Most days this time of year I click the light on in the morning and it’s usually still dark outside. I have thoughts and words running through my head and they wake me up, even though I’m not sure exactly how they will take shape when I start writing. Writing for me is like giving my brain a massage, it eases the tension in my always thinking mind, it’s part of my routine, and comforting on so many levels. In short, I’ve realized that me writing to you is therapy, and I’m always happy when it connects us or resonates with something going on in your life too.
It’s hit me hard multiple times this week how much life has changed in a year. A day in the life looks so much different than I thought it would right now, and that’s been the case for quite some time. Tensions are high out there, there is fear, stress, and high rates of burnout. As humans we want to connect, have spontaneity in our lives, and know that our actions matter, and, on some level, each of these things is evading us right now. Businesses are under pressure because sick or exposed customers can’t come in, employees are spread thin with so many people out sick, we can’t gather for a night out and a quick trip away from the madness is not an option…and I think somehow we just didn’t think it would all last this long. So I’m back to the drawing board to figure out my thoughts and focus on how can we make it better, for ourselves and for each other.
1.Turn off the news and call your friend. On my walk the other day, it occurred to me that there wasn’t one person without a phone…taking pictures, scrolling, listening to music, and yes, taking in too much of the dreaded 24 hour new cycle. If we are going to have these things embedded in our palms, we may as well use them to find connection. Reach out and show someone that you care about what happened in their day. Ask questions and sit back and listen. Long and deep conversations have been one of the greatest gifts of the past year.
2. Cultivate the energy you want to be around.
It’s hard to do that if we allow ourselves to be controlled by outside forces like the news or social media scrolling that makes us feel distracted, anxious, and negative. No matter how difficult things get out there, everything we need to succeed is already within us.
My focus these days is:
Imagine -> Decide -> Focus -> Fruition
All of that is within my control and it feels free. And freedom is energy.
Create a framework that works for you and focus your energy there.
3. Surrender to what is, it’s the difference between working against the grain and finding flow. Allow yourself to feel what you are fighting against, and then let it go. Right now, changing plans is just part of the process, it’s a great exercise in learning to stay present and flexible. Routine is tricky, it’s something that comforts us one moment, bores us the next, and then just when we think we have a great plan, it gets shut down by things we can’t control. If we have our health, we have what we need to keep moving, even if the way forward wasn’t what we anticipated.
My message is short and hopefully sweet enough for you this week. Don’t burnout. Keep taking care of yourself. Yes, we are locked into a lot of big responsibilities that feel heavy right now. But we’ll get through it with connection, good energy, and knowing when to surrender. We need to create boundaries for ourselves that will keep us undivided. When we stand strong in who we are, we are more equipped to connect with others. We were never meant to go it alone, so if you are feeling lonely reach out. I get it, but know we’ve got this. We’re rounding a corner, I can feel it. A day in this life is what you make it, and there are too many people this year who didn’t get another chance at another day to take one second of sunshine for granted.
And the much anticipated song of the week was as even better than I thought it would be, it really is this simple. Undivided, This one is an instant classic.
