In detachment, you can observe and respond rather than react. You can watch your own thoughts and decide to feel and behave in an appropriate manner. By focusing on you, and not what is external, you can be the calm in the storm. You can produce and be while others are falling apart and unravelling. Screaming, shouting or overreacting is a sure sign of taking everything personally and attaching yourself like a barnacle to the rock that plummets and sinks into the deep sea.

I take in a slow breath, bring it to the belly and then release it with an audible sigh. After the pause of an inhale, exhale, I can become emotionally independent, unhooking from the fishing line of a made up story in my head.

I know a wise woman who takes care of herself and her home like precious jewels without being conceited in the least or overly concerned with her housekeeping. She is a joy to be around, refusing to submit to bitterness or negative impulses. She knows what is hers and what is not, taking responsibility for her own actions and words, never apologizing for another’s comport.

She teaches me to make every minute count. I learn to uncover my inner resources. Transforming all my fears, flaws and unhelpful attributes into blooms of flowers, happy silver linings, lessons learned, positive statements and gratitudes gives me courage and strength not fanciful weaknesses as the world would have you believe. Try it sometime.