Inner distractions and solutions

Apparently it's not just the surroundings adding "noise" to my life, but all this clattering inside my head. The brain has no off switch and no remote for changing the channel. When I get it stuck on one useless yet distracting item, there seems to be no means of moving it along to something else. For instance, this week I'm on a self-esteem crisis. The brain has decided to give me a constant onslaught of listing my flaws. Repeated in sequence over and over. I have too, too, too many other things to focus on than this, but here I am, sleepless, mulling over the imperfect me.

I'll go back to the tried and true... memories that take me somewhere happy.

Images

* Meme's house

* My first puppy

* The births of my children

* Sitting underground in a cave

* Praying in Madinah

Sounds

* My 3-year-old's giggle

* Ocean waves

* Singing with my sister

* The birds at fajr

Smells

* Right after a rain

* Wild roses

* Ma's homemade chocolate chip cookies

* Fallen leaves

Feel

* The sheets on my bed

* Baby hair

* Lying on moss

* My back snuggled against my Great-grandma Sue's back when I used to sleep by her

* Sitting on a horse

Taste

* Hootie balls made by my Ma

* Snow

* Yeast-and-butter popcorn like Phoebe makes it

* Boba tea