I started this article, which stretched into two parts and then as the lessons continued it stretched into three parts. This last part came about because I realized I had not fully embraced the message the Universe had been sending me to slow down. Wednesday my car broke down, Thursday my car got fixed. Friday I set about the things I had on my calendar, at a slow and comfortable pace, giving myself a break and no stress. Saturday, I got up when I felt like it, sleeping in several hours past my usual rising time. My body said STOP. I woke up exhausted. That is never a good sign.

I have been here before, and it is when I try to do too much. The energizer bunny, go go go, go a little faster catches up with me and I’m down. That is not easy for someone always on the go. When I was going through cancer treatment and started on the immunotheraphy drug Keytruda, one of my problems was that it zapped all my energy. I barely had the energy to take the dog I was pet sitting for on a walk. I tolerated it for a couple of months then started working with my functional doctor on something to balance it. I don’t like chemicals and don’t do them anymore. I look for my personal healing energies in different ways now.

Recognizing that my body said to slow down and pay attention, I spent the morning in my hammock. Watching the kittens playing in the yard, catching up on some correspondence, listening to some videos I had not yet had time to slow down and listen to. I forced myself to get it together to go into town and check my mail. Saturday hours are 11-2 and I had a package waiting for me at the post office. I had gotten the notice last week, but hadn’t been able to get there during regular business hours.

Our post office in Pahoa sucks, there is no other way to put it. They don’t have an adequate facility for the amount of people they take care of. The line for window service generally wraps around the outside of the building. When I got there, there were only 10 ahead of me and the line was moving along well. I felt blessed. I had some flyers to hang for a class I will be participating in so did that after the mail, slowly and casually, enjoying visiting some of the shops in Pahoa.

I recognized that my energy level was very low, so went for the high vibration drinks like Butterfly pea lemonade with honey for the sweetener. At another stop to drop off a flyer I gave in to coconut water with espresso, one of my favorites. I treated myself to a coconut milk ice cream sandwich, yum! Trying to pay attention to how I was feeling, I decided not to push my energy level and headed back home. I made a high vibe green salad for supper – hydroponic greens, micro sprouts of two different varieties, onions, cucumber, tomato, breadfruit, a couple of farm fresh hard boiled eggs and some organic mozzarella cheese. Delicious. Trying to boost my energy with food as we are what we eat. I tuned into some high vibe videos, watching some of my favorite astrologers talking about the full moon coming up. Turning in earlier than usual but still had a 5:30 am alarm set for my writers group.

Life is all about the choices we make. Slow down is a choice that I still struggle to understand. Pay attention is something I must do. Pay attention to what my body is telling me. Pay attention to the symptoms of things, not just in my body but also in my car and with other electrical items that start to act up. Symptom definition from the Cambridge Dictionary “a problem that is caused by and shows a more serious problem“. If I can pay attention to symptoms, regardless of how it shows up, I will be ahead of the curve in this game of life. “ahead of the curve” shows I’m still racing time. Dang. Is there going to have to be a Part 4 on the lesson of slow down? I pray not.