Stop. Listen. Step Forward.
When driving down the road and the low fuel light comes on the car, what do you do next? See how far you can go before the low fuel light starts screaming at you or are you the person that gets gas instantly?
Our bodies are constructed the same way as a car. We can become tired, overwhelmed, depressed or a combination of many things over time. According to Newsweek, on average a person makes over 35,000 decisions a day varying in importance. (That is exhausting just thinking about!) With social media, smartphones and non-stop news, we are never allowed to escape from the world. Modern culture is all about being in the know and doing more and more every second of every day.
It is critical for us to stop what we are doing in our daily life and listen to our bodies. We cannot be everywhere doing everything. We need to schedule our doctors visit, therapy appointment, or even “me time” that we have been putting off for several months. We must live our own lives and not compare everything to social media and pictures that have been filtered countless times.
Life is about seasons with some seasons busier than others, but do not let one season become so busy that you miss the joys of life. Over the past few years, we have started saying no to events, weekends away and other activities. We started to focus on us. The most important thing we can do is be the best version of ourselves.
Social media, your job and even most of your friends will move on less than a week after your death. Social media and your job will move on in less than 24 hours. This is not meant to scare a person but unfortunately this is the world we live in, so it is critical we do what makes us most happy and healthy.
Once we have stopped, listened to our body and thought about what makes us most happy, we began to step forward. Yes, step forward. How cliché, but think about the steps forward before you just step. The first steps are the most important ones you will take. We are not talking about taking the first step on the moon like Neil Armstrong or soldiers running into enemy fire. BUT, these monumental moments in history are just as important as your first step and treat them as such. Maybe you are over coming addiction, depression, a miscarriage or loss of a loved one. The first steps, no matter how large or small, will guide you down a new path that will better your life. If the first step is never taken, the forward momentum towards the new path will be derailed.
Just remember to stop, listen to your body and then step forward!
XOXO
Mark and Megan