Who is the Master, who is the Slave?…
Are you walkin’ that dog?
‘Cause that dog isn’t new.

Are you out of control?
Is that dog walkin’ you? 

These Madonna lyrics from her recent song “Voices” remind me of how fickle the mind is and how quickly and easily it can put a grip on us, especially when external situations trigger internal turmoil, or vice-versa.  It is important to get to the root of our old patterns, but in the meantime we must have a toolkit of healthy resources that we can use to shift the impact our own negative mental space, or from that which is going on around us and is seemingly out of our control.

When I need to take a break, lasting just a minute or all day long, these are some of the tools I use:

Listen to Music/Dance
Draw/Doodle/Paint
Play Solitaire
Read/Watch Something Funny and/or Inspirational
Take a Walk, or Do Yoga
Take Photos
Go Outside, Look Into the Sky, with Bare Feet on the Ground

Breathe Deeply, Again, and Again, REPEAT…

Meditate/Pray/Focus on Gratitude
Cook Yummy Food, or Eat in the Raw
Eat Yummy Food (Alone or with Others)
Take a Bath, Shower, or Foot Soak
Take a Nap or a Rest, or Clean the House

It can only take a few minutes of slowing down in this way to make a huge difference.  I’ve even tried smiling, when I’m by myself and whether I feel like it or not, and it does actually help!  (See my YouTube selections under my Heartwarming Playlist, called “Bodhisattva in Metro” and “Validation,” as well as other items in that Playlist, as well as under Music and Places. That’s where I go).  These simple suggestions are not new.  It’s just human nature that we have to be constantly reminded of how such simple things can change our perspective by putting us back into balance, giving us a sense of energized, renewed centeredness and calmness. This is the space from which it is best to act.

It is more productive and empowering to be in control of ourselves, rather than forcing our control upon another (even though at times that is not our first tactic). We have the power to empower, ourselves and others, in one tall order. We just need to be self-aware enough to know when to tap it and when to cork it.