“Leave it,” my friend says to her dog over and over as we walk. Because the dog picks up a scent, or hears something running in the woods nearby, or just wants to follow any old urge to take off running in the direction of something enticing.

“Leave it,” my Friend says to me over and over. Because I, too, am picking up scents all around me that I want to chase – like the worry over this or the habit of thinking along these lines. Temptation to chase my way down a thought path I’ve been on again and again that’s never gotten me anywhere but that I’ve gotten so used to following, I barely even notice it’s what I’m thinking about.

And my Friend knows full well that for me to CHOOSE to give in to this particular temptation means I’m getting off MY path, and am I really willing to keep making that choice?

So as we’re becoming more and more aware of how our thoughts impact, and even create, the experience of our lives . . . “leave it” – two little words to remind you in each moment that YOU get to make that choice. And that you get to make it repeatedly until a new habit is created and you don’t (sigh of relief) have to chase those things around anymore. Phew.