Life isn't about about finding yourself...it's about creating yourself.

Today's pervasive theme seemed to be listening to the wisdom that emanates from others. Due to the whims of the Universe, the past few days I've felt uncharacteristically imbalanced and was beginning to worry that the satisfaction I've been receiving through the gifts of life was to be a transient experience. But today I heard a talk by a plastic surgeon and was inspired. "Right now, you oughta be loving every experience you're having, otherwise you'd better get out quick", the quick witted, southern surgeon preached. And I realized that even though I spent 12 hours on my feet yesterday seeing patients first in the office and then in the nighttime emergency clinic, my ADD was actually put on hold for those 12 hours and they felt like they passed in merely one long blink of an eye. Years before, I would have agonized over having to devote so much of my precious time to the service of others. Now I'm realizing every day what an incredible honor it is to interact with even the most cantankerous patient because I'm recognizing that everyone has some amazing, powerful energy that they shed with every exchange, and how you perceive and respond to that energy is really how it ultimately affects you. If you chose to let the irritable, pessimistic patient who yells at you because he's had to wait for 30 minutes to have his pilonidal cyst looked at bring you down, then the depressed energy you in turn send off will only cause the rest of your interactions for the day to be highlighted with a negative vibe. But if you stop for a moment, take in the angry man's energy, understand and accept that his anger comes from a place of hurt and misunderstanding, and then just let it go while sending off some extra love in his direction, you will never feel that sting of annoyance that slowly eats away at us throughout the rest of the day.


In my yoga class tonight my teacher relayed an anecdote during savasana. She received a fortune cookie today that carried the message: "The odds of hitting your target go up dramatically when you aim at it" Do you ever stop and wonder if you're ever aiming at the right target? As we grow older and (hopefully) wiser, we are constantly trying to reinvent and redefine ourselves but our overall goal never changes, we're still always searching for that feeling of peace. Maybe the secret to happiness isn't just trying hard, it's knowing what you're trying for......

tonight's picture comes from Kripalu, a holistic sanctuary I did an Integrative Medicine program at this summer. Sending out positive thoughts to those of you that are in need of a little extra healing love tonight :)