While eating noodles with girlfriends, we starting talking about advice handed down to us from our grandmothers and mothers. My grandmother told me food should be consumed shifty to get your full adequate and share. She cautioned to confirm a mate's patience by testing him and not always put the best face forward. Another's emphasized lady-like behaviors and scolded her never to act less than a proper lady at the table. The delicate knowledge of perfumes was memorable for another friend. Each lady at the table embodied a different sets of rules for eating, beauty, boys, and careers. We all agreed the loving advice made us stronger and self-conscious. Yet, none of us regretted receiving feminine advice from the women that loved us, who we adore, and who taught us how to love - even when some of it was wrong.

Only potential words of wisdom and glimpses of the future from a fabricated cultural item, also known as the "fortune cookie." My parents owned a Chinese restaurant when I was a kid, these items were passed out, only because the customers expected them. Did I mention my insights last evening came were collected from a Japanese restaurant?

Last month, I was full of sniffles, aches, grumbles, mumbles, and pains. Yes, I was sick. Not the the serious irreversible type but a certain bug kept coming back. I am hoping, once again, it is long gone. It is pretty obvious from the quantity of posts that my attention shifted to sustaining my work product (at a new job, yay!), yoga teaching (when I was able), and recovery. However, even with those concerns, an argument can be made for a more balanced approach to recovery. This post is related to work life balance issues but is more a total life balance situation.

Western popular culture reveres unbridled emotional expression. Discussing problems with family, friends, and colleagues are considered an important function of mental health. At times, I find myself over-thinking, creating fictitious scenarios based upon emotional reactions, and personalizing a professional event. My thought processes and subsequent verbalization have inflicted stress on my relationships. I didn't realized the unchecked verbal purge of information was a major source of tension in my household. Fortunately, during Vipassana Meditation, I observed the progression of my "problem" thoughts, from birth to the brink of verbalization.

First off, I embrace the benefits of sharing difficult times with others and seeking my support system in times of need. My problems were burdening the listener with the problems. Addtionally, I let any thought that entered my mind marinate and flower into an ugly reality. I believe individuals are able to tame their emotions and achieve better mental health. The rational mind can quell the emotional mind. Although, the healthiness of a person's mind and thoughts is subjective and difficult to quantify, I believe these techniques may help. In this post, I will apply my thought pattern and solution to a personal relationship.