Here's what I try to do: if I spill soup down my dress I make sure the next time I have soup I congratulate myself if I don't spill anything. If I get up late and hate myself I make a mental note to praise myself when I get up to the alarm clock. It takes some practice but it does help when little things go wrong, you look forward to them going right! I hope today is a good day for you Molly.
I've been thinking a lot lately about my compulsion to "follow the rules," and what happens when I don't. At 68 years old, I find myself ready to ditch a lot of what I thought were "important rules for living," like your plans for a particular kind of Sunday. Let them go, those plans and rules and expectations. Let Sunday (and most days, as many as you can) unfold as they will. There will be blessings in that unfolding.
Hi Beth, I am also trying to unlearn my rule following, it’s not helped by the daily head lists, where I am very busy!! Who knew how difficult it would be to do ‘nothing’ that’s the wrong word but you’ll get my gist, it’s always good to hear I’m not alone in this endeavour!!
Not alone at all, Penelope. One thing I'm doing just now is taking note (actual pen and paper notes) of those times in my life when I've "broken" the rules, or not conformed to expectations. Then I note the ones that resulted in harm or difficulty, and the ones that succeeded - some of those latter have been quite spectacular! Keep with it, my friend, one breath at a time. ❤
The Scandinavians believe that January is not a time for activity and making plans but is one for rest. To be quiet to gently accept the winter time and be in it's beauty and listen to the message it has for us. Forget New Year Resolutions those are for when Spring arrives, by then we will find our energy again and be able to set forth feeling renewed. Living this far North I do believe the Scandinavians are right!
I believe if a person who normally gets up early, say 6:30, and one day sleeps unusually late (7:30) it's because their body needs it. Your off behavior all day tells me your body was off. Perhaps you were coming down with something. Thankfully, you live a healthy lifestyle & your body was able to fight it. Or, perhaps not 'sick' but perhaps PMS. Again, your body would be a bit out of wack. As a follower, I am grateful for your honesty with this post & sharing your imperfections. I see you as a very type A+ personality. I am a type C-, ha! Not really, but definitely a type B with room for improvement. However, I recognize those areas and am always striving to improve. I am old enough to be your mother, but you are such an inspiration. Thank you & have a wonderful day!
I’m having one of these days today. It started when I got up at 5am after being wide awake from 4. I made an early breakfast, took it upstairs to bed and promptly knocked the whole tray to the floor - a whole mug of coffee (smashing the handle off my favourite mug), a bowl of granola, yoghurt and pomegranate seeds) - the coffee flew all over the bedsheets and the carpet, I burst promptly into tears(mainly for the coffee I needed so much). It’s set the tone for my day despite me trying everything I could to shift my energy. Tomorrow is another day thank goodness and I’m trying to find little glimmers of nature out of the window to lift today.
I've been having an uncharacteristically hectic and hard time with my husband in hospital having a serious operation, and even now he's home (hooray!) and very slowly and painfully recovering, life has felt and still feels like crisis management: organising his care, appointments, nurses coming, dog-sitting or finding ways to take the dog along when I would normally have left her with him, broken sleep, keeping the house warm, etc etc, as well as having to think about all the details of life I normally leave to him.
And yet while I obviously wish he were well and things were different, I don't actually mind, and even rather like, being this busy and efficient and doing as good a job as I can, relishing little bits of time to myself when everyone's comfortable and settled, looking out for ways to care for myself as well as them, as well as appreciating my warm home and comfortable life and my normally helpful and attentive husband.
At times like these I always think of the truism that any idiot can handle a crisis, it's the day to day living that wears you out (apparently it's Chekhov, I just looked it up). The days you describe, I know them well, can be the ones that leave you feeling most despondent.
Thank you! I’ve had a week of it and was really feeling quite low. I have a need to feel productive, be active, and it’s been a difficult few months where that has been compromised. It’s ok, isn’t it, to have a period of time when things don’t go according to plan and the intentions we think we’ve set aren’t working out? Maybe a day, maybe a little longer. I laughed just now for the first time in quite a while - I wrote in my journal “in this moment I feel blessed for patience”, which I find bewildering as it’s something I know I lack - and suddenly I had a strong sense that that is what all this is about. Thank you, universe!
I think this is super important to acknowledge, and thank you for being so transparent! One of my least favourite parts about social media or online spaces is where creators try to put forward an illusion of 'perfect'. It feels so disingenuous! I'd be certain that everybody has days (or even weeks) like the one you describe here. My partner and I always refer to it as 'just one of those days', or we 'woke up on the wrong side of the bed'. The idea is that we'll just write the day off and start fresh tomorrow. Thanks so much for sharing Molly! xx
Ah what a comfort to know we are not alone. And what was in the air yesterday?! Even over here, I felt pulled under by a wave of depression/winter blues/lack of inspiration or desire to care. It is good indeed to wake up and feel like oneself again, but perhaps these unmoorings are meant for us to just know the contrast and feel grateful for the clarity when it is here.
