There's no question that this past winter and spring have presented us all with some challenges we'd just as soon have avoided where everyday Life is concerned. The impulse pushing us into summer may well be to continue to hunker down, nose to the grindstone, and just blast through these difficult times until the very end of the tunnel.

But we have options. We still need to get through, which may indeed require vast amounts of energy and effort. However, there's a trick of which we can avail ourselves to make the hunkering and blasting a little more bearable, and which can even add some enjoyment to our Herculean efforts.

The trick is: Take a Break. That's right. Simply lift your head every now and then--maybe every 30 minutes or so--sit in a rocking chair on the lawn (even a figurative one will do), drink some water and close your eyes. Go to your happy place--the one we all hear about and know is there but haven't ever taken a moment to visit. Maybe yours lands you in the middle of fabulous artistically creative ruminations...who knows?

This break need only last for a mere 5 minutes, and taking it every 30 minutes truly has the power to transform your mental and physical state. Employing this trick will get us painlessly through the tunnel, and summer in Santa Cruz  is the perfect time to begin.

And then soon...surprise! You'll lift your head and find that Life has become wonderful again. It's well worth a try, isn't it?

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