It’s been a few months since I’ve written anything I’ve felt worthy of publishing. Not because of writer’s block or the busy-ness of life, but because I felt I needed to take a break to focus on me. There have been small passages here and there, and these may one day make it to the public’s eye, but for now, they were my therapy.
You see, I needed some time…time to think, time to relax, time to be alone, time to ponder. And as a result of the time I spent, I hope that I am a better person.
I thought that taking time for a weekly manicure, using my scented candles and bath scrubs, or even taking time for a monthly massage was the path to “me time” and the clarity we all seem to search for. Hmmm. Those aren’t bad ideas. And some of these can even be good hygiene practices. But those didn’t give me the comfort that I was looking for in my recent time of reflection. I was searching for the meaning of life; I was asking myself if I had done enough to make a positive impact on the world around me, if my family would remember me and smile, and what would happen after I closed my eyes to this world.
I spent my time in reflection – sometimes active reflection, sometimes passive reflection. No, I’m not trying to come up with some new-age meditation practice. Just trying to describe what I’ve been doing. My active reflection was when I was consciously trying to figure out my place in the world. I’m one human in billions that are currently on the planet, and so many more that have come before me and, I expect, that will come after me. I would be sitting in the sun, my eyes closed, listening to moving waters of nature, and my mind would go to places where I have interacted with others – near and far, stranger and family – and what I could glean of the impact I had on them. Was it something that I would be proud to tell my higher power? Could I do more or do better? Passively, I would be in the middle of a movie or dinner and my thoughts would unconsciously wander. I would think about what I was watching or what I was eating. Did it reflect on what I want to be? Was it kind? No, I’m not advocating changing diets, but I did find that less animal protein is more gentle on my tummy and seems to be more gentle on the world at large.
There was walking, too. A lot of walking. Sometimes, it was with an excited gait and full of fun with family and friends. Sometimes, I was alone and a slower pace gave me a feeling of fullness inside for the next steps of my life here on this earth. And the consciousness of these steps was new to me. I had only really walked with the purpose of getting my 10K steps daily, so my mindset slowly changed over the course of the last few months. It was hard, at least for me, to emotionally take some of these proverbial steps.
Now I’m taking some literal steps in my life. Continuing to reflect and hoping to “leave nothing but footprints…take nothing but memories.” These are tasks that are sometimes littered with obstacles of everyday life as we know it. But I’m finding that challenging tasks get a little easier each time you complete them. Creating a habit from scratch always seems like an insurmountable challenge at first, but gradually gets easier and easier the more you do it. Just be gentle with yourself. The story of creation took seven days in the Bible, but are we sure that it was literally seven days as we know it? One step. And then another. And another. Even if you’re resting in between.
Practicing self-care, whether it’s treating yourself to a manicure or taking a mental health day from work, shouldn’t be looked at as a luxury. The smallest gestures can make a big difference in reducing overall stress, which can make a big impact on your life and maybe even the lives of those around you. When you show yourself a little more love, you can turn your energy into doing things that support your goals, like eating healthy, exercising, meditating, and showing kindness to the people and the world around you. Are you not sure how to start a self-care routine? First ask yourself why you need more time to take care of yourself. Are you working too many late hours at the office? Do you feel burned out and wish you could be calmer? Do you have a potentially life-altering diagnosis that gets your attention? Once you figure out why you need to make some more time for yourself, it can help you decide what will be a good activity or routine for you.
“If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway.”
#anyway #reflectionsofanyway #kindness #motherteresa #motherteresaquotes
Reflections of Anyway 