Do you have any idea how many excellent classes I’ve taken from gifted teachers? How many first-rate books I’ve read that taught me exactly what I needed to know?

And then Tuesday morning hit…

This particular Tuesday, the shower backed up. Then the toilet overflowed. And the sinks. The whole house. And because Life has a sense of humor, that was also the morning my full-grown puppy girl found something absolutely vile to roll in. The plumber couldn’t come until the next day.

Feelings were running high, to put it mildly.

Here’s the thing: just a few years ago, I would have had a meltdown. Taken all that excellent learning I’d done and found exactly none of it in the moment. Because knowing something - even knowing it well - and having it at your fingertips ready to go when you least expect it are two completely different things.

But on that Tuesday morning, I could rely on a solid practice that had become a habit and was right there when I needed it.

I was able to identify and address the real trigger. (It wasn’t the plumbing!)

True confession - I thoroughly enjoyed feeling how far I’d come, and how much less triggering that moment felt.