I Want More Than “Normal” For You
“I just want life to be normal again.”
I will assume that this thought has crossed your mind a handful of times over the past 8 weeks or so. Am I right?
And you know what, that’s totally fair. Life as we’ve known it is different. It just is. Thanks for that, COVID.
I want you to think about something for a moment. I acknowledge the fact that we are all ready for this to be over, but is a return to “normal” what we really want for ourselves and for our families?
Or …
Has “normal” become a false sense of security that has manipulated us into a place of complacency?
This reminds me of when I first received my cancer diagnosis. I remember thinking, “What is going on? Why is this happening to me?”
As my doctor delivered the diagnosis, she explained that my particular cancer was estrogen fed. She asked me if my life included any toxic relationships. “If so,” she said, “you need to eliminate those immediately.”
As I left her office that day, I took her question seriously and began to evaluate the people, activities, habits, priorities, etc. that had become a part of my life; the elements I had allowed to define my “normal.”
This was a very eye-opening moment for me as I realized the negative effect certain relationships were having on me. I also recognized there were particular things I was doing with admirable consistency and good intentions, yet they were not feeding my soul.
These realizations triggered an immediate “Sister, you gotta poop or get off of the pot!” ultimatum.
I was meandering through the motions of life, stuck in status-quo, auto-pilot mode… not thriving at all… and, it. Was. Killing. Me.
So, let’s talk about you. Is “normal” what you’re reeaaaalllllyyyy longing for? Or is it just what you know… where you’re comfortable?
I get it, friend. You miss people. You miss your job. You miss your kids’ activities. You miss the convenience. You miss the familiar. It’s OK. I really miss those things, too. And, let’s be honest, we miss school. Our kids are sick of us… and (if we aren’t afraid to be real) we’re getting a little tired of them, too.
But what if this COVID calamity or pandemic pause is a chance for a hard reset that unveils new possibilities and potential for YOU?
As women, it is so easy (sort of natural, really) for us to ignore or snuff out opportunities to experience the things that truly give us life, all in the name of “taking care of others.” And we do this at the expense of our own self-care.
Will you do something for me? Well, for you, really.
Instead of looking back and wishing for life to be the way it used to be, take some time to sit in the now… and I mean really sit, soak, and ponder. Consider the relationships, agendas, habits, etc. that have become a part of your everyday life.
Do they fill you up… or do they suck the life right out of you?
Do they give you purpose… or are they making you numb?
Do they push you to strive for more… or are they forcing you to settle?
Sister, maybe it’s time for you to either “poop or get off the pot” (but use the toilet paper sparingly, I hear there is a shortage) and recalibrate your compass for the path that leads to that sweet spot of yours… you know, the one where you thrive… and not just survive.
