skunks on the trail

Is it a warning to slow down, you are in his territory? Is it a bigger message to watch out for land mines that could be around the corner? Or is it just chance and you happened to coincide today? It sounds silly to try to attach a meaning to something as random as seeing a skunk on the trail, but we do silly things like this all day long. We have all sorts of “if-then” scenarios that run our lives and determine our sense of well being. “If she’s rude to me she’s a **itchy person”, “If he loves me he would know I need this right now”, “If she cared about me she would call me”, “If they overcharge me they are trying to rip me off” All of our if-thens are based on our own perception and rules, and the meaning we attach to these random things can make or break our day.

What rules do you have in place that are preventing you from being happy right now? Let go of attaching crazy meanings to mundane things. You cannot possibly get in anyone’s head to know what they are going through at any given moment when you are choosing to judge them. The erratic driver may be in a hurry to get to their hurt child, the rude woman in line at the store may be in physical pain, the overcharge may be attributed to *gasp* human error. We are perfect yet imperfect beings. Relax a little, let your guards down, and don’t forget to breathe.