Hi friends,

Here’s what I know today:

If you’ve read chapter 17, then you know the chapter is all about wanting life to be picture perfect — a real fantasy — and all the times we find ourselves in the soup. The absolute insanity of it all is when we realize the soup has gifts for us that we could have, would have, never experienced if life had been easy street. There is substantial beauty in the mist. I hate this and I love this.

So if today finds you in any kind of soup — an unexpectedly difficult circumstance or a prolonged season of haze — just remember to (1) take a moment every day and breathe. Big deep breaths. We have such a tendency to hold our breaths, muster, power through. We gotta breathe. (2) Be extra gentle with yourself. Nothing was ever solved by us pushing and striving and punishing ourselves into some kind of solution. Instead we make space for comfort, care, large cups of coffee. (3) The liars will be in full force, so be sure you’re listening to the truth talkers and not the brain vultures. (4) GO. TO. SLEEP. Let your body and mind heal. Amen. (5) And then, of course, let some things go. Maybe even let yourself off the hook. When we’re in the soup, we may need to reduce our expectations of ourselves just slightly. It’s OK. Take one thing off your list.

What is one of the above you need to practice today?

Mine is being extra gentle with myself. I’m tired today, and I’ve learned that pushing hurts a whole lot more than it helps. I’m returning to comfort instead of forging ahead. That’s what I’m practicing. What about you?

With you,

Leeana