Day Seven, let’s rebrand “selfish”
Day Seven. Is this number seven the very best? Look closely. It's made up of little threes. Imagine my delight!
Caren asked how my challenge is going.
What?
Mine?
Despite migraines and general explosive overwhelmedness and many many many hours of travel and the fact that since the challenge began, I've been home only two nights and am behind in every single thing I am doing, I have managed to keep my commitment to myself. Mostly. Ish.
Here's what I'm learning.
It's really easy to commit to other people and keep those promises. It's way harder to keep the promises to yourself. We are schooled in not being selfish, and I think "selfish" needs some rebranding work, frankly. Putting our own mask on first is vital–and most of us? We don't do it well. We give up that 10 minutes to someone else, we bend over backwards to help someone else before helping ourselves. We offer up to the gods of overwhelm that 30 minute walk. We opt for the big puffy comforter rather than the walk. Sometimes, the comforter is what we need, and sometimes the comforter is an excuse, a way out, a justification. Only you–YOU–can tell the difference.
And only you–YOU–can tell when you're letting yourself down.
Let's rebrand selfish. Let's call it necessary. Let's make a date with ourselves, our own lonely individual private selves, and then let's keep that date. We are worth it, and believing we are not–I think that's the underlying issue.
I'm over the top overwhelmed. Speeches, writing, book clubs, boards of directors, book proposals, deciphering Verizon bills, one daughter leaving for a school trip and one proudly dancing the Virginia Reel in a Kindergarten program tonight, endless travel, half-marathon training (dear Lord, WHAT was I thinking?), trying to figure out what the hell is happening on Lost. It's too much. I have distracted myself in ways I cannot even begin to articulate.
I'm going for a walk.
Your challenge is not so much to complete the task you've set out for yourself, now is it? It's the thing beneath that thing you chose to do for 37 days.
[Image from here]
