For a while when I was having a really tough time, I chose a sort of mantra that helped me keep my balance. And I thought of a simple symbol that reminded me of the mantra. Every morning, using a light-brown calligraphy pen, I inked that symbol, small but visible, on the back of my left hand.
I couldn’t help seeing it over and over all day, and every time I saw it, I recalled the mantra, drew a breath, squared my shoulders, and kept going.
I carried the pen with me so that every time the symbol washed off I could re-ink it. I thought about turning it into a tattoo, but I never did.
Only one or two people ever even noticed the faint marking on my hand and asked about it, and I just said it reminded me of something I needed to remember. For all they knew, it might have meant “pick up the dry cleaning” or “go to the dentist.”
After some time things got better and I didn’t need it any more, but for quite a few months it was almost like a magic spell that really had a powerful ability to help me steady myself.