Here’s a little vacation for you. Some calming thoughts in the middle of a complex and challenging world. I dug these up to keep myself sane after talking to my accountant about my taxes:

1.) Here’s a good way to wake up. In gratitude for just being alive.

2.) You can get in the habit of just not being angry — and that’s a great habit.

3.) Your goal today is simple: to not be afraid and to be in touch with God.

4.) I am open to all of life, including the misfortune, bad luck, and incompetence of everyone around me and in me.

5.) The ideal default position for the computer in your head should be ‘surrender to God’s will.’

6.) Much of life is a gray area. Get used to it.

7.) Often the best advice is to do nothing until more is revealed.

8.) People will often not be there for you. God will always be there.

9.) What’s happening is what’s happening. Accept it.

10.) Praying for those who wrong us takes away much of their power.

11.) There is no shortage of serenity and love in this world for those who really want it and will surrender to God to get it.

12.) Not every day will be a great day. An ordinary day is good enough.

13.) I am not Shakespeare and I don’t need high drama in my head.

14.) People have their own spiritual paths and theirs are not always the same as mine.

15.) God has an amazing way of taking away from me what I should not have.

16.) When I’m exhausted, I am angry and defensive. This goes double when I’m hungry. It’s best to be well rested and well fed.

17.) For me to make war against myself with angry and self-loathing thoughts is a complete waste of life.

18.) I don’t need to wear the same old cloak of anger and fear today: I know it doesn’t fit.

19.) I do not know exactly why faith and surrender work. I only know that they do work.

20.) My prayer for the moment: Dear God, I am here. Use me for Thy will.

21.) I make every kind of mistake you can make. That’s why I’m called ‘human.’

22.) The whole meaning of God is that he loves you and forgives you for being human.

I need these to keep me from losing my mind over my taxes. I think of them as public enemy number one right now… although I know they’re necessary. But so are colonoscopies.