For my birthday this year I tried something different. I made a point of staying in the present for the entire day. I have had a number of emotional challenges this past winter, culminating in my Mom’s death a couple weeks ago. So much pain and confrontation with the fact I control very little in my world. So for my birthday I decided to stay present, fighting off all urges to think about the past or the future.

A few things helped me achieve my goal. I took some pain killers for my hip, giving me that wonderful spaced out feeling and, as I continue to insist, my own unique combination of head injuries now help me let go of my worries more easily.

I just sat and was happy for the whole day! When Mike brought up potential future worry materials, I simply ask him not to talk about that today. Plenty of time to worry later…

What did I learn from this experiment? Happiness is an inside job. Staying in the present demands concentration and a good attitude. Now I sometimes use this type of brain control to put myself to sleep more easily. My new mantra is “Think about nothing,” and in my present state of mind this works great, putting me into a peaceful sleep. With just a small amount of mind control I can stop thinking. What a great relief!