"Imperfectly Pausing" Weekly Wisdom

Last week, I was in my kitchen and dropped a fork on my bare foot. As I started to feel the impact of the mild but annoying pain, I screamed at the top of my lungs "are you f*cking kidding me?" It was the last straw at the end of a very long day and I had hit my limit. I had to let "it" out. I had no idea what "it" was after I belted out my anguish and did some reflection. I couldn't pin point why I had so much anger/rage brewing up inside of me that I had to release it. All I know, I did feel a sense of release after my semi-tearful bellow. 

Sure, I can blame it on this season in my life, hormones, not sleeping well, not being nourished properly...blah, blah, blah.  After a week of still being concerned about where this came from, I did a little more digging and I came up with a few ideas. 

-I am doing way too much shit for other people

-I am not taking any time for away from stimulation (phone, news, computers)

-I am not holding true to my necessary boundaries

-I am not stopping long enough to really check in on myself

There it is friends, I am not taking the time to pause. There is so much power in the pause but there is also a little anxiety in the pause for me. I start to see all things that are going wrong. Imperfections in my life and especially, in myself. When I slow down, I start to see things I do not like and need to work on. This is uncomfortable. This is why I do not pause. I don't want to see it. 

Nothing is perfect, I am not perfect. I know this. The question is, do I accept it?  97% of the time, I do not. This is the push and pull of being at ease with imperfections. Is 97% really good for me?  Apparently not because of the mishap with a fork and a monster coming out of me at 6 pm on a Tuesday. 

I know I am in need of the pause, being ok with being imperfect and finding a little more peace within myself. 

Tell me, how do you sit with imperfection?

 

"Busy is a Choice" Weekly Wisdom

When someone asks how your are, how often do you say you are busy?

I have 55 things on my work to-do list and I have 15 on my personal to do list. But the day is not over, I am sure there will be something added to both of them. This week I have had major anxiety over my work list because there is not enough hours in the day. I am slacking on my sleep and meal prep schedule and I am compromising on some other non-negotiables I swore I wouldn't compromise. Any of this resonate? 

And then I realize, I am only one person...

I don't have to do all the things and get everything crossed off my list in one day. I don't have to sleep 2 hours less a night because I feel bad for not having a task completed AHEAD of time. I don't have to eat saltines and slurp down a protein shake while I am driving and listening to a meeting on Teams. 

What I can do is feel a sense of accomplishment when I do get one item crossed off BECAUSE I was gentle on myself with my timing and took the time to do the task well. I can sleep the whole 7-8 hours I need to be a well functioning human throughout the day. I can sit down for 20 minutes and enjoy a freshly cooked meal without checking emails in between bites. 

Don't let a "to-do" list dictate your life. You will always have one, you will always have things to do and you will always get the important things done. This is a sign of living and stressing less about it is a sign of growth. 

#freedom | #embracethehellyeah

AE

 

"Simplify Your Space" Weekly Wisdom

Think of all the different spaces we are surrounded by in our day to day.   Our homes, our vehicles, our workplace, outdoors, restaurants, places of worship, schools, and shopping spaces. 

Think of all the "things" in those spaces.

How are the spaces are filled?

Now think of the spaces you occupy the most. I want you to take some moments of your day to look around and view what occupies those spaces. Are they full, is there room between items?  Does everything have to fit a certain way for it to work?  Are you able to add and subtract easily or does it involve a process to make it work?

I have started really looking at the different spaces in my life. I have discovered in certain places, I need to simplify. My closet being #1, I have wayyyy too much shit that I am working through. The spaces in my bathroom drawers have things I do not use or need anymore but ignore each time I open and close them. The cabinets in my kitchen have quite of few items that have and will never be used but still are taking up real estate. The corner in my office is filled with a bunch of boxes I have "just in case."

I believe how we fill our spaces is a representation of how we fill our lives. 

If it chaotic, full to the brim and messy - well that is exactly how our life is going. If we start to simplify our physical spaces, we can start to simplify our personal life and head spaces. 

#EmbraceTheHellYeah | #Freedom

AE