Smelling the roses...

A good friend of mine has a hamster for a pet.  Her name is Penny.  She recently found out that a local pet store was going to sponsor a Hamster Ball Derby.  Yes, you read that correctly.  Hamster.  Ball.  Derby!  It makes me laugh out loud when I visualize lots of little hamster balls weaving across the floor and bouncing off bags of dog food.  :-)


So, I have a mind that likes to think and process and think and process... and then think and process some more!  Some people like to refer to that as the hamster wheel in their mind.  I sometimes feel like the hamster in my mind is running in her wheel on a treadmill set at maximum speed.  She is very stylish and wears cute matching wrist and headbands to keep the sweat away.  But she spends the majority of my waking hours thinking and processing, pounding away on the treadmill.  Forget the Hamster Ball Derby, she could be a Hamster Ultra-Marathoner!


Actually, that over-active mind is one of the culprits that got me into this predicament to start with.  I was always beating myself up about the past OR being anxious about the future.  I never really stopped and gave my mind a break.  I never really got to know myself.  I just hopped on the treadmill and ran.  And like Forrest Gump, I just kept running.  BUT, I ran myself right into a lifestyle that was making me miserable.


Over the last year, I came to recognize the power of mindfulness, being completely present in the moment.  It gives my hamster time to hop off the treadmill and smell the roses.  And it gives me time to get in touch with my inner wisdom, that often speaks too quietly to be heard over the noise of a treadmill.

But while I'm thinking through my "escape from Corporate America" plan, I have a hard time finding balance.  It is hard to know when to put my hamster on the treadmill and let her do her thing....  She is great at doing things like brainstorming options, calculating a budget, etc.  But I have to keep that side of me in check.  When she's huffing and puffing on the treadmill, I can't relax and really examine my path.


So each day, I move a step closer to the right balance.  My old way of doing things won't work for this mission!  I'm embracing new ways of relaxing... yoga, cooking a healthy meal, or just sitting in the sun and breathing deeply.  I'm learning patience and (slowly) accepting that my path will unfold on it's own time, not at my rushed pace.  


And best of all, I'm realizing how much more enjoyable life can be when you stop and smell the roses!  :-)