“Sometimes it’s okay if the only thing you remembered to do today was breathe.” – unknown
There’s a difference between being tired and exhausted, isn’t there? If I wasn’t so exhausted, I’m sure I could tease it out. Somehow an avalanche of work obligations, the kids school and social commitments, and holiday preparation all landed at once in my life. I’ve been tackling as much as I can every day, sleeping hard every night, and then getting up to try to shovel out again.
Somewhere in there I’ve noticed three things that become a lot harder when I’m exhausted: being present, generating humor, and keeping the faith. As someone who typically has a lot of energy, or at least consumes enough sugar to fake it, I was surprised that those depend on having some gas in the tank. [case in point, I think I could have made that sugar joke a lot funnier if I wasn’t so tired!]
As usual, my kids save me. Usually because they provide so much distraction that I can’t take getting stuff done too seriously.
But in this specific case, because I had to take them to a delightful indoor play place for a birthday party this weekend. Painted all over the walls were some really good quotes that pointed out the benefits of play:
“Think what a better world it would be if we all – the whole world – had cookies and milk about three o’clock every afternoon and then lay down with our blankies for a nap.” – Robert Fulghum
“It’s a happy talent to know how to play” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Those who play rarely become brittle in the face of stress or lose the healing capacity of humor.” Stuart Brown
I can’t be the only one exhausted at this time of year so I thought I’d share these with you. Also, I think I write about this every year about this time so I’m hoping that writing about these will help future me skip the stress and remember to play. [Again, I think that had some potential to be funnier.]
Here’s to play – or at least cookies and milk and then a nap!
You can find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wynneleon/ and Instagram @wynneleon
I host the How to Share podcast, a podcast celebrates the art of teaching, learning, giving, and growing.
I also co-host the Sharing the Heart of the Matter podcast with the amazing Vicki Atkinson.
Surprised By Joy 