Point to Ponder:
Do you take yourself too seriously?
Have you ever felt like you were carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders? A time when you felt as though everyone was counting on you and while you were doing everything humanly possible, you just couldn’t get it all done. The result was feeling you had disappointed yourself, inconvenienced others or revealed that you were actually human and couldn’t pull rabbits out of a hat.
A few weeks ago I found myself experiencing just that, which happens more regularly than I'd like to admit. In the midst of my own ridiculous assumptions and high personal expectations, I became anxious and on edge. Eventually, I was able to regain my senses and remind myself of three important things:
1. Stop making assumptions - From the brilliant book The Four Agreements)
2. Ain't Nobody Got Time for That! - No one is sitting around thinking about me, what I’m doing or what I haven’t done. Everyone is occupied with their own life, and like YouTube sensation Sweet Brown said, “Ain’t nobody got time for that!”
3. You’re only human so stop taking yourself so seriously!
Then, recently a dear friend gave me a book called, Only Love Today by Rachel Macy Stafford. This book is beautifully written, specifically for women, and filled with daily encouragement and inspiration. While thumbing through one of her writings called Today’s Glorious Offerings, I was reminded the importance of taking a breath, appreciating the "little things", keeping things in perspective and not taking myself too seriously.
Today’s Glorious Offerings
Today I might have too many things on my plate, but I will remember I don’t have to do them all.
Today I might have too many balls in the air, but I will remember to catch the most important ones.
Today might be one mad dash from morning to night, but I’ll remember my people cannot kiss a moving target—and I’ll stop for love. I’ll stop for love.
Today I might feel like I am going nowhere, but I will remember how far I’ve come.
Today I might have my patience tested, but I will remember the saving grace of a three-second pause.
Today I might mess up many times, but I will remember I’m the only one keeping track.
Today I might not see the blessings beneath the mess and mayhem of my life, but I will remember to keep looking.
Today I will try to remember the glorious offerings of this day:
a chance to love and be loved,
a change to live and let live,
a reason to celebrate,
a time to breathe,
a shot at peace,
and one less regret tomorrow.
So, if you struggle with the heaviness of life, everything that you are trying to accomplish and everyone you are trying to support, relax and don’t take yourself so seriously. You aren’t a robot or machine who doesn’t make a mistake, can do it all or doesn’t need sleep. After all, even robots make mistakes and machines need unplugged. Instead, you are a human-being who has been gifted this incredible life to enjoy, live large, love big, have fun and laugh hard. From my dear friend who gave me Only Love Today, we all need to adopt her mantra: “YOLO”- You Only Live Once, so breathe, relax, watch the sunrise and set, have fun, work hard, play harder, don't take yourself too seriously, laugh at yourself and enjoy the heck out life!
Action Item:
YOLO: You only live once so breathe, relax, watch the sunrise and set, have fun, work hard, play harder, don't take yourself too seriously, laugh at yourself and enjoy the heck out of life!
A