I’ve learned not to rehearse in my mind for what I don’t want.  That keeps me from being upset.  Rehearsing what I don’t want is another way of saying worry.  I don’t like to be in a worried state because it’s a fearful state and I’ve grown intolerant of feeling worried and afraid.

I’ve learned to push fear out of my mind.  There’s the acronym False Evidence Appearing Real.  It’s a good one.  When we project our past, our beliefs and our perceptions onto situations fear will inevitably arise.  We may not realize why we’re feeling anxious, but still, we’ll feel the misalignment of believing what’s false over remembering and valuing what’s true.

We’ll feel the results of our choices every time.

So, the other night, I got a text from my neighbor that a skunk had just sprayed near their house, and that they’d seen Sattva, my cat, there by the house too and they were concerned that he’d been sprayed.  A few year’s ago Bodhi had been sprayed by a skunk she was chasing.  It’s a pretty awful thing, but, fortunately I didn’t rely on what people had told me many years ago – to use tomato juice on her fur.

Instead, I looked up on the internet and found a recipe of Peroxide, shampoo or mile dish soap, and baking soda, which I used with great success.  So, the night I thought Sattva had been sprayed, although I didn’t wish to rehearse what I didn’t want, I did prepare what I’d need in case he came home stinking.

I gathered the supplies, I called for him to come.  He didn’t come.  I decided to leave the doggie door open for him to come in and I prepared to go to bed.  I thought about what I’d do if he came in the house stinking – I wouldn’t like that, but I also didn’t want him to stay out all night stinking and I opened my mind to what was the highest and best.  My answer was to have a towel by my bed so that if he did come in and come to my bedroom – which he would likely do, I’d wrap him in the towel and carry him outside to de-skunk him.

I was very clear that I didn’t wish to have to try to wash and rinse him.  I didn’t wish to have the stink in the house.  I made sure I had what I needed if that was the case, but I wasn’t rehearsing what I didn’t want.  Normally, I wouldn’t even prepare, but it was my guidance to do these things – and also I asked the angels to please assist.

I ask the angels to assist knowing that they could destinkify him if he’d been hit.  Of course they could.  This is an illusion.  All kinds of things can be erased, healed, transformed and transmuted in the illusion and I feel it’s so valuable to remember that, to count on it and to affirm it. Which I did, a few times before I turned out the light and went to sleep.

Just as I was drifting off to sleep, Sattva came in and, just to make sure I knew he was there, he stepped on me, and then cuddled up against me.  I smelled him and he was free and clear.  I gave many thanks to the angels then, and in the morning, for whatever part they played.  I was grateful that he didn’t stay out later and we could all just rest easy.

I know that these things occur in my life experience in order to strengthen my mind.  Any thing that distresses us or bothers us, that seems to be the cause of agitation is helpful in the healing of our mind.

We can blame the upset on the world and declare that we’re a victim of it, or we can work with our mind to dispel the stinking thinking.  The latter is the road less travelled and taking it has made all the difference in my life.