During a recent time of turmoil and sadness for myself and my family, a good colleague advised that “Sometimes you have to just take time to ‘Be’ and not keep rushing to get everything done”.
Reflecting over the past couple of years, post-Covid, it has been a time of extreme lows and highs. Most of my clients whom I have worked closely with know that my own greatest EQ challenge is Navigating my emotions. The past two years, I have covered the range of emotions from joy, pride, exhilaration, to sadness, anger, anxiety and extreme stress.
It is during turbulent times that it becomes critical to put our EQ into practice and, in my case, to also practice what I teach. It is also critical to allow yourself time to just ‘be’, which can be especially challenging if you’re constantly busy and rushed.
In light of that I would like to invite you during your own times of stress and turmoil, to slow down and rest, and I offer the following words of Jeff Foster for your contemplation.
Let Yourself Rest.
If you’re exhausted, rest.
If you don’t feel like starting a new project, don’t.
If you don’t feel the urge to make something new, just rest in the beauty of the old,the familiar, the known.
If you don’t feel like talking, stay silent.
If you’re fed up with the news, turn it off.
If you want to postpone something until tomorrow, do it.
If you want to do nothing, let yourself do nothing today.
Feel the fullness of the emptiness, the vastness of the silence, the sheer life in your unproductive moments.
Time does not always need to be filled.
You are enough, simply in your being.
Just be kind
It is at our most stressed and desperate that we also see the people that show up for us. Those who are there for you when you need them most, who know when to talk and take action, and also when not to. I am so grateful for these amazing people in my life and appreciate them so much.
It is also a reminder to always be there for others and not to assume how someone is feeling or coping, but to ask them, check in with them and be there for them. The best gift we can give another person is to be truly present with them and to be there for them during their times of turmoil. Kindness doesn’t cost you money but it is priceless, so going forward let’s be kind!
This verse by Nikki Banas really hit home for me.
You never really know the true impact you have on those around you.
You never know how much someone needed that smile you gave them.
You never know how much your kindness turned someone’s entire life around.
You never know how much someone needed that long hug or deep talk.
So don’t wait to be kind. Don’t wait for someone else to be kind first.
Don’t wait for better circumstances or for someone to change.
Just be kind, because you never know how much someone needs it.
Remember that your mental health is a priority, your inner peace is essential, and your self-care is a necessity.
May we continue to grow ourselves and others so that we can cope with the rollercoaster of life.