If you came here because the brakes on your car are failing, I hate to say it, but you're in the wrong place.
If you came here because life is utterly hectic and you need some encouragement, I LOVE to say it; you're in the right place!
I am not a guru or a licensed therapist or a life coach. I'm a human, but if I may be so bold, I've got some experience in that department. The thing is, we live on a planet that is always rotating, and that means that we don't ever get to truly stop. There are so many things outside of our control that even when we need to take a break, oftentimes, we can't. Once that gun fires, if we need to tie our shoe, we can't expect the other racers to stop. Everyone is in their own lane, trying to get to their own milestones, and running as fast as they can. That is our world; demanding, fast-paced, and impersonal. It's easy to fall into a position where everything is just whizzing past you, not bothering to help you up, not even regarding you at all.
What gets you by, in those times, is not forcing yourself up and running harder. That only exhausts you. What gets you by is starting back at the beginning. Getting back to the basics. You can't make up that time you lost, but you can recalibrate yourself and get back in the race. It isn't about winning, it's about defeating your worst version of yourself. That's it. Every day, just making sure the ugly version of you that wants to give up or be lazy doesn't get to drive. It is humbling, at at times embarrassing, and we all know it's frustrating, but you need to take your time to tie those shoes, and do something that simplifies your life again.
The other day, I washed the bathroom. My father is renovating his house, and asked me to wash it before he put a coat of new paint on. I always have something to do, but I agreed because I know he needed the help, and I could spare an hour or two.
I got up early--since I had to go to work that afternoon--and took a shower. Then I grabbed a bucket of soap, a sponge, and a towel, and got to work.
Let me tell you, washing a bathroom is one of the most mundane tasks you could ask for, and I am so incredibly grateful that it was what I had to do. It was so simple. Wash it, wipe it. Over and over. It took just enough attention to keep me from finding something to occupy my time, but not so much that I couldn't think. I was able to really connect with myself in a way I haven't in a while, and it really made me feel happy to be alive--the one thing, at the end of the day, we all truly want--and I felt so accomplished for doing it. A task that even a child could do. Yes! I felt like I really did something!
We end up feeling like we're falling behind because we're not accomplishing enough of our goals, or we watch others do it over and over again. It's important to realize that we don't need to set such massive goals for ourselves that it takes many years to achieve them, even though that is our society (college, career, business). The truth is, what keeps you sure of yourself--what keeps you away from feeling like a failure-- is a series of small successes that you are in total control of. Go clean your bathroom!Put the phone away (or just put on some music) and wipe your bathroom down. Vacuum a rug. Do the dishes. Mow the lawn, clean your car, go do that one errand you've been putting off. All of these chores don't have to be daunting or exhausting, they can be exhilarating if you stop treating them like wastes of time and start treating them like renewals or checkpoints.
You need to do something that forces you to spend enough time to realize that it is not passing you by. You need to reconnect with yourself. Read. Be in nature. Drink water. Don't do these things because they are what you need to do, do them because they give you life and that nourish you and they allow you the opportunity to simplify your life again. All that you can control is what you do. So right now, I want you to congratulate yourself for reading this blog to the point that you have so far, and make a resolution to read it to the end. Not hard, right? Well, I can guarantee it's within your reach!
You deserve a life of happiness; that is an inexorable right that we have as human beings. By shifting the angle at which we view things, we change the way it appears before us. If you step back, even the tallest building in the world will start to seem small. You just need to give yourself the time and the space to realize that whatever big thing isin your way right now is not insurmountable. Sometimes it is a small hill, or a hundred small hills, or sometimes it is even a mountain. It will be tiring, but the only thing that can stop you from getting past it is you. Do not focus on the mountain's height. Focus on each rock you can grab. Each foothold. After all, the difference between the peak and the ground is an inverse relationship: either you are at the mountain's foot, or the mountain is at yours.
Right now, wherever you are, there might be a whole lot of mountain ahead of you, or just a little. But you can do it. Put the mountain at your foot. Take breaks. Breathe. Drink water. Prove to yourself, today and every day, that you can defeat the lazy self. The doubtful self. The negative self. Time is a fickle little thing, meek and afraid, and it will only ever run away from you. Don't chase it. Just appreciate it.
You're doing just fine.
Thanks for reading. I hope I was able to make something here that resonates with you. Please let me know your thoughts in the comments! What's one thing you have overcome in your life so far? What's something you can do to re-simplify your life?
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