Hi again! It’s been a hot little minute since I’ve shared my #deepthoughts with you guys but you know…life has been life-ing here lately and finding the mental space to really slow down and put my thoughts down has been—er—challenging.
There is just. so. much. going. on. Where to start? How do we manage all of the anxieties of our modern lives? I won’t get into the news and what is going on with our country—if you’ve been reading my deep thoughts for a while, you probably know how I feel about all of that…but let’s just say the weight of the world is heavy, my friends.
Just like my spotted pony, #theMareMare, I am a sensitive creature. I’m aware—always looking around for what might kill me next…always thinking about my exit plan should things go sideways. I’m on high alert…especially when things are feeling uncertain around me.
So lately, my brain has been running overtime on the hamster wheel.
Here’s a pro-tip: try not to schedule major life changes (like selling your house and moving) when the country you live is slipping into authoritarianism and your body is knocking on the door of menopause. (ask me how I know)
As I am writing this, I’m also reflecting on 8 years of being in business with Mare. One thing I can say with certainty is that there is never a good or bad time to start anything in life and sometimes it’s better to learn as you go. No matter how smart or naïve you are, you’re always going to be surprised by what you learn along the way and how it shapes the direction of your path.
We simply cannot wait for things to be perfect to get started on our big adventures. I think this has always been a guiding principle for me, though making those big decisions consistently causes me a massive amount of consternation. I almost always worry I’ll choose the wrong thing, go down the wrong path, end up in a van down by the river. And yet, here I am….preparing to embark on my 49th year on earth and I’m still married, housed, healthy and—by all accounts—thriving in life.
One key to remaining somewhat balanced during difficult times is to stay connected. And I do not mean connecting to the cesspool that is social media or the news but to the human beings and animals who feel like sunshine to you (I totally grabbed that line from this song, btw). Maybe the gift of hard seasons is that we experience their beauty, love, and kindness even more intensely.
I’ve now lived long enough to know—or at least believe—that things will get better…in the tiny thumbnail of my life and the larger landscape of the world. Because no matter what is going on in the world around us, as good or bad as it may be…everything is temporary, and nothing is designed to last forever. Massive successes and crushing failures are all part of the tapestry of our lives and the contrast between them is what makes for a beautiful life and an interesting story.