My life consists of my career, spending time with friends and family, taking yoga classes, checking out the latest restaurants, seeing live music, reading, writing and the list goes on and on. I was on a path of realizing that I needed to instill balance into my life. I was recently on a call with a friend and I told him how I felt unmotivated and lazy, which for me were really unfamiliar feelings. I then proceeded to explain all of the things that I had done that week since we last spoke. He stopped me and acknowledged that I started the call by saying how unmotivated I was all week yet I had done so many different things that most people wouldn't accomplish in months.
What I realized after this call was that I was so caught up in the "doing" that I forgot about simply "being." The go-getter in me just kept going. I couldn't even wrap my head around what that meant at that moment, because I had my to-do list in my notebook and more things running through my head to add to it. It took a little time for me to process this but I came to the realization that I really didn't know how to just be. What does being compared to doing mean?
I kept thinking about the power of saying no. I spent so much of my life saying yes, and doing everything and going everywhere because that's what everyone else wanted for me. By simply saying no, and choosing myself, I realized I was being more authentic to myself. Doing things that I wanted in my own time while also meeting any necessary deadlines was absolutely fine. Being in my own space and not focusing on what needed to be done, was also fine. I was so caught up in "doing" and getting everything done to ease my anxiousness but really, I was making myself more anxious. It was time to give myself permission to be mindful of my health because absolutely nothing else matters as much as that. I must take care of myself.
For productive, energy-filled go-getter types like me, it can be challenging to just be. But the one time where I am I reminded about what it's like to just be is during transcendental meditation. This is the only time in my life when I really don't need to try. Trying is the one thing you're taught not to do when it comes to meditating. Imagine not having to try? You can have your thoughts and your mind may wander, your mantra may disappear for a little and then you pick it back up. These 20 minutes in the morning and the afternoon are the times in which I require myself to simply be. This time allows me to be more productive throughout the day and stay focused.
What are your tools for self-care?