By Not gonna lie – I’ve been feeling kinda blah lately. I’m a bit jaded by the world’s events, and finding it difficult to stay so positive. It’s made me question myself, my role, and the things that I share – like who cares about how pretty the sky is when women’s rights are being stripped away? When the divide between races and cultures seems to be growing instead of shrinking?
With anxiety kicking in, I decided it was high time to take a step back. To get a little quiet and re-assess the ways my days are spent. I came across this old blog post and felt it was the perfect little exercise for me.
I’ve filled out this circle many times over the last 5 years or so, but tonight I saw something really different. It’s almost the inverse of what it used to be. I’m finally feeling FULL in career, finances, family, play, and relationships! But I’m feeling less than in my own health, spirituality, and the final category I chose: contribution. This tool is incredibly helpful because (1) it shines light on the things that are going great for me, things that I used to struggle with, and for those things I can find gratitude and reflect on how far I’ve come! And, (2) it helps me pinpoint the areas that need improvement. Also note: it’s not surprising that I’ve been feeling not-so-hot when my health and spirituality practices have taken a backseat… So I’ve jotted down one action item for each of these areas and I know I can turn this ship around!
In the meantime, I do love looking at the sky, despite the larger problems we face. I do believe sharing mindfulness and wellness and positive thinking is worthwhile, and in fact, I’m pretty sure it’s the spreading of love and awareness that will help us out of the mess we are in. It all just feels a little bigger than that at the moment, but I am reminded of the quote:
Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world.
Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.
-Rumi
When you’re feeling overwhelmed by the problems of the world, remember to start where you are. Start with you. When you’re at your strongest and most centered place, you can really make a difference. You can lead by example. You can inspire – yes YOU! None of us are going to change the world – ALL of us are going to change the world.
xo,
m.
