if you would know
the secret to healing
it is this:
the answer
lies not
in despair.
Tag: adulting
it is what it is.
Because it is.
That’s why.
This is the life you were given.
It has meaning simply because it exists.
Don’t run from it.
Face it.
Face the ugly parts,
the beautiful parts,
and especially the parts
that are beautiful and ugly at the same time.
Don’t try to reason with it.
Life does what it wants.
It won’t ask for your opinion,
and worrying won’t alter its course.
Life chooses us.
Our own choice lies in response, not in circumstance.
There is comfort in realizing you don’t have to orchestrate it all.
Given time, most things take care of themselves.
When we feel we have been denied something,
we miss what we have been given.
Honor:
the wound, not the victimhood;
the emotions, not the drama;
the pain, not the resistance to it.
Your coordinates in time and space are merely a starting point.
More important than what you make of it
is how you allow it to move you;
what you allow to bridge the gap
between form and possibility.
off to work (note to self)
I will try not to think about the hours
or count down the minutes.
If I need a rest, I will take one, whether it’s an actual break, a deep breath, or a gesture of
self-compassion.
If I need stimulation, I will seek it in a healthy way in the moment.
If I get bored, I will remember that it is my responsibility to engage an element of
interest.
If I encounter a challenge, I will trust myself and have confidence that I can handle it,
step by step.
If I want the day to be over already, I will bring my attention deeply into acceptance of
the present moment.
If the present moment contains discomfort, I will hold it and be with it rather than
push it away.
superego vs. id
99% of the time
you need to push yourself
to make better choices
but 1% of the time
you need to feel what you feel
& just give in.
maturity:
the realization
that your experiences
are not unique.
self-discipline vs. fun
How do you balance adulting with what you love to do?
If you’re like me, your immediate association to the phrase “self-discipline” is “ugh.” And yet I’ve learned that without self-discipline, life is just plain harder than it needs to be.
Self-discipline should never involve punishing yourself or denying yourself something you love. But it does mean doing things you don’t want to do.
You do those things because you value the outcome.
Short term pain, long term gain.
And the more you’ve practiced, the less “pain” every time you do it.
This quote puts it perfectly:
“Do something every day that you don’t want to do; this is the golden rule for acquiring the habit of doing your duty without pain.” -Mark Twain
With practice, you can beat resistance. Work smarter, not harder. Break tasks up into small chunks! If you hate doing dishes, set a timer for ten minutes. Or five. Whatever you can stomach.
If you’re dreading going to work, remember you only have to get through today. One day at a time. You’ll deal with tomorrow when tomorrow comes.
Fulfilling responsibilities (“adulting”) and having fun have a special relationship: each makes the other possible. If you don’t go to work, clean your house, or care for your body, you won’t be able to do what you love. The momentum you build getting the adult things done helps get the fun things done, and vice versa.
Remember: we all have to “adult” when we don’t feel like it, and nobody does it perfectly. But the more you can break tasks up, reward yourself, and remember why you’re doing them in the first place, the easier it gets. I promise.
face to face with the sky 