lanterns

What do we do when we are low?

How do we show up when we aren’t feeling our best?

How do we move forward through hard days or seasons?

How can we pick ourselves back up? How can we love ourselves when we’re down?

There is some combination here of rest, recharging, narrowing in, letting life get small, focusing on your well-being, letting things coast, being compassionate, asking and accepting help, having patience… and sometimes taking action, choosing a new path, employing tools, doing your work anyway, putting yourself out there regardless, and having the discipline to carry on. Some combination, and I am still finding it, and probably, we are all still finding it; it changes with every new chapter and situation.

Our needs and desires are ever-flowing, so our actions and tending must be accordingly responsive.

So when we are out of energy? When we don’t want to muster the guts to deal with what’s before us, or when everything seems too rutty and has gotten stale? When our bodies or minds are tired?

I try to remember to take a day (sometimes more) and have no great ambitions for that time.

I let myself do one thing (sometimes not even!) I really care about accomplishing, one thing I would be proud of and happy I did (like writing a blog post or just putting a load of dishes through the dishwasher). A single thing that won’t be too much.

All the rest can wait until tomorrow (or next week or whenever).

I try to give myself extra rest. Lay on the couch, play my favorite game, read a book, watch fluff tv. Color a picture or drink some tea and close my eyes. I talk to my husband and let my dog take a nap on my legs.

The lanterns that get us through are the tools we keep in our toolbox, the tried-and-trues we know work. Sometimes they’re things like: make a list, make the call, check in with a friend, go to the gym, go for a walk, conquer something challenging. And sometimes the most important lantern is just rest.