It’s 2.20am.

I’m lying in bed, wide awake.  Every few seconds I can hear a piercing YAP YAP YAP. 

I’m getting increasingly agitated. 

For the last 3 hours I’ve tried every trick in my little black book to drown out the noise and get some shut-eye.  I’ve listened to a boring podcast, I’ve shoved earplugs into my ears and I’ve balanced two pillows on top of my head.

But so far nothing’s worked.

This all took place last week.  Lauren and I have just come back from a few days in Greece.

And one night we were very rudely kept awake by a dog yapping relentlessly from the hotel room opposite us.

A couple of hours earlier I’d stuck my head out my door just as a member of the hotel staff appeared.

Turned out we weren’t the only ones being kept awake by the yapping dog and there’d been a few complaints. 

Also turns out a couple had left their dog behind while they went out partying and there wasn’t much the member of hotel staff could do about it.

When I closed my door and ambled back to bed, a bunch of thoughts started bubbling up inside me.

Thoughts like “how can that couple be so inconsiderate?”, “don’t they realise what’s happening as they’re out partying” and “if I can’t get to sleep soon then tomorrow will be a write-off”.

I’d love to say that these thoughts disappeared just as quickly as they appeared.

But they didn’t.

If anything, they got worse.

And as I climbed back into bed and lay there, stewing in my own thoughts, the yapping continued.

After an eternity, I eventually drifted off.

Next morning, Lauren and I wandered down to breakfast.

As we took our seats, I spotted a couple a few tables away gleefully munching on toast and scrambled eggs.

Tied to the leg of their table was a dog, about the size of a small handbag.

My furry nemesis!

The dog turned, caught me square in the eye with a look of utter nonchalance, turned back around and curled up in a ball under the table.

The couple seemed to be completely oblivious to the disruption they’d caused and the little mutt didn’t seem to care either.

All of a sudden, I could feel the same thoughts from the previous night firing back up. 

Didn’t the couple realise what they’d done?  How could they be so oblivious?  And how bad was my day going to be after getting a crappy night’s sleep?

As these thoughts appeared, my blood started to boil.

But I clocked it.  I could see what was happening.

As I started to feel more angry, I could also see there was no reason to.  Right then, in that moment, there wasn’t a barking dog stopping me from getting to sleep.  If anything, conditions were perfect.  The sun was shining.  To my left, I could see the beautiful blue sea.  Lauren was opposite me, smiling and chatting away.  And a few paces from where I sat, a buffet breakfast was laid out, sausages and eggs ready for me to attack.

Later that same day, I realised this was a great reminder about how my thoughts work. 

I’d started to experience all my frustrations from the previous night even though the conditions the next morning were totally different.

Yes, the yappy ankle-biter’s smug indifference didn’t help matters.

But I could see how a past event was clouding my thoughts & feelings in the present.

Of course, rehashing the past can be very tempting.  Going over old thoughts seems like a good way to find more clarity or put past events to bed (if you’ll pardon the pun).

But I’m not so sure that taking ourselves out of the here & now to dwell on the past is a great strategy. Not when it leads to so much tension & turmoil.

Truth is, my experience of life in any moment is based on how I respond to it in that moment.

And it’s good to know that.  

It makes life more enjoyable - and that’s what matters.

On which note...

Today and for the rest of this week, I’m making a brand new offer:

90 minute Peace of Mind Laser Coaching Sessions

If you’d like to turn down the volume on your mental chatter, spend less time in your head and find more peace of mind in the here and now, a Peace of Mind Laser Coaching Session could be perfect for you.

The investment is £200 for a 90 minute session with me.

After the 90 minute session, if you feel like you haven’t connected with a deeper sense of mental calm and peace of mind, I’ll give you a second session for free.

If you’re interested or you’d like to find out more, reply to this email with “Peace of Mind” and we’ll take it from there.

That’s all for today.

 - Tom