I sometimes forget that I don't have to do everything on my own. I learned at a very early age that it was better to not ask for help. This was a survival method that protected me from being hurt. 

Better to get lost, than ask for directions. I don't need that emotional armour anymore.

My life is fuller and safer by reaching out. It's risky, but worth it. 

I don't need to be lost anymore.

Last April I had the opportunity to go to  the Hazelden Foundation (http://www.hazelden.org) for a retreat. The week there allowed me  the opportunity to take stock. It is easy for me to get so busy and distracted with my work that I begin to lose the connection with myself. Not until I sat down with my group there, did I realize how tired and "burnt out" I felt. 

It was suggested to me that burn out means "too much fire and not enough earth and air". I began putting out the fire by doing a lot of walking and being mindful of my breathing. As my stories intrude, I refocus on my breathing.

Stories are generally just stories, not the truth.

Many of us worry too much. We learned at an early age that there is some value to this stress creating behaviour.

Just because we learned it, doesn't make it true.  The only value in worrying is that it is based on the false story that worrying prepares us for the ensuing battle. 

We need to realize that serenity is more effective in preparing us for a storm that will quite possibly not happen.

Some of my favourite shots are often the simplest.

It is easy to create a powerful image by focusing in on an object and  blurring the background. This eliminates distractions that prevent us from seeing the key image.

This seems applicable to daily living. I need to focus on my task at hand and blur or let go of all the excess background noise. This noise can be the stories in my head that negatively judge and block me.

If I want to see the trees, then sometimes I need to let go of the forest.

We can turn the world into a scary place of harsh judgment and criticism.