Two days ago, I woke with unsettled thoughts. I had been dreaming:
I’m attending some sort of school. Lots of people are hustling around campus but I can’t find my schedule and don’t know which classes I’m registered for. I keep dropping my books and bags and knocking things over, including a whole stand of bleachers.
Someone comments that they’d seen my underwear under my shorts when I’d stepped over them climbing the bleachers. I think to myself, “Thank God I’m wearing underwear today!”
Ha ha! I really have no idea what all that means. Maybe I’m feeling a bit, but not fully, exposed? Whatever the deeper meanings, I do tend to have unsettled, not-in-control-of-my-environment dreams when my mind has been spinning. So, during my morning spiritual practices time, before I started cranking on work, I reflected and journaled. The causes of my unsettledness became clear.
· I’d been concerned and a bit nervous about the upcoming dog agility national championships that Olive and I will compete in next week. Lots of logistics involved, and our final prep plan was thrown off by my unusual health issues – first a multi-day migraine and then a gnarly flu that I’m just now shaking.
· I’d had another unpleasant interaction with my nephew/son and kept replaying pieces of the exchange.
· I’d been over-consuming “news”, issues of politics, environment and climate, current events. In truth, I’d had a bit of an addictive approach, checking in on various news outlets multiple times through the day. I’d even started checking on it before doing my morning quiet time, which I swore not to do.
· I’d been researching and writing a piece on how the Iran war is impacting the Earth and the darkness of these times weighed on me.
I took a breath and quieted my mind. The old wise words, “Be still and know” rolled in. Ah yes, be still. I hadn’t been doing much of that. Even when I was flattened by the illness, I continued to work, watch TV, track current events. I realized I hadn’t been prioritizing my mental health for quite some time.
As I thought about being still, the two Border Collies were ripping past me on the deck, around and around in frenetic circles. So, I put them in the house. Ahhh, sweet stillness, though I could still feel their bright and hopeful eyes boring holes into me through the patio door.
I decided right in that moment to make some adjustments going forward, including:
· Genuine quiet and stillness during my morning practices even if that means putting the dogs in lock up for a little while.
· Reducing my intake of “news”, and absolutely none before morning meditation.
· While on my way to Southern California next week, instead of constantly tuning in to news channels on satellite radio, I will tune in to the present moment, the beauty before me, and the joy of fun times with my dogs.
· Throughout every day I will remember the still quiet space at the center of my being that is always accessible when I remember to go there.
· If I begin to fall off the healthy mind wagon and find my thinking sliding back to fear or negativity, I will use the powerhouse little tool I learned from A Course in Miracles, “Choose Again”. “Choose again Cylvia. Shift your thoughts to calm, blessings, and the many bright things in your life and world. Choose again.”
I felt better following this quiet reflection time. That afternoon I finished the piece on the war’s impact on our planet, as I felt called to do. My waking thoughts have been settled and peaceful and I haven’t once dreamed of knocking over bleachers or getting caught in, or out, of my underwear.
Life With Livvy and Micki Brown
Even though life with two Border Collies can get a bit too frenetic at times, overall they are a joy and our time together is good for me on many levels.
Micki Brown turned eight-months-old yesterday and at practice we worked on wrapping three wings for the first time. She liked the game and getting to run faster.
Olive (AKA The Amazing Livvy Lane) had a lighter practice, mostly working on tricky things, like challenging entries to the weaves and “threadles”, which is where the dog takes the non-obvious side of the jump as Olive does here in the jump wrap move after weaves. She also got lots of play time chasing the Holey Roller ball which is like crack to her.
Next week we’ll be headed to the National Agility Championships in Temecula, CA. May the Course be with us!
Also, before you go, be sure to hit that ❤️ like button and re-stack this post to help get this information out there and grow this community!
Much Love,
Cylvia
