It is 1:40 in the morning. I cannot sleep. If my dog is not rattling his crate to sleep outside in his bed, my furtive mind and possible sleep apnea keep me from Mr. Sandman and tranquility. My whole life is about helping other people face their sources of anxiety and discontent, but this pre-dawn I find myself in such a state. A pall of extreme tiredness envelopes me. It is as if I have been invaded by an inability to let go-to decompress-and surrender to rest and relaxation.
I never realized the responsibility of caring for an animal. Mr. Darby is adorable but he is also willful and he does not seem to eat and potty on a set schedule. He never eats in the morning and because he does not eliminate in the afternoon or early evening, I crate him so he does not have accidents in my house. When he refuses to go to the bathroom outside I become obsessed with not allowing him to sleep in his bed because he has not pottied outside on the leash on a walk.
I do what I suggest clients do when ‘they’re worried and they can’t sleep,’ I count my blessings instead of sheep. With gratitude on my mind, I go to the computer and write down all the reasons I am in this predicament at this early hour-and I stop to pray and meditate so I can make an entreaty and then get quiet to hear what the Divine has to say to me. And I get my answer: go to sleep at a reasonable hour. Bingo! I recall that I lay down to sleep at seven in the evening and awoke at one, which is a goofy time to go to sleep even for a man my age.
I put the dog in bed with me and he falls asleep in minutes-ah, the life of a dog. Can I come back next life as a canine with an owner as attendant as I? We snuggle and he breathes even breaths and I catnap but never get that level of relaxed sleep. But I do hear the voice of intuition whisper, “Tonight, go to bed between 9:30 and 10:00 and tomorrow you and the dog will be perfect Daddy and Mr. Darby, the dog. Thank God I learned early on to listen for intuition when it speaks.
Albert Clayton Gaulden is the founding director of the Sedona Intensive and author of You’re Not Who You Think You Are: A Breakthrough Guide to Discovering the Authentic You. For more information about Albert and Sedona Intensive visit http://www.sedonaintensive.com/.
Purchase You’re Not Who You Think You Are at http://www.yourenotwhoyouthinkyouare.com/
