Over-committed

I wanna be this elf. I AM this elf (or Stephen is), but I want to wreak havoc like he does. I am jealous of a felt elf.

It’s the holiday season…

Have you ever said “yes” to something only to regret it later? Your intentions were probably good when you said "yes” or maybe you didn’t want to say “yes”, but you felt obligated, so you did it anyway.

I’m guessing this sounds familiar.

I’m feeling that right now. I’m over-committed. The holidays are here, and my imagination always gets me into trouble. And this year, I’ve either said “yes” to way too many things or I’ve taken on way too many things, and it’s really bumming me out.

Today is a short reminder to myself and to anyone who needs to hear this. If you’re breezing through life right now, I guarantee you know someone who needs to hear this.

To me and to you, I declare:

We can’t do it all, even when we want to.

It’s okay to say no.

It’s okay to change plans or to change your mind.

It’s okay to ask for more time.

It’s okay to ask for help.

It’s okay to take some moments for yourself.

It’s okay to breathe.

It’s okay for the house to be messy. (I’m not so sure about this one.)

It’s okay to get dinner out.

It’s okay to take a day off.

It’s okay to do nothing.

It’s okay to silence your phone.

It’s okay to leave a few texts unanswered for a while.

Life won’t fall apart if you step away. You aren’t the center of the universe even though it feels like it sometimes.

It’s okay to let someone else do something even though you’re convinced you’ll do a better job. (You probably will, but sometimes you need to let go. It’ll get done, and that’s what matters. Hopefully my husband isn’t reading this.)

It’s okay to do something you want to do instead of doing what you should do. (But always feed who needs feeding.)

It’s okay not to put ALL the Christmas decorations out.

Someone needs your time more than that task needs to be completed.

That someone might be you.

…It’s going to be okay.

These are juice boxes disguised as snowmen; I made these for my daughter’s Kindergarten class party this week. They’re adorable, but ain’t nobody got time for that.

Medical Moment:

A book recommendation:

Deep Nutrition: Why Your Genes Need Traditional Food by Catherine Shanahan

This book started my journey of rethinking what I put in my body. I’ve never read a non-fiction book I agree with 100%, but a lot of the concepts in this one are great.

I encourage you to think about what’s in your food. Ask yourself where it comes from. How is it treated? What’s on it? What’s in it? Is it giving your body what it needs? We all need to do research. No one has all the answers, but it’s important to be informed.

God in my day:

A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.

Garland, our elf, knows how to relax. He knows how to say “no” to all the holiday stresses and just roast some marshmallows. (This was all Stephen.)

This week, take some time for you. Say “no”. Enjoy something. Look at this day as an opportunity you’re going to grab for yourself. Look forward to what you’ll do this evening or on your lunch break or during 10 minutes you’re going to carve out today.

Today, take a moment to breathe.

Phew, if no one else reads this, I’ve calmed myself down a little bit. And I’m heading for my THIRD Spindrift of the day right now because: it’s gonna make me happy. ;-)

Much glitter,

Melissa

p.s. Loving this blog? Share it and join my newsletter crew here to get weekly up-to-date info and bonuses directly in your inbox!