Things that bounce.
I can’t do it. I literally cannot keep all these balls up in the air right now. There’s just too much to keep track of. There are so many items that I don’t even know if I am prioritizing them well. What if I miss something?
That was me four years ago. I was literally stressed to the point of breaking. What if I failed? What if I messed up? What if I just COULDN’T do it all?
Lucky for me, I had the privilege of having an amazing mentor, Desiree Aragon, who popped her head into my office at just the right time and simply said, “Let go”.
“Wait…whaaa? You can’t possibly mean that.” I responded.
“You heard me. Let go. You can’t keep all those balls in the air. So choose the ones you think are most important right now, and let the others go. The ones that matter will bounce back. And when they do, you’ll know that they are a priority and take care of them then.”
My ego fought it at first. I should have been liberated by the permission to let go, but instead I felt an internal battle. Was it possible that I actually felt like a champion for attempting to hold all those balls up in the air? I mean, a miserable, frayed, and stressed champion, but damn, who else could possibly do all the things I was doing?
And then it hit me. Who actually wanted to be that type of champion?
It didn’t come naturally, or even immediately, but soon after, I simply couldn’t hold onto it all anymore. It had grown bigger than me and so things organically started to fall. As more fell, I started to have faith in the process. As promised, the ones that weren’t that important, didn’t come back. Soon enough, I began to choose which things to let go and did so frequently and consciously.
The ones that did matter, came back. Sometimes they came back in flames, true, but come back they did, and I leapt into my fire suit and doused them out accordingly.
By chopping down my list of built up “assumed responsibilities,” I was actually able to find some peace to re-energize. Before, that ever growing list was a constant source of anxiety. I could not clear it out, and it was a weight in my life. I had to hold onto every to-do until it was done…and let’s face it, not everything needs to be done. I was a task hoarder. Hoarding is never good. So quit trying to be the super hero and finish absolutelyyyyyy everything. It doesn’t work.
Let some shit go. Clear off your list. Let that new energy seep into your bones and rest your soul, so when those important tasks do bounce back, they look a little more like campfires that are just in need of a quick bucket of water.
Things that break.
Years later I found myself in a personal quandary and called my mentor for support, she revealed a deeper layer of the previous lesson. Many things in life bounce, but you don’t. You’re made of glass.
Money, reputation, career, and objects are all things you can get back with time. But you- your mental and physical health, are not things so easily replaced. If you let them deteriorate, they may never be healed, and if you let them go too far…it can literally kill you!
Plus, you’re no good at dealing with much of anything in life when you’re shattered. So focus on keeping yourself whole above all things.
Sometimes it seems counterintuitive, but the time that you invest in yourself energizes you and gives you the strength and wherewithal to deal with the daily needs and demands of life. Not only do you deserve to be well taken care of, but the people around you will also benefit from the healthiest version of you.
So pay special care and attention to your mental and physical health. If you haven’t been making them a priority, well today is the best day to start. In fact, it’s the only day. So make the choice now.
The golden rule: Many things in life bounce, but you don’t. You are made of glass. Prioritize your health and mental well-being above all things.
—
Are you an entrepreneur or rising talent, but you find yourself needing help sorting out the chaos of your thoughts to accomplish your dream? Or perhaps you’re struggling with self-doubt and limiting beliefs, and you need a path out? Desiree Aragon has worked WONDERS in my own life and business by helping me sort through my ideas and pick which ones to nurture, as well as connecting me with the right people to help grow my business.
If you’re ready to grow beyond your potential, I seriously recommend investing in some time with Desiree! You can visit her website here.
