Perspective

I've posted this picture before. I got it in an email years ago and had it up in front of my desk for a really long time. I think it was the look on his face more than anything that made me love him. I'm feeling the need for a little light relief. I have been in that weird place of low-level stress where you feel like everything is okay, but you can also feel this weird tension growing. I've been waking up realizing that my jaw aches and my shoulders are tense. I know you know what I am talking about.

So this morning as I tried to download photos, write an email and deal with a crisis all at the same time, my computer and my brain crashed at exactly the same moment. I sat and just looked at the little colour wheel spinning endlessly in front of me and then shook my head and laughed. I laughed the absurdity of my brain. I laughed at the unnecessary pain and strain that we put on ourselves. Why on earth when we know better do we let ourselves get wound up in knots over ridiculous things? In the grand scheme of life, how does this tension help?

I know lots of ways to live a creative/ full/ inspired/ abundant life. My bookshelf is groaning under the weight of all of those ideas. But what good are those ideas if I forget them when I need them the most? I think that that is the question I need answered most of all. How do we hold onto that part of ourselves that can see the stars when we are swirling in the ordinary?

How do you do it? How do you keep hold of your perspective?