breathing

step one: tilt your head back slightly

 

step two: close your eyes

 

step three: open your mouth

 

step four: breathe in like you've never taken a breath before.  feel every last corner of your lungs stretch with fullness. breathe in as if to replace the very soul in your chest with air.

 

step five: let it go

 

not just the air. the everything. the guy who took your cab. the subway door that closed in your face. the myriad of deadlines that we fabricate to satisfy our need for logical progression and our heinously imbalanced priorities. the sound of your alarm clock. the smell of exhaust. the fear of failure that keeps us from realizing our dreams.

 

step six: open your eyes

 

not just your eyelids, but your vision. your mind. your perspective. see the effects of a smile and an open ear. attempt to view the world through not only your eyes, but the eyes of everyone you meet in passing, without judgment or assumption. see the myriad of minor miracles that lie within an arms reach at any time and celebrate them in your soul.

 

step seven: open your ears

 

believe in the love that you receive. trust the support of your net. know that your friends value you as you do them. listen for every opportunity to listen instead of speaking, and in the process, learn something. everyone is a teacher. be a student.