Curveballs

From the Touchstone Tarot, the Four of Swords; from the John Waterhouse Oracle, Ophelia:

Many of us have minds that are constantly planning and prepping, trying to stay one chess move ahead of whatever curveball life might throw at us. We're often not aware we're on automatic pilot while performing these mental gymnastics. At times we need a sanctuary from all of our intellectual efforts. As the acronym HALT reminds us, we need to make sure we don't get to hungry, angry, lonely or tired. Ophelia was a Shakespearean character who was innocent and naive young woman until she was driven mad by Hamlet discarding her and killing her father. She slowly drowned after falling in the river while picking flowers (making no effort to save herself). Our mental and emotional health do not depend on external events, but how we take care of our own needs. When we practice self-care, we'll be much better prepared for life's curveballs.