Me Time
Squeezing Yourself Into the Schedule
Honoring Yourself First
Are you first on the list or last?
Do you even consider your self-care a part of your overscheduled life or do you consistently run on an empty tank that somehow carries you through a million “to-do’s” meant to change the world?
And not to be rude or dismissive…but how’s that working out for you?
Don’t get your feelings hurt. You’re great. In fact, your “effing” awesome! But if you keep this up, you’re likely to crash and burn perhaps, let’s guess, somewhere within the next 20 turns.
Sister, how do I say this nicely?
It’s time to honor yourself first, so that in doing so, you can also honor the others whom you care for so deeply.
They love you, and as much as they appreciate all that you are doing because you think you “have to,” they also kind of secretly wish you would be doing it for yourself, too.
Stop, Look, and Listen
It’s time to stop that, girl.
Right now.
You hear me?
What do you mean, stop what?
I mean STOP thinking you can always be last to have your needs met.
Your life is passing by, and the onlookers are respectfully watching you miss out on the thrill.
Listen to what your daughters have been preaching. This younger generation has their finger on the pulse beating ferociously as it calls us to action.
Their telling us to take stock of our most important investment.
Ourselves.
The Action is Me Time, You Time, Us Time
Look down. At your watch.
Oh, you don’t have one?
Um. Yeah. Me neither. Used to.
Okay, take a glance at your phone. What time is it?
It’s Me Time.
You Time.
Us Time.
I honestly never thought I would say this, but the work can wait. I know you’re used to doing things at a superior level. Good for you, kid. Well, done! You’re an inspiration to us all.
But, have you taken a hot second to observe your friends and colleagues doing the same great level of work while also going on cruises, taking long weekends, leaving on time, and gracefully placing challenges on a reasonable action plan that requires more than ten minutes to solve?
Let me put it to you this way. Let’s take a walk down holiday lane, for example.
If you only had ten holidays left…
10 Thanksgivings
10 Christmases, Hanukkahs, etc.
10 birthdays
10 spring breaks
10 summers
10 Easters
How many turkeys would you eat? Ha! Or would you change the menu and actually choose food you like? What would comprise your gratitude list-mostly work related accalades or beautiful remembrances with friends and family?
Would you give trinkets that you purchase or gifts from the heart? Like traveling and making memories at a candlelit concert in the park?
Would you be sad about your life and replay the record of your past regrets or embrace a newfound opportunity to orbit the sun as the bad-ass woman that you have become?
Would you sleep on the couch all week voraciously gobbling up books (which is totally cool by the way) or lay out in the sun wiggling your toes in the sand and listening to the crashing waves as you sip on spring break cocktails and jam out to Jimmy Buffet?
Would you slow down in the summer and just let your soul rest and rejuvinate as you bounce in and out of stay-cays in your own little town or will you consume yourself with meaningless tasks like cleaning out the closet for 5 days in a row? Poop. There went one more week of your vacation down the drain for a closet that is still dusty.
Will Easter days bring rebirth and reflection or chocolate overload and regret for the eggs not found?
You get the idea?
This it it!
I started this blog to share my reflections. It started in honor of my amazing mother who joyfully watches down upon me from this magical place called Heaven.
She continues to send me messages, and one of them is this-
We’re already in heaven. Right here. Beneath our feet. Begging us to notice. Begging us to celebrate. Calling us to grab the glory that awaits at every corner.
We don’t have to wait to transition into another realm-just look past your own beautifully shaped nose and take a whiff.
This is it. Your life. Don’t wait to do the things you want to do. Do them now!
Where will you start today?
i LOVE this so much!!!! if we all followed your advice, Greta, this world would be singing out loud!!!! and your mom’s smile would brighten the skies! thanks from the heart for sharing this wisdom!
and now i’m going to take a break and read the book where the grass still sings!!!!!!
I’m going to bookmark this post, Greta. I’ve been giving it a lot of thought, and just this morning I had been wondering about my time. Just as you say, I thought, how much time do I have left? Will I live the way I want, or have regrets? All this, because today is the 19th anniversary of my mom’s passing. Then, it can’t be a coincidence that I decided to catch up with you, because I was thinking of you, too. Thank you.