We spend so much time comparing our journey to others- am I right? I wonder how much more happiness we’d personally feel if we regularly reminded ourselves that only WE take part in our personal journey, and the differences we see when looking at others is O-K-A-Y.
I have found personally, that over the last few months, I have felt a lot of anxiety, sadness, frustration (enter other synonyms to these), etc. when looking at others seasons of life and comparing my current one to them. The amount of time I would spend (especially on social media) looking at others realities and thinking mine was falling short makes me sad to realize/ think about. It’s so easy to want something in our own lives so badly, that we become hyper-aware of others who have what we want and to be honest, throw ourselves a pity party. If you’ve ever thrown yourself a dramatic pity party, raise your hand!!(Pheww, I was worried it was just me).
Here is the good news, however, my friends:
If the thing you are looking for or want isn’t right in front of you right now, you can work toward it- do everything you can to achieve it– OR (depending on the situation) remind yourself that nothing, including the present moment, is permanent.
Work as hard as you can to be present and to appreciate your current season.
So if you need it, here is your reminder: Comparing your current season to someone else’s is NOT going to change yours. Celebrate where you are right now, because it’s this path that’s taking you to exactly where you should be.
Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.
Hey friends!
Man have I really missed writing here! To be 100% transparent, Covid-19 has run your girl into the ground. Mentally, emotionally, physically… I’ve been exhausted. Today’s blog is going to be very honest, because it’s been a rough few months and maybe if you’ve had a rough time too, it’ll be helpful to know you’re not alone ♥️.
In the beginning of quarantine, over three months ago, I was trying to view working from home and all the complexities of the pandemic as optimistically as I could, even though I was feeling a lot of uncertainty and anxiety at that time. I took this time to go on daily walks, was making breakfast daily, and overall trying to remain positive. I even made a playlist of songs to help keep everyone upbeat in my post Music to Boost Your Mood – My Quarantine Playlist. See, I was really trying in the beginning here!!
One thing I remained top of mind this whole time was how grateful I was to still have a job and that I could do it safely from home. Unfortunately, due to the nature of my work in HR, Coronavirus flipped my job upside down. Since none of us have really navigated any of this before I knew there was going to be a lot of information coming at me fast and furious, so I tried my best to focus on what I could control and digest everything as quickly as I could.
Aside of work, I also had a lot of fear about the health and safety of my loved ones knowing that many of them were high risk and if they contracted coronavirus it could be extremely dangerous for them. I would spend a lot of time praying, and made sure I did my part in staying home, washing my hands, wearing a mask etc.
As we got into a routine of staying home, grocery shopping, trying new ways to entertain ourselves, things started to feel a little “normal.” The one thing however that never slowed down or felt normal was my workload. Since the pandemic has started I have been averaging between 50 and 60 hours a week with my job, working around the clock and making myself available whenever new information came out and it needed my attention in a timely manner.
This is where work from home life really presented a challenge for me: with my new desk/office being in our dining room, I never felt like I ever truly unplugged from work. I started to notice myself being extremely irritable, I felt like I couldn’t focus my eyes as well as normal, and when large pieces of information came to me that I had to mentally download, I couldn’t keep my attention on that item for more than five minutes before worrying about/ thinking about something else. The past few weeks I knew I really needed a break and praise the Lord (LOL) I’m finally getting one this week.
So I’m going on a stay-cation!
After months of go-go-go I’m finally taking a break. While we can’t travel anywhere safely (lots of states are currently on a “hot spot” list of increased Corona cases), 2 of my girlfriends and I are going to a local resort and just relaxing pool side. THANK YOU LORD JESUS 🙌
While I’m grateful for this time off, I also wish I took it sooner. If you’re feeling some of the anxieties or worries that I’ve listed here, or are just mentally beat up, do yourself a favor and give yourself permission to REST. If you’re not feeling your best, you can’t give your best. In a weird way, I’m kind of excited to not have plans this week. It’ll be nice to sleep in, read a book and catch some Vitamin D.
Cheers to taking some time off- we all deserve it! ♥️♥️♥️
The Weekly Sparkle 