THE CHALLENGE Day 29
Upbeat. Fun loving. Supportive.
Positive. Outgoing. Social.
It's fair to say that these are all characteristics that my friends and
family would typically use to describe my personality and I, admittedly, take
pride in such remarks. I enjoy embracing
life and the opportunities that it can present along with making time to be
with family and friends all the time in my everyday life. This is my normal.
These last couple of weeks have been far from normal. They have been hard and stressful and
emotionally draining with few moments of reprieve to simply take a deep breath
and re-energize. I haven't felt like my
usual self and started to really stress out about this -- on top of everything
else. I was describing this unsettling
feeling to my Life Coach and she looked at me, dead on, and basically said 'Get
Over It'. Um, excuse me?
You see, I have been treading through waters that are a bit of a
'doldrums' period and it is incredibly unfamiliar and uncomfortable. My life coach described it well when she used
the word 'Awkward'. She then told me
that these seasons in life are necessary and are not to be overlooked simply
because they are uncomfortable. I must
take in the awkwardness and use it as a teaching moment. Life, at its own pace, will work past this
season and all will return to what I prefer as my 'normal'.
This is no easy task for someone with strong ambition and a desire to
lead by example in life. My persona is
inclined to say, "No, not me. I
will not be weak. I will seize the day
and not care about such troubles!"
Insert image of a Joan of Arc figure meshed with a naively optimistic
Disney Princess here: ...
What I am learning is that such a response isn't exactly healthy nor is
it productive. So for now, I am doing my
best to follow the advice of my Life Coach.
If I'm not in the mood to go to a bar or a birthday party or happy hour
because my emotional energy isn't at a place to make conversation with people
then that's ok. If I don't feel like
smiling every day for a period of time then that's ok. It's not normal and it IS awkward, but that's
all ok. After all, this too shall pass.
THE CHALLENGE DAY 29
Physical
I do find then when I'm not in the mood to rise to the occasion for
exercise then I find solace in cooking healthy food. Physical activity is great for bringing fresh
oxygen into the blood, but we can also experience incredible health benefits by
simply watching what we eat and drinking plenty of water. For now, that's my focus and I'll return to
yoga and surfing when I regain my energy.
Personal
The 'doldrums' are a normal part of life and are intended to be
temporary. Like anything else in life,
don't just run past it but instead embrace it.
What period of life are you experiencing right now? Are you looking around and living in the
moment? Or are you looking down the road
and missing the life that exists right around you?
Spiritual
Faith is huge when it comes to processing periods of life that are less
than pleasant and fare 'ok' at best. It
is the faith and belief in something or someone bigger than us that enables us
to release some of the weight burdening our hearts and minds. Have you ever read the poem Footprints? Look it up whenever you are craving some wind
into your spiritual sails. I do believe
in someone capable of carrying me down the path when I could not feel strong
enough to walk on my own.
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