As I laid my head on the pillow, I could feel the pull of sweet slumber. A few breaths, and then I felt a tinge, and then a niggle, of angst.
There was a time I would have settled into a few hours of mind-spinning, unhealthy thought-confirming mental acrobatics around this angst and the story I would create about it.
Through a practice of mindful presence, I now know that peace in life and fulfilled sleep will be elusive until I unpacked the issue and sit (in this case — lay) with the emotion underneath it.
With a few deep breaths, I asked the angst, “what is this about?” It took only a moment to surface. Earlier in the day, a colleague from a common group shared that the leadership was inviting them to explore a business opportunity. “Ok, there it is” I told myself, “their success is not your failure.” I rationalized, “I’m happy for them and the opportunity in front of them,” and I was. I could have left it at that, convincing myself that all was good.
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