The Agenda

 I came back to the monastery after being away for about a month.  All my Christmas mail awaited me.  Plus other mail and items to attend to on the internet.  Appointments to make and such.  Foolishly, I tried to take it on all at once, and my body took a toll.  Instead of "easy does it," I ramped up a lot of written replies for the mail.  I was in the "grind" mentality.  After about two days of this, my body said, "Enough."  My mind may be a mess, but at least my body tells me when I am doing too much too soon.  "Life all at once" does not work for me.  "Do a little each day," I told myself, and sit for a longer time in meditation.  It began to work.  I don't have to pay a price for being away.  I am unavailable to respond and that is life on life's terms.