And because I’ve been planning for days like this, I knew exactly what to do.
Today that was MoveMe Weekly, short walk, foam rolling, and this email.
I cancelled everything else and have been heavy sleeping, drinking as many fluids as I can manage, and vegetating on the couch.
Healing is my top priority. And if I can keep the streak alive in some of my other priority areas… by doing my premeditated minimum viable action(s)… I won’t have to “heal” any broken streaked habits, too.
Two things that make tough times easier are 1) connections and 2) tough spirit.
Some of the deepest and truest connections are formed during tough times. And it’s worth remembering that when people are going through tough times—while it may be tough to be there to support them because of not knowing what to say or awkwardness or free flowing emotions—that’s precisely when connections are most prone to deep bonding.
So, when someone is in need, even if they’re not an immediate friend or even are somebody who’s on the outer banks of your circle of connection—reach out in spite of the resistance you might feel. You just might end up being the synchronicity or guardian angel they’ve been hoping for.
…And from my experience—the more you’ve been a guardian angel for others, the more guardian angels you tend to have yourself.
And as far as tough spirits go… we build those by doing tough things. This means we know what it’s like be utterly exhausted and still push forward. We know what it’s like to be sick or in pain and still find a way. We know what it’s like to stare an obstacle in the face, feel the fear, and own the fear by doing the damn thing anyway.
Not in a dumb way, of course. But, in the smartest way(s) possible.
I don’t know who needs to hear this, but it’s completely OK to not be productive.
…And to just lay down or sit quietly or go for a casual walk or long car ride or dance to some bomb music.
…And just remember what it feels like—to be.
And since we’re on the topic, never forget: doing things that make you feel happy or free or help you calm down are always productive things.
…Things that you can even add to and check off your lists for the day.
Because if you’re not doing those things every day… I wonder… what are you doing?
One of my goals this year is to write one long(er) form article each week that I can either publish to MoveMe Quotes (to help with SEO) or submit to brand/magazine publications (to help spread my words to new audiences).
The first four weeks, I did just that.
The past two weeks, however, I failed.
I got caught up writing an article that I just couldn’t finish. And I let it stall me out.
This is how it goes for so many who are working hard to integrate resolutions into their lifestyle. Strong start followed by legit obstacle followed by stall out.
…But what stall outs really are are moments of truth.
…And it’s how we choose to respond to these moments that makes all the long-term difference.
Either we let the stall stall us all the way out… or we figure out a way to keep moving forward despite the stall out(s).
And so this week, I decided to pivot. Rather than try and submit longer form articles to other brand/magazine publications—I’m going to double down on publishing new articles each week to MoveMe Quotes.
Publishing to MMQ is inside my control and much more efficient whereas getting published elsewhere is not and was taking too much of my time. And while SEO might not be as “sexy” as getting published elsewhere—it’s the process of producing that’s most important.
Onward.
Your Turn: How are your resolutions going? If not so good, how can you pivot to get back on track… this is your moment of truth… how can you move forward with (and build) resilience?
I refuse
To look for love
Where everybody is told
Love will be
Love by everybody
Feels to be
Backwards, shallow, gray
Too screen-y for me
I see love
Dancing the night
Drowning in books
Drinking nature’s cup
Love by me
Is a love made without me
A love minus a swipe
A love that just so happened to be
P.s. You can read my other poems here.
A student of mine broke her ankle doing a jumping kick in my martial arts class last night.
…And this was literally a few weeks after she just got her boot off from having broken that same ankle just a few months ago.
Another student has been trying to come back from a similar broken bone situation… but keeps getting slammed with various colds and sicknesses.
…And, to her dismay, has only been able to attend a handful of classes over the course of two months.
Another student came up to me last night and told me some heartbreaking news that… on top of the surgery she might have to get on her hip… and on top of the sicknesses that keep coming up in her family… her mom got diagnosed with cancer.
Life, like mother nature herself, has seasons.
Sometimes its sunny and seventy; and sometimes it’s hella cloudy and rainy.
…And sometimes, as the expression goes, it doesn’t just rain—it pours.
It’s hard to know what to say in these situations because there aren’t any words that’ll keep a person dry when it’s pouring rain and they’re already wet.
…But, maybe if you can let them know you’ll be there with them as the pouring rain comes down, and that there’s an umbrella you can share, and that you’ll be a source of warmth for them as the cold, heavy drops carry more and more of their warmth away and into the ground…
…Maybe you can make the storm suck a little less and help them see their way to the other side.
Jon Stewart returned to The Daily Show this past week.
And in the midst of a grim upcoming U.S. Presidential Election delivered a timely message that, at least for me, shined a light back to where the light should always be shined—especially during times when you can be made to feel small and powerless.
And it’s that very message that I felt compelled to share with you today.
“[Marketing for the U.S. Presidential Election] is going to make you feel like Tuesday, November 5, is the only day that matters. And that day does matter. But, man, November 6 ain’t nothing to sneeze at—or November 7. If your guy loses, bad things might happen. But the country is not over. And if your guy wins, the country is in no way saved. I’ve learned one thing over these last nine years. And I was glib at best and probably dismissive at worst about this. The work of making this world resemble one that you would prefer to live in is a lunch pail [bleep] job, day in and day out, where thousands of committed, anonymous, smart, and dedicated people bang on closed doors and pick up those that are fallen and grind away on issues till they get a positive result. And even then, have to stay on to make sure that result holds. So the good news is I’m not saying you don’t have to worry about who wins the election. I’m saying you have to worry about every day before it and every day after—forever.”
Jon Stewart, The Daily Show
P.s. You can watch his full 20 minute monologue here.