Breaking news!
We interrupt the post originally scheduled today for a very important LifeTOOLS update…
Yes, I just had a HUGE stress show up!
I’ve been using my LifeTOOLS all morning long and wanted to share this experience with YOU!
First, the STRESS situation.
I was going to do a 15-minute stress activity for a local school districts parent liaison group. I’d received a Google notice it was scheduled 1:15-1:30 pm. I confirmed the calendar notice & put it in my daily planner.
This morning at 9:00 am – I get a Google calendar reminder pop up on my phone, it said the event was 9:15 – 9:30 am!
WHAT?!
I thought ‘This can’ t be right.’
So I ran to my computer and checked emails from the contact person.
There it was! A Google notice with the change to 9:15 am… It appears I never saw this new notice because I never sent back it back with a YES or NO response.
I called the contacts phone number, I knew I’d get her voice mail because her event had started and I left a message for her.
After apologizing, I said if she wanted to and was able to squeeze me in later, I’d be happy to come, just give me a call.
Then I got busy using my LifeTOOLS!
LifeTOOL #1 – Be in the present moment!
I couldn’t go back and undo what had been done. So, I needed to keep reminding myself it was ‘in the past’ and I had to “BE WHERE MY FEET ARE!”
LifeTOOL #2 – Use the “Positive Thinking Jumper Cable!”
I completed the following sentence out loud:
“It could be worse…. I could have showed up at 1:15 pm.”
This forced my brain to focus on the positive and not get pulled to the pit of negativity!
LifeTOOL #3 – The Serenity Prayer!
I like to use my ‘in the moment’ stress version:
Can I do anything about it RIGHT NOW? Of course, I had done everything I possibly could! so, the answer was “NO”.
LifeTOOL #4 – Dump It!
And lastly, I started writing this post. And as I have written, I can feel the leftover stress levels starting to dissolve.
My hope in sharing this experience is that it will reinforce the important point that sometimes, we need more than one LifeTOOL!
~ To Living Well TODAY!~

via Esperanza – Hope To Cope
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