I know what you're thinking.
"I have to get that done."
"This has been on my list all week."
"They're really counting on me to finish that."
"I don't have time for this."
Stop.
Breathe.
Slow in, release out.
You are alive!!
Can you feel your heartbeat? What about the oxygen coming through your throat and filling your lungs? The nerves in your fingers. The slight cramp in your foot.
Take inventory. Just five minutes. What do you feel?
Do you feel alive yet?
Ladies and gents, you have been given the gift of life. You are alive today. And yes, being alive means you have a purpose. You have things to accomplish. But don't let the needs of your checklist overshadow your need to appreciate the beauty of the life God has given you. This body you're in: it is marvelous. Is it perfect? No. You may not look the way you want to, there may be parts of you that don't function as they should, or as they used to, but your body has done wondrous things nonetheless.
One of my favorite YouTube stars, Kid President, once said, "Being a person is hard sometimes. You should give people high fives for just getting out of bed." So here I am, giving you a high five. Maybe you didn't even get out of bed, I don't know. But I do know that you are alive. You are in the middle of this crazy, chaotic, occasionally crummy thing called life. You're living it!! You may be thinking, "I don't know how I will be able to manage this work schedule." Or maybe you're thinking, "I can't keep doing this." But I'll let you in on a secret....
You ready?
You already are. You're already doing it. You're already managing it to the best of your ability. No one expects you to handle things perfectly. Okay, you're right. Maybe you expect that. But you shouldn't. You're already doing so much. I promise, you're doing great. Keep up the good work!
I hereby formally give you permission to take five minutes today to simply feel life. Turn the phone off, no music or television, turn off the internet. Just five minutes! Recognize the silence. Appreciate stillness. Feel your breath- imagine the perfect creator who made that possible.
Just....
Breathe.
