When something's got to give
Recently, a student sent an email to tell me she had some “exciting news.”
She went on to say that her life had gotten so busy that she didn’t have time to get on her mat, so she had considered canceling her It’s All Yoga membership.
Not the kind of “exciting news“ I was expecting…
She went on to say, “Life felt crazy and I knew something had to give and that led to a revelation!”
She caught herself in one of those moments where you hear what you’re saying more objectively.
She said, "Wait! Canceling the membership would remove the one thing that brings me calm, stress relief, peace and quiet. That's the wrong approach!"
Essentially, she was looking at all of the things on her plate and forgetting that she had choice over many of those things.
She took the time to list out all the things that felt big and important and took mental and energetic time, the things that she was choosing over taking care of her self. What she found was several of these things were not as important as she thought. She delegated a couple basic household tasks to her partner and kid, and let go of a couple of other activities that she had outgrown and didn’t really love anymore.
More than anything, she found that this freed up her sense of time and helped her remember that SHE is a priority.
She realized that having an overflowing plate did not mean letting go of the one thing that was just for her. “Why is self-care the thing that seems negotiable?” <-- such a good question!
Do you relate?
Here’s my question for you… When something’s got to give, what goes first for you?
(For me, it’s social activities. Next it’s making dinner -- I recently found a couple of local vegan meal prep services! And sometimes, yes, it's my self care.)
It seems like we have put more things on our calendars, somehow thinking time will stretch to accommodate all of it -- work, family, chores, social connection and personal nourishment.
It’s a real dance to balance all of these things, which are naturally in ebb and flow. This is a loving reminder to check in here at mid-summer with how your stated values and priorities are translating in your life and how you spend your time.
I’d love to hear what you find…
With love,
