I have always lived life with a self-created plan in mind.  The Plan was a flexible one that I would devise within my mind and each day and as The Plan would unfold I would follow it adding to it or taking away a portion of The Plan as needed.  Sometimes I would have another plan tucked away incase the first plan didn't work out.  Most importantly, however, it seemed that all of my plans were based on my ability to carry them out...and independent of anyone else's support.  It gave me a sense of security in the fact that The Plan was entirely based on me and not on another person.

I found that as I grew older The Plan was in constant flux...ever changing...almost as the wind would blow.  I discovered that The Plan that I would begin the day with generally did not foresee all of the changes that could happen in one day's time.  I realized this shortly after I began my retirement from nursing and my move to Florida.  I would awaken each morning without the alarm clock to begin my day.  This immediately erased The Plan if I awoke late in the morning.  The first year of my retirement was spent asleep.  I was tired.  Worn out in fact.  And I slept as my body wished to sleep.  Sometimes I would stay up late at night either playing games on the computer or watching movies on television.  I would sleep often till ten AM and by the time my mind would become fully awake and alert, usually after the first pot of coffee had been drunk, the time had slipped away and it would be noon.  My days were spent in the slow mode, exploring my new home, my neighborhood, reading books as my escape into fiction rather than the Life that surrounded me.  I found my body ill more than it felt well and many days were spent in pain from either kidney stones or Shingles.  My body felt simply vulnerable to any and all various illnesses. It took it's toll on my usual mental ability to bounce back.  I found myself slipping further and further away from my daily creation of The Plan.

The last couple of months, I have become more alert, awaking earlier.  Going to bed at ten PM each night and awakening by 8 AM at the latest.  I have The Plan in mind once again as I begin my day. Some days The Plan is simple and other days it becomes a bit more complicated.  I have discovered that if I keep The Plan as uncomplicated as I am able to, my day goes quite well.

The Plan is so simple now...I begin each morning with The Plan firm in my mind.  My Plan is a one-liner...it is written in large bold letters within my mind.  It is a strong statement and requires my full attention.  It is this:

The Plan:

Don't Worry!  Be Happy!