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What do Memoir, Mindfulness, and ‘Merican elections have in common? At first glance, nothing.

Well, they do all start with “M.” That ought to count for something. But not much.There must be more to it than that.

I’ll begin with ‘Merican elections. I can’t get the damn election out of my mind. I wake up seeing this big, blustering blond (at least he gives me a chance to practice my alliteration) guy swaggering around. I’ve been in a funk ever since Nov. 8th. The whole thing is so toxic. Toxic to me, that is. Toxic to a lot of us. I don’t want to listen to the news. I’m addicted to the news. I made a decision today. Time to let go. I’m going to have to live with this man for some years to come. I don’t want to go through my precious days, filled with this stink. I can be opposed, without being consumed. I can turn up my own commitment to kindness, acceptance and hope. I hereby commit myself to letting go of the anger, while I hold on to the disappointment. Letting go. Elections.

Letting go. It’s a central part of mindfulness. Being really present to what it is that you choose to embrace in the moment requires letting go. Letting go of all the random chatter, the distractions, the distortions, the desiderata that separates us from the now. The joy of now. (Right now, I’m enjoying the delightful dance of the d’s.) There are so many unexpected surprises that rise up to greet us, if we’re awake to them. Must be present to win.

Letting go. Memoir. Yesterday and today, I’ve been working on the final proof reading of my memoir, King of Doubt (release date March 1, 2017). I’ve been thinking of all the parts that I labored over, then decided that they didn’t really belong to this story. Letting go. Some of them were oh, so fine (or so I thought), but if they don’t fit, you’ve got to let them go. I let a lot go. I felt lighter. The book is lighter, better for it. I am better for it.

Memoir, Mindfulness & ‘Merican elections. Not just 3 M’s, they actually have a lot in common. Letting go, vital to all three. Letting go. Vital to life.