I wish this were a how-to article on being centered. If I knew, I'd share. I don't know how to remain centered. It's something I lack, I know I lack, I know for what I must work, and for what I work.

Those seem redundant, but they're really four discrete events.

- I lack. There is no need to try to better yourself at something for which you do not lack. Either you are sufficient, and efforts to improve are wasted, or there is simply no need.

- I know I lack. In so many areas of my life I am simply unhappy to some degree - disappointed, frustrated, etc. In so few of those areas can I point out exactly what is missing.

- I know for what I must work. In some of those areas where I am blessed enough to be able to name the source of my malaise, I don't know how to remedy it. That's almost a worse feeling than "why do I feel this way?"

- For what I work. This is the final step to the blues, and the first to escape them.

In Casa de Kitty, we have a phrase: "A whole lot of 'duh.'" This means, "It's obvious, so why is someone telling me?" Often, I say it after taking some training at work.

In thinking about it, often what is obvious in hindsight is not entirely visible when lost in the forest. So, this may be a whole lot of duh to you, but it's helped me a little in writing it.

I'll talk about my attempts to stay emotionally centered tomorrow.