Wise people are everywhere. Today I met a wise woman while waiting to see my cardiologist. She was the receptionist who greeted me from behind her sliding glass (slid open, of course) window.  When she asked how I was doing since my last visit and I gave her an update, she responded:  “You are turning your mess into your message.” Wowie zowie, did that ever resonate!  There are times when my life feels like a great big ol’ mess with unexpected challenges, but fortunately they are interspersed with tremendous joys. I decided after the heart attack that I would use it as an object lesson, not only for myself, but for anyone else who would care to listen. I have been telling other women that our symptoms are different often times than those of men. I have been encouraging folks who are headed down the same health neglecting path that I traversed unconsciously and alarmingly to take heed and slow their pace, lest they crash land. In retrospect, all of the signs were there, pointing to the arrival at the destination at which I find myself.

Not that I would wish this on anyone, but since it did happen, I am using it to remind myself that I can only do so much in a day and if I want my days to stretch into years, I need to ease back into flow mode rather than go mode. I can’t say it has been easy, this re-adjusting my activity level as I dial it way back. The internal dialog has changed as I give myself permission to do less and BE more. I have renegotiated agreements and people have understood. I have been more selective with how I invest my time and energy. I have let go, sometimes sadly, of relationships that are not healthy for my emotional heart. I have let myself grieve my losses, when before I submerged them beneath layers of activity with the mistaken belief that I could outrun them.

So what is my message? It changes often, but most certainly is about living each day to the fullest, partly by moving more mindfully, taking time to let our souls catch up to our bodies. It is about letting our hearts lead and not ignoring their messages. It is about treasuring each precious moment, since we don’t know how many more we will be granted. It is about not sweating the small stuff; knowing that it mostly is ALL small stuff. AND beyond all else, allowing love to be the driving force in our lives.