Really appreciate the candidness of this Molly. As someone who whips my own back when I’m not being productive for just one day, it’s refreshing to hear a fellow list-follower struggles sometimes too. And that’s okay. I’ve come to believe January is simply a “hanging on by your fingertips” kind of month. 🤷♀️
Oh yes Molly. I think most of us recognise days like this. They come and thankfully, they go! Unfortunately if normal routines go out of the window, you feel out of sorts for the rest of the day…..sometimes we also become crotchety! I think it’s called being human 🤣. Hope you are now fully recovered and back to your normal routines 😊.
I felt this in my bones, Molly, and cathartically wrote a similar post just last night. January has been inexplicably hard, but we roll. Almost baby sheep season! 🥹 x
Nothing in my life seems to be panning out the way I planned or even hoped these days. I’m barely making an income at work as my hours have been cut due to slow season and every better paying, steady job I’ve applied for so far haven’t, well, saved the day. If I didn’t live with my grandparents, I’d be in big trouble trying to come up with money for rent and groceries. I’m also struggling to recover from yet another physical injury while doing my best to keep my other health issues in check. I know I’ve been grumpy, depressed, anxious, and moody these past few months. It’s so easy for one’s mind to slip sideways when things fall apart and you feel like all life ever does is kick you around. Another YouTube creator recommended the book “When Things Don’t Go Your Way” by Haemin Sunim on her channel and it’s been a big help towards changing my perspective and helping me get a grip on my positivity again. I’m currently taking some basic certification courses online to broaden my skills and I am working on practicing gratitude. It’s so not easy and I have off days too. But tomorrow is past and today is a present which we are fortunate enough to embrace to try again. I’m grateful you shared your post with your honest thoughts and encouraging words. I appreciate that you are human and trying too. You got this!
This post is raw and real and demonstrates what a really creative and talented writer you are — even without preparation. We can all relate to your bad Sunday.
Here's what I try to do: if I spill soup down my dress I make sure the next time I have soup I congratulate myself if I don't spill anything. If I get up late and hate myself I make a mental note to praise myself when I get up to the alarm clock. It takes some practice but it does help when little things go wrong, you look forward to them going right! I hope today is a good day for you Molly.
I love this, thank you Samantha!
I love this approach, thanks for sharing. I will try to do the same.
I've been thinking a lot lately about my compulsion to "follow the rules," and what happens when I don't. At 68 years old, I find myself ready to ditch a lot of what I thought were "important rules for living," like your plans for a particular kind of Sunday. Let them go, those plans and rules and expectations. Let Sunday (and most days, as many as you can) unfold as they will. There will be blessings in that unfolding.
Such a good mindset! :)
It has taken a long time to get here, for sure!!
Love this!
Hi Beth, I am also trying to unlearn my rule following, it’s not helped by the daily head lists, where I am very busy!! Who knew how difficult it would be to do ‘nothing’ that’s the wrong word but you’ll get my gist, it’s always good to hear I’m not alone in this endeavour!!
Not alone at all, Penelope. One thing I'm doing just now is taking note (actual pen and paper notes) of those times in my life when I've "broken" the rules, or not conformed to expectations. Then I note the ones that resulted in harm or difficulty, and the ones that succeeded - some of those latter have been quite spectacular! Keep with it, my friend, one breath at a time. ❤
Thank you for your reply…what a great idea….do I add this to my list 🤭
Keep being spectacular 💝
You, too!!
The Scandinavians believe that January is not a time for activity and making plans but is one for rest. To be quiet to gently accept the winter time and be in it's beauty and listen to the message it has for us. Forget New Year Resolutions those are for when Spring arrives, by then we will find our energy again and be able to set forth feeling renewed. Living this far North I do believe the Scandinavians are right!
I love this!
I believe if a person who normally gets up early, say 6:30, and one day sleeps unusually late (7:30) it's because their body needs it. Your off behavior all day tells me your body was off. Perhaps you were coming down with something. Thankfully, you live a healthy lifestyle & your body was able to fight it. Or, perhaps not 'sick' but perhaps PMS. Again, your body would be a bit out of wack. As a follower, I am grateful for your honesty with this post & sharing your imperfections. I see you as a very type A+ personality. I am a type C-, ha! Not really, but definitely a type B with room for improvement. However, I recognize those areas and am always striving to improve. I am old enough to be your mother, but you are such an inspiration. Thank you & have a wonderful day!
So true, thank you for your comment! :)
I’m having one of these days today. It started when I got up at 5am after being wide awake from 4. I made an early breakfast, took it upstairs to bed and promptly knocked the whole tray to the floor - a whole mug of coffee (smashing the handle off my favourite mug), a bowl of granola, yoghurt and pomegranate seeds) - the coffee flew all over the bedsheets and the carpet, I burst promptly into tears(mainly for the coffee I needed so much). It’s set the tone for my day despite me trying everything I could to shift my energy. Tomorrow is another day thank goodness and I’m trying to find little glimmers of nature out of the window to lift today.
