The 60s and 70s was an interesting time to grow up. The music being created was one of the best parts of that era. So many bands/singers were at the crest of their careers. The top selling album of all time in the United States is The Eagles Greatest Hits 1971-1975. It is packed full of terrific songs and for me, some special lyrics.
The song Take it Easy says, “Don’t let the sound of your own wheels drive you crazy.” For most of my life I was my own worst enemy, full of anxiety and worry. I learned different techniques that helped, especially Stoic philosophy. One of its major pillars is the focus of energy on things over which one has control. Epictetus stated “Next examine and test it by the rules you possess, the first and greatest of which is this-whether it belongs to the things in our control or not in in our control, and if the latter be prepared to respond, ‘It is nothing to me.’”
Anxiety is an inner issue. I am not my thoughts. I am the thinker of my thoughts. I get to choose where I place my attention and move on from things outside my control.
In Peaceful Easy Feeling, the pivotal line is “I know you won’t let me down, cause I’ll already standing on the ground.” Like most people I believed that I wasn’t enough. I needed to make myself bigger by attaching myself to something else. That could be a sports team, ideology, or accomplishment for example. Slowly through the years I learned that I am enough, just the way I am. I talked about this in my post, The Tail is Already Mine. Things outside of me don’t let me down, because I’m already enough, without them.
In the 1200s the poet Rumi wrote, “Why do you stay in prison when the door is so wide open?” My favorite Eagles song, Already Gone, phrased it a little differently. “You can see the stars, but still not see the light.” and, “So often times it happens that we live our lives in chains, and we never even know we have the key.” As I said in my post, The Key, my perception is my reality. I am in charge of my perception. My major task in life is managing it well.
Two things greatly help me in the quest. One is looking for the positive things in my life/being grateful. As I do that, I am training my mind to notice more positive things, thus making my life happier. The other is managing the health of my Vagus nerve. It is critical of my mental, physical and emotional health. I discussed that in the post, Setting Sail. It makes all the topics I’ve mentioned easier.
I grew up being told that the owl is the wisest of the birds. It turns out that The Eagles are pretty smart too. Nothing more complicated than perception.
May you have enough today, one moment at a time.
Let your Vagus nerve help.
THIS HELPED ME 