Greetings Friends,
Expanding upon the theme of "Resolutions" while contemplating the life and words of Dr. King, we found wisdom in an essay by Brianna Wiest at Thought Catalog.
Her writing on self-care entirely resonates with us and dovetails with the previous blog post on attainable goals versus sweeping resolutions. Wiest says:
“[Self-care] is letting yourself be normal. Regular. Unexceptional. It is sometimes having a dirty kitchen and deciding your ultimate goal in life isn't going to be having abs... It is no longer choosing a life that looks good over a life that feels good."
What freedom lives in those few sentences! We love that Wiest gives us permission to embrace small goals and ordinary expectations. Perfect abs (without Photoshop!?) are the perfectionist fantasy. Building strength to consciously improve posture and relieve back pain is an attainable goal.
Let’s put unrealistic expectations where they belong (which is probably somewhere over by the dirty kitchen). Let’s promise ourselves that going forward, we will try only to set attainable goals that are of genuine interest and benefit to us.
Let’s further give ourselves permission to acknowledge our imperfections. If we can honestly engage with these facets of our personality, perhaps they can share some lessons with us. Let’s grant ourselves permission to embrace imperfections as opportunities for improvement.
And finally, (because we’re being painfully honest with ourselves right now), let’s stop making excuses. By dialing expectations back from “super-human” to “normal” and committing to setting attainable goals, let’s take responsibility for the inevitable times when we fall short. In Wiest’s words, let’s practice self-care by “looking your failures and disappointments square in the eye and re-strategizing.”
Here is the link to Wiest's full essay from 10-28-2021, "This is What 'Self-Care' REALLY Means, Because It's Not All Salt Baths and Chocolate Cake".
I wish for you peace in each day and joy in your body.
Blessings,
Lynelle
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