>On this soggy morning, I’m working hard on mind control.

Which is to say, I’m trying to control my mind’s view of routine things in my life.

I’m thinking about things I like: getting work accomplished, spending time with family, and spending time with God. And I’m thinking about things I don’t like: spinning my wheels in my work, wasting time, and stress.

Sometimes it seems that the more stress I have, the more time I spend spinning my wheels. And the more time I spend spinning my wheels, the more hopeless I feel and the more time I waste. And the more hopeless I feel and the more time I waste, the more impossible my deadlines become and the more stress I have.

I’m thinking that I need to control not only the things I do, but also the way I view them. I want to enjoy my work. I’d like to feel thankful for each well-crafted sentence rather than panicking about pressing deadlines for huge projects.

I’m thinking that if one project isn’t going well, I need to work on another. I need to take Elisabeth’s Elliot’s sage advice to “do the next thing.” And while I’m doing those things, I need to think about how much I enjoy what I do.

I need to take every thought captive. I need to take control of my mind and think of each moment as a gift from God.