Last night while doing dishes, well, I was making the best oven fried onion rings while my husband was trying to keep up with the torrent of mess I was making, he shared that I seemed to have great coping skills and that he didn't have those skills.
I said, "sit, write, drop it."
Which sounds so easy and flippant, but really the words drop it are probably my most used lately. Not out loud, but internally.
When I feel myself getting caught up in something or some emotion is washing over me I just sit for a moment with that feeling and then literally say, "drop it" to myself.
What do I mean by "Drop It"? Really stop holding onto the feeling, thought, emotion, idea, frustration, anger, etc. that is bugging me and drop it. Let it go as fully as I can. Holding onto those moments only cause incredible stress in my mind and body and if I can - even for just a moment - let them go I can move onto the next thing that is really happening right in front of me.
It isn't easy.
I have to continue to practice because I get caught up in things all too easily. My mind is a great storyteller of what I think is happening instead of a great viewer of what is really happening.
Where did I learn this? Probably mostly from reading Pema Chodron and Cheri Huber and the countless Buddhist writers I move towards. I have no formal teacher, but am ok with that right now. I just keep learning from the big kids and don't have to devote myself to any one school - which I don't think I would be able to do anyway.
I am no expert. I keep learning and practicing every single day. But what is interesting is that my husband noticed. He sees it working through/in me. Not that he is committed to practice it too, but he sees that it could/might work for him and others. Just knowing that was nice because sometimes it isn't all that easy to just "drop it."
(The onion rings were to die for!)
