Counterintuitive Action

When life sends you messages, they are likely to come in three. Hello? Messages received. It dawned on me yesterday that sometimes ‘counterintuitive action’ is required. What do I mean by that? Well, here’s the first message. When my energy level is low and I’m feeling tired, don’t take a nap or go to bed. To re-energize, I should go for a walk, do yoga, or go curling. Read my last blog entry, “Late night walks.”

The second message is, when I find myself to be super busy, slow down and take a break. Don’t push through it. To speed up, I’ve got to slow down or else I will burnout.

The third message struck my like a brick. Someone asked me how I was doing yesterday. I responded by saying, “I’ve got to get stuff off my plate so that I can get to what I really want to do.” Another person later that day asked me if I can say NO. I said, “yes, I say no many times… to me.” This was a wake up call. In the business of helping and serving others, I need to help and serve myself. Sounds selfish, but you can’t give others what you don’t have. I have to make myself a priority.

I may have heard these messages before or have been told many times in one form or another. Some may have called them “distractions” while others may have said “non-negotiables.” What I would say is, “you cannot tell a drunk he/she is a drunk.” Rough language, I know… but it’s a metaphor. In essence, you cannot tell a person that he/she has a problem and expect enlightenment. It is up to the person to realize the problem and enact change… if he/she wants to change. That is my point.

Sometimes action is counterintuitive… and that’s OK. My first step today was both vinyasa yoga and walking on the beach. All three messages satisfied: getting physically active, slowing down the pace, and focussing on me. #feelinggood