somewhere, a clock is ticking

Breathing.

Simple concept, obviously. But sometimes, it's easy to forget to do the one thing that comes most naturally to us. This can be taken in many ways, shapes and forms but when it boils down to pretty much anything, the trick is to just keep breathing.

I seem to forget to do this more often than not, in fact I forget so much, I got the word tattooed on me as a reminder. Out of the 5 that I have, it's probably my favorite and the one that means the most to me. Without going into the deep and completely mind-boggling reason for getting it in the first place (don't worry, it was well thought out) it is my constant reminder when I wake up every single day to just EXIST. No matter what happened the day before, or how stressed out I am about something (usually everything), just take a deep breath and BE. When I get worked up about something (again, usually daily because I am that high-strung) a peek at that just gets me by.

Maybe it's hard for most people to understand. I'm not saying that everyone needs to go out right this second and get the word tattooed on their foreheads (though for some, it might not be a bad idea) but I'm just saying that it's easy to get swept up in the constant trials, tribulations, dramas and struggles of life. But the trick is to keep breathing, or at least try and remember to. Remember, remember, remember.

Because as of late, I'm struggling with the overwhelming and crushing anxiety of life and while huffing and puffing away at the gym this evening, I had pretty much reached my maxxed out point. Then, as I used the back of my hand to wipe the Patrick Ewing-eque sweat cascading down my face with the bitter taste of disappointment and failure sitting in my mouth, I caught a peek of the light blue script that's inked on my wrist and nothing else mattered. The sweat in my eyes, the burning in my thighs and the heaving of my chest as I pushed myself on past my limit. The stress was gone, the anxiety was gone and I felt the small beginnings of accomplishment creep its way in. I can do this. Just remember to breathe.