“Stop. Just stop. Stop the unhealthy lifestyle. Stop trying to be what you are not, what you were never intended to be.”
These words are from my journal, dated 12/2/94. I was coming out of that first bout of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and looking eagerly toward resuming my “regularly scheduled life.” I was ready to add back all, or almost all, the things that had broken me in the first place.
What was I thinking?
So, stop. Don’t make any mindless changes yet.
Take stock. Look at where you are, who you are. Identify the things you love. Identify the things you don’t.
Examine that list. Surely there are things that have outlived their usefulness, that have outlived your desires. It’s okay to “just not want to do that anymore.” Letting go is an act of courage.
Finally, redefine your life. Is there now room for you to be exactly who you are? Is there room to finally find out exactly who you are?
That entry resonates today. The world seems to be demanding that we go back to business as usual, despite the dangers and uncertainty therein. Maybe this is another good time to stop and determine what is of value and what isn’t.
So stop, take stock, examine, redefine. You may find buried treasure — yourself! — when you start looking!
“Today you are you, that is truer than true.
There is no one alive who is you-er than you.
Shout aloud, I am glad to be what I am.
Thank goodness I’m not a ham, or a clam,
or a dusty old jar of gooseberry jam.
I am what I am, what a great thing to be.
If I say so myself, happy everyday to me!” ― Dr. Seuss
“Growth can be painful, change can be painful
but nothing is as painful as staying stuck somewhere you don’t belong.”
Charles H. Spurgeon