Oh no, I'm so sorry about your mug! I hope today has been better for you :)
I've been having an uncharacteristically hectic and hard time with my husband in hospital having a serious operation, and even now he's home (hooray!) and very slowly and painfully recovering, life has felt and still feels like crisis management: organising his care, appointments, nurses coming, dog-sitting or finding ways to take the dog along when I would normally have left her with him, broken sleep, keeping the house warm, etc etc, as well as having to think about all the details of life I normally leave to him.
And yet while I obviously wish he were well and things were different, I don't actually mind, and even rather like, being this busy and efficient and doing as good a job as I can, relishing little bits of time to myself when everyone's comfortable and settled, looking out for ways to care for myself as well as them, as well as appreciating my warm home and comfortable life and my normally helpful and attentive husband.
At times like these I always think of the truism that any idiot can handle a crisis, it's the day to day living that wears you out (apparently it's Chekhov, I just looked it up). The days you describe, I know them well, can be the ones that leave you feeling most despondent.
Thank you so much for sharing Lucy, I love your mindset :)
Thank you! I’ve had a week of it and was really feeling quite low. I have a need to feel productive, be active, and it’s been a difficult few months where that has been compromised. It’s ok, isn’t it, to have a period of time when things don’t go according to plan and the intentions we think we’ve set aren’t working out? Maybe a day, maybe a little longer. I laughed just now for the first time in quite a while - I wrote in my journal “in this moment I feel blessed for patience”, which I find bewildering as it’s something I know I lack - and suddenly I had a strong sense that that is what all this is about. Thank you, universe!
It's totally ok!
I think this is super important to acknowledge, and thank you for being so transparent! One of my least favourite parts about social media or online spaces is where creators try to put forward an illusion of 'perfect'. It feels so disingenuous! I'd be certain that everybody has days (or even weeks) like the one you describe here. My partner and I always refer to it as 'just one of those days', or we 'woke up on the wrong side of the bed'. The idea is that we'll just write the day off and start fresh tomorrow. Thanks so much for sharing Molly! xx
So glad you enjoyed lovely :)
Thank you for being normal ☺️
Ah what a comfort to know we are not alone. And what was in the air yesterday?! Even over here, I felt pulled under by a wave of depression/winter blues/lack of inspiration or desire to care. It is good indeed to wake up and feel like oneself again, but perhaps these unmoorings are meant for us to just know the contrast and feel grateful for the clarity when it is here.
Love this take on it! :)
Really appreciate the candidness of this Molly. As someone who whips my own back when I’m not being productive for just one day, it’s refreshing to hear a fellow list-follower struggles sometimes too. And that’s okay. I’ve come to believe January is simply a “hanging on by your fingertips” kind of month. 🤷♀️
You are certainly not alone!
Oh yes Molly. I think most of us recognise days like this. They come and thankfully, they go! Unfortunately if normal routines go out of the window, you feel out of sorts for the rest of the day…..sometimes we also become crotchety! I think it’s called being human 🤣. Hope you are now fully recovered and back to your normal routines 😊.
I am! Thank you lovely :)
I felt this in my bones, Molly, and cathartically wrote a similar post just last night. January has been inexplicably hard, but we roll. Almost baby sheep season! 🥹 x
Nothing in my life seems to be panning out the way I planned or even hoped these days. I’m barely making an income at work as my hours have been cut due to slow season and every better paying, steady job I’ve applied for so far haven’t, well, saved the day. If I didn’t live with my grandparents, I’d be in big trouble trying to come up with money for rent and groceries. I’m also struggling to recover from yet another physical injury while doing my best to keep my other health issues in check. I know I’ve been grumpy, depressed, anxious, and moody these past few months. It’s so easy for one’s mind to slip sideways when things fall apart and you feel like all life ever does is kick you around. Another YouTube creator recommended the book “When Things Don’t Go Your Way” by Haemin Sunim on her channel and it’s been a big help towards changing my perspective and helping me get a grip on my positivity again. I’m currently taking some basic certification courses online to broaden my skills and I am working on practicing gratitude. It’s so not easy and I have off days too. But tomorrow is past and today is a present which we are fortunate enough to embrace to try again. I’m grateful you shared your post with your honest thoughts and encouraging words. I appreciate that you are human and trying too. You got this!
I'm sorry you are struggling lovely, but you should be proud of the positive steps you have already taken. I wish you all the best :)
Sending lots of positive vibes Alicia during this tough time. Well done for moving forward and taking constructive steps and things will get better.
Very helpful, thank you.
This post is raw and real and demonstrates what a really creative and talented writer you are — even without preparation. We can all relate to your bad Sunday.
Thank you lovely :)