Pressing "Send"

"Once I press send, I cannot take it back."  The fearful thought runs through my mind.  

A simple click of the mouse or a brush with the send button on the cell phone stirs a bit of that internal anxiety of committing to the choice. 

And it's so symbolic of life.

Standing on the crossroads...the inner turmoil between what the heart wants to do and what the mind fears doing.  The anxious struggle on the inside, the internal chatter that gets louder amidst the unknown.  "What path do I take? Will I regret taking this path? Will I miss out? Will I always wonder what lies down the other?"   

And then I remember...

I remember to let go and breathe.  One breath at a time.  

And I remember to open my eyes and step.  One step at a time. 

How is it that I am here, in this body, walking upon this little blue planet?  This little blue planet that has just the right concoction of 21% Oxygen, 78% Nitrogen and miniscule amounts of other gases that resonate perfectly with my body?  My body that takes it all in and lets go of what it doesn't need?  

We've come a long way since the days of flight or fight, running from tigers and chasing down our dinner.  Yet, not so far.  The human stress response is still the same.  We just have more time to think about the choice.  And oftentimes, there is much less gratification in making the choice, since the release of clicking a button does far less for relieving the physical stress response than running from a predator.  And so, the anxiety lingers.  

Until I step back and remember.  I remember to breathe.  I remember to go inside, and then to step with courage, honesty, passion and commitment to the path.  Because every path is worthy. And every path entails lessons and a perfect concoction for what I need at the present.  I cannot control the weather along the way, but I can control who I am and what I do when I come face to face with it and my belief and trust in the greater concoction.

Because in the end, somehow, it all works out.  Or, if it hasn't, then maybe it's not the end...if there really is an end. 

The journey can be amazingly breathtaking and beautiful, incredibly messy and tragic, blissful and frustrating.  Yet through it all, in a grace so often beyond comprehension, evolves the human spirit...and the journey, and the story, and the song and the dance.