Just writing the words, “Calm Down” can get me a little fired up. I used to warn suitors, “Do yourself and favor and don’t ever tell me to ‘calm down’.” I think it’s my very own version of putting Baby in a corner. I’m someone who has a great passion for life, please don’t even attempt to put that fire out. But much like the rule that I can talk badly about my sibling, but you can’t—I have no problem with encouraging myself to settle down.

A good friend of mine taught me the acronym CTFD. I’m not going to go into detail about what that stands for (there are children reading for goodness sakes). You’re smart people and can understand why it’s my “go-to” phrase when I need to take a deep breath, get a better perspective and turn down the volume on my pace, my Reactions and/or my Expectations. It can also stand for Connecticut Fire Department. Which is convenient, because when MamaDe is mumbling “C-T-F-D, C-T-F-D” to herself, she can simply say, “Mama just needs to put out the fire in her crazy little head team.”

CTFD is about stopping for long enough to allow my heart and my brain to connect. They need each other. But when I’m so flippin’ wrapped up in my life, my brain can take the lead in making all the decisions. When I allow my brain to take the lead for too long, that journey from my heart to my head can feel like a marathon. Settling down, connecting with something bigger than myself, breathing, being gentle to myself, scheduling downtime, are all ways to make that connection shorter. If I just take the time to CTFD, that trip can go from a marathon to a few peaceful steps.

Do you ever feel like you forget to listen to what your heart is telling you because your brain is so busy calling all the shots? I’d love to hear from you, please share a time when you stopped and listened to your heart and what happened.

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