My commitment to myself....

A friend and I have been having an ongoing conversation about stress and unwanted baggage.  We've been talking about why she can't seem to let go of all the stress and unwanted baggage that she has.  She is always asking me why I don't seemed to be as stressed as other people around us.  She asks me why is it that I seem to cope with things, even death, differently than most other people.

I tell her that I made a commitment to myself.  I made a commitment to just do my very best every day in every situation, if I can.  I am not always successful, as I am not a perfect being.  But I have learned to be aware of my feelings and I am committed to making a conscious effort to be sure that they are not misguided.  I spend a lot of time (as much as I can get) communicating with God, my higher source of power.  I am also trying really hard to respond in difficult situations with a calm, respectful, loving, and enlightened approach.

Instead of letting my angst get the best of me, I try to think of ways to beat it.  Practical ways that everyone can use.  For example, if I have a lot of things to take care of in a short period, I assess my tasks and delegate where I can.  Its much easier to follow up on the progress of some jobs than it is to try and do 100 of them simultaneously by myself.  If I am involved in a verbal conflict, sometimes I find it ends sooner, if I do the listening instead of all the talking.  Finally, no matter how I am feeling, I always steal a little alone time for myself to sit and let my mind relax and also to be thankful for all that I have and for having the chance to chisel away on the work in progress that is myself.

This commitment I made to myself is one of the first steps I took in looking at life and my place in it from a better perspective.  I am happy to renew my commitment with each passing day, knowing that it will help me to be a happier, better person this instant, than I was a second ago.