Shit has consequences

I just finished rubbing some arnica on my back to relieve some moderate pain I've been feeling on and off for over half a year.  This back pain, in addition to being painful, which nobody likes, has affected my life negatively in other ways.  It has sometimes taken me away from acrobatics.  It has made me not want to be so active, a part of my life I have come to truly revel in.

I've tried various things to solve this mystery: massage, drinking more water, sleeping with or without my mattress topper or with different pillow configurations.  And I just finished rubbing arnica on my back after months of back pain.

But this is Karma, world.  I *deserve* this back pain.  Does that make me religious?  Am I being too hard on myself?  I don't think so.  I deserve this back pain because karma means consequence and I have been lying down on the couch watching television since the two graced my living room (on and off, sheesh).  And I've been compromising my back at an angle while I do it.

It seemed like a small thing at the time, of no consequence.  But today while leaning over and watching television with an achy back, I decided I'd try to make myself more comfortable, and I removed a cushion from behind me.  My body shifted, relieved.  My mind reeled, informed.

Shit has consequences.  May my eyes always be open to the karma which surrounds us.  May my back heal in the coming weeks and from better care and maybe chiropractory (because shit doesn't just happen on it's own; I make this happen).  And may I find better things to do than punish my mind and body in front of a flat screen of electrons.

How to have a better life

1.  Find things more enjoyable.  Act as if under a dopamine-response loop.  Convince yourself that you are enjoying whatever it is you're doing.  Become more accepting of the situation you find yourself in.  Don't try to dance.  Don't resist dancing.  Do what is happening, and enjoy it as it comes.

2. Don't sweat other people's judgment.  You can analyze it and integrate it later.  Let it roll off you emotionally.  Deal with the *now* aspects of criticism and save the rest for quiet nightly contemplation.  Don't hold on to it!

3.  Take wholehearted chances.  Don't just make a salad; make the whole meal with place-mats and dinner music.  Don't learn a new hobby; find a second profession.  Bet the farm.  Marry the girl.  Go overboard in your passions and the ones you want to have.  Behave passionately and you will become passionate.

4. Plan more.  Don't just jump off the cliff!  Wear a parachute and train the jumps.  Learn how to pack your chute.  Know all the steps before you jump, but commit to the jump.

5.  Ok, but be spontaneous.  With 1, you must roll with the current situation; nothing goes perfectly according to plan.  Be adaptable, flexible, and tolerant.  (Patience!)