Take a Day of “I’m OKAY”
I love Orange Appeal Magazine because every issue offers a visual feast plus inspiring stories of local women, beautiful layouts and information about our community. I’m thrilled to contribute and hope you’ll enjoy my piece this month and be reminded…You’re OK just as you are. Enjoy! Orange Appeal on p. 28. 
Take a Day of “I’m OKAY”
Doesn’t it seem nearly every minute of every day is spent striving to ACHIEVE something? We’re working out to be thinner or fitter; listening to a podcast to be smarter or more conversant; eating to be healthier or to reduce cholesterol; and on and on. We even sleep to beat exhaustion. No wonder, right?
What if you spent a day just being? Reading for pleasure, sleeping in, sitting and looking out a window. Dreaming. And not waiting for a beach vacation to do it. Whatever is next on your to-achieve list can probably wait. Because what if your inner wise self is trying to speak to you and you can’t hear it because you’re running too fast?
Try this – slow down and simply walk. Feel the sun on your face and listen to birds. Don’t walk to count steps or to achieve a daily exercise goal. Just walk (my favorite stress reliever) because it’s pleasurable. And unplugged, mindful walking is meditative and restorative to weary souls like ours. Especially after a long season of COVID.
We know unplugging and un-doing is harder than it sounds. Families, bosses, your over-achieving tendencies may try to snap you back to your to-do list. So maybe ease into it for an hour or an afternoon. Mark your calendar for nothing at all. Down time. If you’re tired, nap. If you’re feeling blue, watch Nate Bargatze on Netflix. Guaranteed laughs. If you’re lonely, call a friend. Maybe you can walk together.
And see if you can be still long enough to let the noise settle. To remember who you are and what YOUR dreams are. What you really LOVE to do when you’re not doing all those things you “must”. House cleaning can wait. The kids won’t starve and you’ll survive if you don’t cook a healthy meal tonight. Give yourself a break. It’s been a hard year. Take a day or an hour to breathe, dream and just be. And say to yourself, I am okay, just as I am.
