I Have

I didn't know what kind of
insane amount of stress
I was carrying around with me,
letting myself be subjected to,
each and every moment
of every day,
until the day I realized
that I wasn't any more.
It felt (cliche as it is)
like a weight had been lifted.
And when I felt the stress returning,
being pushed in my direction,
I took a deep breath.
This breath that was so much bigger
than any other from the recent past
that I could feel the air flowing down,
all the way down to my toes,
swirling through my whole body.
And I laughed.
I laughed at the cause of my stress,
and its impotence.
I laughed at the joy of knowing
it doesn't own me any more.
So many lessons in life are hard.
This one was easy.
I have the strength
and the power
to chose my stress level,
to chose to be happy,
to chose to be me.
And I have.