Tweet me back to earth.

I had to look up the Dalai Lama on Twitter today, scrambling for some perspective.  Thankfully the third tweet on his feed said:

 "Anger may bring extra energy, but it eclipses the best part of our brain: its rationality. The energy of anger is almost always unreliable." 

Ah... I needed that. Why do I let myself get all worked up about what really amounts to very little?  Haven is just being fussy and needy: big deal, she'll go to bed a little early and feel much better.  Sonja tracked paint through the house: big deal, it washes off.  The dog needs a walk and is relentlessly stalking me: big deal, Peter will walk him and he'll chillax (thank you, Peter).  But no, I start to lose it and my rational mind fades into the background, all the while saying annoying, rational things like "no worries, relax, breathe, it'll all blow over, look at the bright side".  I flip it the bird and begin to boil over.  

Unfortunately, this is not uncommon for me; I am forever bogging myself down with unimportant, small-picture nonsense and letting it get the best of me.  Sonja comes by her temper quite honestly, and much to my dismay.  

So what am I prepared to do about it?  Well, I guess I'll have to put my finger away, suck it up and start listening to my rational brain (and my lovely husband, truth be told).  Will the Dalai Lama's tweet be my new mantra?  Might be a tad wordy in the haze of a freak-out... Maybe my own rational brain has had it right all along: No worries. Relax. It'll all blow over. Look at the bright side.  That last one hits home: I know this side is bright, I know I have it good, I know I am incredibly fortunate.  ...Well look at me, makin' up mantras all over the damn place.

Frustration is tough.

A nice, calming image of the park behind our house during the winter of 2008.