For some time now, I’ve been walking past the mirror every morning without a second thought. I suppose not intentionally but it dawned on me the other day I hadn’t seen myself in a while. And I mean really seen myself.
I used to notice every little thing from my hair follicles to the soft parts on the bottom of my feet. My eyes always tell if I am tired, worried, or inspired. I’ve been off track lately. When work starts to pile up, or my anxiety starts to nestle in, I fold up into a box and it’s hard to get back to what I feel is normal.
So, I decided to take a few days off – from everything. I spent some time outdoors in the sunshine, tried new foods, laughed, met new people, wrote poetry, and took a long look at myself in the mirror.
I extended myself grace for not sticking to my morning walks and for drinking too much coffee. I made the doctor appointment I’ve been putting off, and got rid of the clutter in my office.
With that, I had to give myself credit for keeping my prayer time in the mornings, drinking more water, and taking vitamins.
Life is not perfect and neither are we. Sure, there are things I could do a better job at but I have to remind myself of what I am doing. I’m doing okay. We’re not always going to be on and smashing our goals. The key is to evaluate where you’re at and determine what you need to move forward.
The days off helped a lot. I shifted everything on the to-do list for next week, and refused to worry about how everything was going to get done. Truth is, it will. The world will still rotate and the sun will still rise.
I took an inventory of what is happening in my life – what is working and what’s not. The things I am inviting in, clinging to, and what I should be cutting loose. I revisited what I said I was going to do, and why it was important to me.
Have you looked at yourself lately? If not, celebrate what you have been doing and give yourself grace for the rest. Honor yourself from the crown of your head to the soles of your feet. You are all you’ve got, so take care of every little follicle and soft spot. You owe it to yourself.