Taking things personally, living in a nightmare rather than a dream, not loving yourself enough? Then this book is for you + a funny Cardinal encounter:

The Four Agreements is a book written by Don Miguel Ruiz based on ancient Toltec wisdom that advocates freedom from self-limiting beliefs that cause suffering and limitation in our lives. I honestly believe that if every single person could read and embody the agreements laid out on the pages, we would see a radical shift in behavior and compassion on this planet.

Speaking of taking things personally, it could go either way. This morning at yoga class, we were noticing a mating pair of cardinal out the glass double doors. Half way into the session, sitting closest to the doors, I noticed the beautiful red (male) acting like it wanted to come in, pecking at different parts of the glass several times. I waved at it, charmed that it appeared attracted to me and our peaceful practice. Later on, as I was reflecting about the pleasant experience I remembered that it was pecking at it's reflection, thinking it was a competing male. As I passed by the doors later, I noticed that were covered in a reflecting cover, that would mean one could not see in, so it was after an apparently competing male.