Two magic words for when Life is moving too fast
I feel like the rabbit.
When I stop to think about it, I’ve been a bit overwhelmed lately. That’s why I don’t let myself stop to think about it often. My calendar shows I have another month and a half to go before I will get a real breather, but I know that I need to change my attitude about that. I don’t want to spend my days just getting through them in order to be able to get to a state of grace, I want to live my days already from a state of grace no matter what is happening around me.
We’ve all got full lives, and at times feel overwhelmed. Do any of these sound like you?
- project deadlines converging for work
- doctor appointments on untimely days
- repair parts are on backorder
- a plethora of weekend celebration gatherings
- unexpected funerals
- empty kitchen cupboards — again
- where did the dog go?
- weather uncooperating for necessary outdoor tasks
- date night gets canceled
- kids’ after-school games and meets are at the same time in different towns
- all your underwear is in the laundry
- the clutter buildup is out of control
- your son starts a new job
- your daughter is still looking for a new job
- you can’t keep up with your spouse’s mental flip-flopping as they work out when they’ll need your help with their project
- your spouse can’t keep up with your mental flip-flopping as you work out when you’ll need their help with your project
I realize that the way I’ve been approaching my current overwhelm is to strategize, attack, and conquer my tasks and calendar events. And I’m getting even more worked up in the meantime. As I cross one item off of my Must-Do List, two more are rightfully added on out of my control.
Once I conquer, then I can breathe. Once I can get through this period of time, then I will feel grace. But then I remember how to feel grace, now. How to breathe, now. Without even having conquered my situation.
It’s the opposite of conquer: it’s surrender. And two magic words get me there instantly:
It’s okay.
It’s okay to feel overwhelmed. It’s okay to not be on top of things. It’s okay to run out of milk. It’s okay to be sad. It’s okay to be tired. It’s okay to just keep plugging along. It’s okay to feel any emotion that happens to show its face (thank you, Pam Grout). It’s okay to name it, acknowledge it, and allow it.
It’s okay.
It’s okay.
It’s okay.
And so am I.
It’s okay that I’m even struggling with this right now.
Have you ever felt overwhelmed? Do you feel that way now? What do you do when you’re in it? Is it new to you, as it was for me, to just have it be okay as it is?
Okay doesn’t mean give up. Okay means I am enough in this moment.
gina drellack 
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