Day 2: What Does It Means to Truly Care for Yourself?
Hello, friends.
Today, I would like to begin with a question.
When was the last time you stopped and asked yourself, “How am I doing today?”
Not...
How is work? How are the kids? Did I answer my emails?
Siri, what is on my calendar today or on my to-do list?
Just...
“How am I today?”
It sounds like such an ordinary question. Yet, somewhere along the way, many of us stopped asking it.
We live in a world that celebrates being busy. It almost feels like an achievement. If we are always doing something, we feel productive, accomplished, even proud.
If we stop, we feel lost, and sometimes we even feel guilty.
Our days quickly become filled with work, appointments, meals to prepare, bills to pay, people to care for, and the never-ending laundry (especially if you have teenagers at home!). Add the expectations from society, family, friends—and ourselves—and somehow we begin to believe we must be good parents, good partners, successful, healthy, patient, organized... and do it all.
It is exhausting!!!
I do not know about you, but I came to the realization that I spend almost ninety-five percent of my day on automatic pilot. I have become very good at taking care of everything and everyone around me.
EXCEPT MYSELF!
That realization made me stop and think that life had slowly become something I was trying to get through instead of something I was truly living.
Somewhere along the way, I had stopped noticing the little moments that bring joy to my heart because I was always focused on what had to come next.
As children, we could spend hours watching the clouds, collecting seashells, laughing until our bellies hurt, or simply sitting quietly without feeling that we should be doing something more productive.
Somewhere between childhood and adulthood, many of us traded wonder for responsibility.
Although responsibility is an important part of life, perhaps we have forgotten that joy is equally important.
These moments are so simple, yet they have a beautiful way of reminding us that life is happening now, not only when we are on vacation or when our to-do list is finally finished.
My family loves stargazing during our summer holidays. It is one of our favorite traditions. We go to Nana's Beach, we sit together, look up at the sky, and simply enjoy the beauty above us. A little while ago, I caught myself wondering... Why do we wait for our summer holidays to do something we love so much?
The sky is still there.
The stars are still there.
They have been there all year.
And that simple thought made me wonder...
When did I stop doing the simple things that once filled me with wonder?
When did life become so serious?
And then I realized...
When did rest become something to earn?
Joy is not a luxury. It is as important as every other responsibility we carry. The small things, like laughing more, spending time with family and friends, breathing deeply, walking our dogs, watching a sunset at the beach, or simply smiling at the people around us, are not distractions from life.
They are life!!
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