Take the Load Off: Some Things to Think About

(Author Unknown)

Slow down. You are not responsible for doing it all yourself right now. And many of the things you think need to be done, don't.
Remember a happy, peaceful time in your past. Rest there. Each moment has a richness that takes a lifetime to savor.
Set your own pace. When someone is pushing you, it is okay to tell them they're pushing.
Take nothing for granted: watch water flow, the corn grow, the leaves blow, your neighbors mow.
Embrace your food. Its purpose is to delight as well as to nourish.
Notice the sun and the moon as they rise and set. They are remarkable for their steady pattern of movement, not their speed.
Quit planning how you are going to use what you know, learn or possess. Gifts just are; be grateful and their purpose will be clear.
When you walk with someone, don't think about what you'll say next. Thoughts will spring up naturally if you let them.
Talk and play with children. It will bring out the unhurried little person inside you.
Create a place in your home, at your work, in your heart, where you can go for quiet and recollection. You deserve it.
Allow yourself time to be lazy and unproductive. Rest isn't a luxury, it's a necessity.
Listen to the wind blow. it carries a message of yesterday and tomorrow, and now. Now counts.
Rest on your laurels. They bring comfort whatever their size, age or condition.
Talk slower. Talk less. Don't talk. Communication isn't measured by words.
Give yourself permission to be late sometimes. Life is for living, not scheduling.
Listen to the song of a bird . . . the complete song. Music and nature are gifts, but only if you are willing to receive them.
Take time to think. Action is good and necessary, but it's fruitful only if we muse, ponder and mull.
Make time for play . . . the things you like to do. Whatever your age, your inner child needs re-creation.
Watch and listen to the night sky. It speaks.
Listen to the words you speak and think. Are your words and thoughts leading you to the outcomes you want?
Learn to stand back and let other take their turn as leaders. There will always be new opportunities for you to step out in front again.
Divide big jobs into little jobs.
When you find yourself rushing and anxious, stop! Ask yourself why you are rushing and anxious. The reasons may improve your self-understanding.
Take time to read . . . inspirational works, poetry, great books. Thoughtful reading is enriching reading.
Direct your life with purposeful choices, not with speed and efficiency. The best musician is one who plays with expression and meaning, not the one who finishes first.
Take a day off alone; make a retreat. You can learn from monks and hermits without becoming one.
Pet a furry friend. You will give and get the gift of now.
Work with your hands. It frees the mind.
Take time to wonder. Without wonder, life is merely existence.
Sit in the dark. It will treat you to see and hear, taste and smell.
Once in awhile, turn down the lights, the throttle, the invitations. Less really can be more.
Let go. Nothing is usually the hardest thing to do . . . but often it is the best.
Take a walk . . . but don't go anywhere. If you walk just to get somewhere, you sacrifice the walking.
When things are in chaos and you are in a frenzy, ask yourself: What is right about now? Chances are, you already know what is wrong.
Count your blessings one at a time and slowly.

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