The hardest task I find is...

The hardest task that I am finding to do is....being a human. Yes, that's correct, being human. I have decided I am not so fond of that part of living. It is the part that is fraught with human error, complex emotional states, feelings that can drive our actions in undesired ways, and thoughts that are often misaligned with reality. Plain and simple, being human is not plain and not simple. It is, in fact, hard work. So, as a Coach, and a person committed to wellness, what would I tell myself on a day that I am finding it particularly difficult to be human? Go to bed early? Take a hot bath? Remember to eat? Talk to a friend for comfort and guidance? Or would I just say, "Pack a bag, and hit the road while there is still an opportunity to run?" The truth is, there is no where to run to. Clearly, I would follow myself wherever I go. As long as I exist in the current form, I am left with the difficult task of facing my humanity. Sitting up taller in my chair, and acknowledging the remarkable gift that humans do have, the powerful gift of choice, I take a deep breath and consider all the wisdom that I have developed over the years. First, I can choose to look at my humanness as a burden or I can re-frame that thought and feel some excitement over who and what I am. I am an incredible unique being unlike any other being on this earth (and so are you). Humans have this ability to choose what they think and even manage their feelings and emotional experiences. We can take any experience and replay it over and over, or if it is unpleasant, let it go. What exactly does "let it go" mean. For me it means to replace the negative thoughts with something positive. I choose every day to live happy. (Ok, so some days don't follow the plan.) I choose to live free (as much as possible) of worry, stress, and my brain's negative interpretation and expansion of certain experiences. Next, I have learned to live in the present so that I don't miss the "good stuff." The good stuff is like coming home to be greeted by the cat that had been missing for three days (during which time I was trying not to replay the thought that he might be dead). The good stuff includes the friend who calls and thinks your terrific. Or the daughter who laughs with you at the ups and downs of living. The good stuff is when someone says thank you for making a difference in their life, for helping them accept their mother's death with a little bit more grace. The good stuff is taking a walk; smelling, feeling, and hearing the sounds of the season and everything around you. Life is filled with good stuff. So why is it so quickly lost in the hard stuff? Because that's where most of us put our attention. Each day I try to laugh, try to play, try to pray. Oh yea, pray. In my opinion, it doesn't really matter to what or to whom you pray. I think it is the experience and the knowing that there is something profoundly at work in our universe and in our lives. There is this energy force compelling us forward and connecting us. So through moments of prayer, laughter, and play we can begin to fill our thoughts with the joy of being human. We can savor each moment, knowing that somehow we will survive the hard stuff and maybe just thrive as a result. The other day my friend, who I was visiting while on vacation, asked me do I really believe that I have such power over my thoughts and experiences? We happened to be discussing the weather at the time. The report was for rain. My response was I don't think about the possibility of bad weather. In fact, it had never rained on my vacation in her state before. She was, of course, in disbelief. Do I believe my thoughts are that powerful? Perhaps not, but we did have a beautiful day on the beach.