Don't Hesitate
What crazy times we are living in. Look in any direction and you can see heartache, uncertainty, fear, frustration and more. It’s like the world has turned upside down and the Universe is giving us all a good shake.
I was speaking with many of my clients and colleagues this past week and every single person was dealing with something big in their life. No one was immune. Myself included.
And yet…it’s during these times of chaos and confusion that we get to see what we’re made of. I tweaked my back last week. By “tweaked” I mean I had excruciating back pain the likes of which I never had before. Pain was all consuming for several days. The fear of being limited in the active lifestyle I love was almost worse than my physical distress... and it was not pretty.
Each day we are faced with big and small uncertainties. What to have for dinner, what movie to watch or how do I cope with big life decisions that were not in my original plan.
These are times to simply embrace the mysteries of life. Things we cannot explain are meant to stretch us beyond our routine, to force us to pause and reconsider another way. I knew a woman with severe arthritis who woke up each day with pain. A wise teacher told her, “focus on what ISN’T hurting, give all of your attention to what IS working and be grateful”.
In these times of horrific school shootings, destructive natural disasters, wars and political upheaval we must ask ourselves, “what IS working in my life and in the world” and “what are the simple joys in my life that can bring me peace”?
My favorite poet Mary Oliver says it best…
Don’t Hesitate
By Mary Oliver
If you suddenly and unexpectedly feel joy,
don’t hesitate. Give in to it. There are plenty
of lives and whole towns destroyed or about
to be. We are not wise, and not very often
kind. And much can never be redeemed.
Still, life has some possibility left. Perhaps this
is its way of fighting back, that sometimes
something happens better than all the riches
or power in the world. It could be anything,
but very likely you notice it in the instant
when love begins. Anyway, whatever it is, don’t be afraid
of its plenty. Joy is not made to be a crumb.
Embrace the joys in your life. Make them your main feature not a passing footnote. Thankfully I took my own advice and began focusing on what didn’t hurt, and what I was grateful for. That along with physical therapy, massage, chiropractic, rest, and some Advil, I’m back! And appreciating each moment of feeling well and remembering that life is short, we must live it NOW with joy! Even through the pain.
Love and Light,
