with friends, getting caught up at work, a small argument with your spouse because neither of you communicated properly, and so it goes. We all know the tales, but what can make those things better? How do we stop swimming upstream?

You step back, finding your "park bench". You breathe, take a brief moment to see the world more clearly. Nothing is outside of our control if we take time to look at it from a different perspective. We must fram our world in a manner that befits our strengths. What are you good at? What is your spouse good at? Work together to become complements to one another. Do things thoughtfully, taking care of tasks as you move along. 

If you ever find yourself feeling crowded, uncomfortable, or rushed. Stop. Find your quiet space. And, breathe.