This quarter has been a challenging quarter. I've been doing new things, continuing with crazy schedules, and relearning old ways. Classes are challenging but not impossible; lots of thinking is involved in each one. I picked up viola again, thinking that it would be nice to try it out again, hoping to make a few more connections in my brain. When I first started, it was crazy how much I couldn't remember. Finally after the first couple lessons, things started to pick up a bit.

During each lesson I start to tense up a bit but as the lesson continues, the tensing seems to really affect my performance. Dr. Davis, my teacher, tells me to tap my left thumb against the neck of the viola. It catches me off guard each time she asks me to do this but each time it causes the tension in my arm and wrist to just go away. The simple motion of wriggling my thumb loose disperses the tension and stress away. It is important to derail stress before it derails your plan or career. So much seems to run on simply driving ahead but it is important to break the cycles of tension that build up over time: yearly breaks, weekly breaks, daily and even every couple of hours it is good to break the cycle of tension that screws tighter and tighter, stripping us of our good times, sleep, and drive to excel.