Tara Brach

You don't have to take long but you can just in any moment catch yourself.

and sense some freedom.

I'll give you an example for myself that a few years ago I was in a really demanding stretch and I needed a break.

And Jonathan and I planned this beautiful day which we were going to go and hike on Climb Old Rag Mountain which is about 45 minutes or an hour from us.

It's one of my favorite climbs in this area.

And I just felt like, oh, this will just replenish.

And then the day before we were going to go, he realized he had a meeting.

The next day he couldn't miss.

So the day trip, gone.

And that evening, I felt like a victim, you know, a victim of life, a victim of his planning.

And it wasn't rational, but I just felt that, that if this really mattered, it would have happened.

And I felt a distancing with him when I went into my small, resentful victim self.

So I paused.

recognize, ah, okay, victim consciousness, victim identity.

And then the R of realize, realize the should, okay, this shouldn't be happening, you know.

then remember, this victim self is not who I really am.

You know, and I'd say that to myself a bunch of times.

And then reclaim agency.

I had a day ahead of me cleared.

So it was a staycation, you know, where I could, I just dedicated to saving the moments the way they were.