We all get wrapped up in things we have to get done, or things we should be doing. Some of us are on a constant career path, working relentlessly to get ahead. Others are working like dogs to make ends meet. And still others may not be in the “work force world” yet still hold plenty of other duties and tasks.
But no matter where we are on the working scale, the field of responsibilities, or the ladder rungs of “should’s” and “should not’s”, we may do well to remember something very important.
We need to take care of ourselves. If we don’t take care of ourselves, we are no good to others. Part of this is doing something that makes you happy or fulfills you, somehow. No matter what it is. As long as you are not infringing on the rights or happiness of others… I say… have at it.
Bake. Color. Fish. Walk. Sleep. Eat. Sew. Hammer. Clean. Skip. Sing. Sit. Pray. Swim. Love. Read.
Whatever it is. We all need to find a little moment to be with our hearts, and simply….. be.
I think the other part of taking care of ourselves, lies in expressing gratitude, for the major gifts in our lives. Things like being able to breathe on our own. The ability to reason, speak, communicate, laugh, sing, educate. The fact that we can tell our right hand to wave, and it does.
For dogs, for rain, and the sun and the moon. For the smell of sweet grass, and fine geese with feathers. For teachers, and law officers. For soulmates. For cashiers, and cooks. Things like frying pans, and the energy to cook with them. Friends, family, and even foes. Warm bread with butter. Springtime. Television. Ice Cream. Circus Waffles. Freedoms. Screen doors. The internet. Crying. Apples. Oceans.
I could go on for 30 more pages of things that I appreciate. But that would bore you needlessly. The point is this. Our world had a lot happening right now. A lot which is hard. Hard to see, to hear, to be subjected to. Sometimes hard to fathom. Personally, it can bring me down pretty quickly.
It is at those times, it might be best to do the things we love, and be grateful for the things we have. Because each one of us has at least a few things we can appreciate in life. And more importantly, each one of us can do a LOT… of anything. It is up to us to choose and do. And Be.
“Piglet noticed that even though he had a Very Small Heart, it could hold a rather large amount of Gratitude.”
― A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh
“True happiness is to enjoy the present, without anxious dependence upon the future, not to amuse ourselves with either hopes or fears but to rest satisfied with what we have, which is sufficient, for he that is so wants nothing. The greatest blessings of mankind are within us and within our reach. A wise man is content with his lot, whatever it may be, without wishing for what he has not.”
― Seneca
When a new day begins, dare to smile gratefully.
When there is darkness, dare to be the first to shine a light.
When there is injustice, dare to be the first to condemn it.
When something seems difficult, dare to do it anyway.
When life seems to beat you down, dare to fight back.
When there seems to be no hope, dare to find some.
When you’re feeling tired, dare to keep going.
When times are tough, dare to be tougher.
When love hurts you, dare to love again.
When someone is hurting, dare to help them heal.
When another is lost, dare to help them find the way.
When a friend falls, dare to be the first to extend a hand.
When you cross paths with another, dare to make them smile.
When you feel great, dare to help someone else feel great too.
When the day has ended, dare to feel as you’ve done your best.
Dare to be the best you can –
At all times, Dare to be! ”
― Steve Maraboli, Life, the Truth, and Being Free