Yesterday I went for a seven mile hike in the Santa Monica Mountains.  It was a beautiful day.  The temperature was in the low 7o's.  The skies were bright blue.  Wildflowers were blooming and around every corner was a spectacular view of the Pacific Ocean.  The hike along the steep, rugged trails took about three hours to complete.  Once I got home, I took a hot shower, ate a good meal, watched about an hour of television and went to bed early. 

This morning I woke up with dreams in my head of all that needs doing, but with such a strong desire to simply stay in the bed a little bit longer.  I compromised and had an extra half-hour snooze.  Today I have much to do, but my mind and body are lagging just a few steps behind me.  So, what can I do?  I breathe deeply and I listen to what my body is telling me.  "Take it easy on yourself.  Keep breathing deeply.  You can only do what you can do.  All of the important stuff will get done and what doesn't get done, will not."  I'm moving a little slowly, but by early afternoon I have client meetings.  If I rush through my morning to get everything done that I feel needs doing, I won't be in "recovery" mode.  I'll be in "catch up" mode.  This never seems to work well for me.  Then, I try to move faster than my mind and body really want to go and the day takes on a haggard feeling.  

So, I'm nipping this in the bud.  Deep breath!  Bring awareness to what I am feeling.  Honor it and take the first step.  After that first step, all of the other steps will follow.  It doesn't matter how many steps I take today or how long they take me to move forward.  Just like my glorious hike yesterday, I will get to where I am going when I get there.  I won't rush it.  Instead, I am choosing to simply enjoy the view and each truly precious moment of this lifetime.  The alternative, to not appreciate the moments, to rush through life, is not a choice I wish to make.  There is no greater choice than to honor what my mind and body are telling me.  "Recover and treat yourself well.  It makes a world of difference to you and to everyone else in your life.  When you treat yourself to what you need to be at your optimal best, you can then treat others in the same manner."  And, I breathe ...