Did I Close the Garage Door?

(posted on former website 4.17.2015)

This work is a visual reminder. Sometimes life can be busy and we need to remind ourselves to slow down. One moment rushes into another, we drive away from the house and ask ourselves, "Did I close the garage door?," and we find ourselves harried in our movements and emotions. Sound familiar? 

The feeling of strained and flustered moments in our days are the norm for most people. We find ourselves continually connected (via Twitter, texts et al), and our days begin with a list of expectations and things to do.  Every instant is planned for us, through work or people in our lives, or by us. We can feel like we have lost control of our lives.


It may be hard to believe, but we do have the opportunity to regain our power. We have the tendency to live too much in the past or the future, and not enough in the now. All we have is right now...this moment, this instant, this second. (and I thank you for reading this, at this time...***smile***). It is said, that those who have had successful moments/highlights in sports/work/life, have all mentioned the concept of 'being in the zone;' it is where their concentration and presence is so clear, at that moment, that everything else disappears, time moves more slowly, and their sixth sense is so attuned to what their next move should be. When we are singularly focused, great things can happen.

How can we help ourselves to get into "the zone?"  Here are some tools that have helped me:

1. Take care of yourself: when our bodily needs are in balance, our mind and emotions can handle the stressors of the moment better. So, eat well.... sleep well. 
2. Find time to relax: by resting our body and mind, we can assimilate new ideas and handle life's ups and downs in a healthier manner. So, take a breather.
3. Get out and play: play is the most under utilized stress reliever and natural life upper. We make 'life' and living a serious thing; it doesn't have to be this way. Some of the greatest inventions, art and movements in history were created from the act of play. Play has no expectations and only joy in it; it is the seed to 'something wonderful is about to happen.'
4. Create a mantra: a mantra is a saying we can repeat to ourself, over and over again. If we find yourself feeling harried, say out loud (or, if we are around others, silently say) our mantra. i.e. "Now...Be Present." Have a word, or short saying, that brings you back to this moment.
5. This too shall pass: sometimes things, people or situations can be overwhelming, and we can forget that this is just a fraction of our life. So, stay calm and carry on.
6. Listen to yourself: your intuition (also known as your 'gut reaction' or 'sixth sense') knows what it is saying. Most often we get into trouble when we don't follow our hunches and instincts. Trust what you feel and go with that. 
7. Present your best self: every 'now' we encounter, gives us the opportunity to be our best for ourselves, for the people we are with, for our work and more. This life is full of fractions of time, and yet in each fraction, we can change the direction of our lives. The key is to give our best...in this instant. 

So, what works for you? How do you get 'back to centre,' or find peace in your life?

(Note about above ArtWork & Words: In February 2013, my guide on "How to Create a Wet on Wet Watercolour" was featured in the Snapguide App. This work was the end result. (P.S. Thank you Snapguide executives for choosing to feature this in their Arts and Crafts section).

Former Comments:

from Custom: Yes, sometimes things, people or situations can be overwhelming...

from Paper: You know what, the things that you have listed here are very inspiring! I actually found hope just by looking at what you have shared here. I believe that we should not rush things. There is a perfect time for everything. The important thing actually is being present. I do believe as well that presence is one of the most beautiful things that you can give to someone. This is actually one of my mantras.

from Service: Nice post, usually we remain busy all the time and forget ourselves as a result of it we suffer and become sick. The right way is to do everything at the right time so that we can have proper rest and relax our body.