It was an intense week, an emotional week. Yesterday, when I lay in the manure pile, I imagined that I might end up in the clutches of the health care system, and then in the night, my back throbbed a bit, and I had a nightmare about aging and one about money. I have been exploring some very effective self-hypnosis videos and tapes, and as I felt my anxiety rise, I heard a voice, a soft and calming voice against the backdrop of noise that sounded like water rushing in a stream, and it said “Be strong. Be Calm. Be Confident.” And I did feel calm, and strong and confident.

How wonderful, I thought, that I have found this new tool, this simple thing – I plug my earphones into my Iphone 5 in the night and this work reveals itself. I would never have imagined such a thing. I am so looking forward to the next few days. A small journey, a brief run to the mountain.

The wonder of pain is that it makes us stronger – fear too, I think. It leads to growth, change, self-awareness. In the night, I thought I heard a dolphin’s cry, that joyous squeak. Dolphins are my favorite creature in many ways. The dolphin seemed to be accompanying me, talking to me. Is this what they mean by a power animal?