Reflection & Action: Many of my mornings begin with a walk along the beautiful South Saskatchewan River valley, just two blocks from home. My route winds past a giant boulder on the bank. It’s the perfect perch for a moment’s rest and meditation.

I recently headed out on my morning stroll, anticipating a peaceful journey. As I turned the corner and headed to the river, I discovered that some aspiring street artist had selected our fence as a perfect canvas. We’d been tagged and I was furious! Now I needed that walk more than ever.

I arrived at the river—still smoldering over the graffiti—only to make a second discovery. “My” rock had also been hit by a crew of performance artists. Broken beer bottles were their media of choice. So much for the peace of the morning. Now I was really ticked off! The nerve! The disrespect!

After two days of intermittent fuming, it finally occurred to me that I could choose another response. I didn’t have to remain a victim—stuck in blame and fury. I could do something to move things forward. I grabbed the sandpaper, dustpan, and broom. In less than an hour, I’d cleaned up both messes and made something right in the world. My two days of needless smoldering had wasted far more than one hour’s energy.

We have options in every arena of our lives. We can serve up Misery Stew, wallowing in anger, frustration, and despair over the careless actions of others; or we can channel that energy into more creative solutions and get on with our lives. The choice is yours and mine.

Quotes Of The Week: Resentment is like taking poison and waiting for the other person to die. – Malachy McCourt

The guy’s behaving like a jerk. How much power are you going to give him over your life? – Tristan Katz

Life is a lot simpler than we make it. – Cheryl Dougan

Pause Readers Write: Reader KFD writes:  The sudden death of my younger brother led to a great deal of soul searching about what family means to me and how I could use this tragedy toward a positive experience. I needed more time outside of work for me and my family. I approached my supervisor with a proposal to take a cut in pay and take off one day every week. With the support of a forward-thinking supervisor, fellow staff, and the owners, I’ve been living this arrangement for three years. I don’t even think about the money anymore. It’s been replaced with time spent in my daughter’s classroom, getting back to my sewing machine, and stealing a few moments to relax and read! Sometimes we just have to ask and be prepared to act.

Summer Reading Bookshelf: Just the cover itself is a bit overwhelming, but it certainly grabbed my attention. I’m looking forward to dip pinto into Brigid Schulte’s book: Overwhelmed – Work, Love And Play When No One Has The Time.