A Bit of Advice

I’m going to give all of us some of the best advice I’ve heard lately.  I’m speaking to you and to me, for I need this as well.

Here it is.  You might want to sit down for this one. 

That’s it.  Take care of yourself.  

This is not a sign of egotism

Or puffing up of oneself

Or flaunting your own worth and goodness

Or even putting on airs

Or any of the other metaphoric phrases we could find. 

We have to pause occasionally and simply take care of ourselves.  We need to get off the tread mill, stop the merry-go-round and any other descriptor you want to use and be good to self.

There is no doubt in my mind that Carolyn and I love and adore one another.  However, we each have to seek those moments of aloneness when we pamper ourselves.  For Carolyn, she allows herself occasional times of space and restoration from work, from family and all else in her life.  She does this in various ways – a ferry boat ride, relaxing coffee time with a best friend, reading and reflecting on a good book and a dozen other ways.

For me, I sometimes crave silence.  Occasionally on a Friday night we will attend a large Catholic cathedral in downtown Seattle.  This space gives me thirty to forty-five minutes to go inward and think, meditate, have directed or non-directed thoughts, sing or not, but mostly it affords me an alone moment with hundreds of others who are seeking whatever it is they also seek in that space and time.

How do you take care of yourself?  Let me offer you a few ideas.

~Ride a ferry to nowhere - a simple float over and back in the sun and breeze.

~Read a book.  Occasionally put it down and reflect on the words read.

~Get a massage.

~Pray with no pressure, no agenda, no form, and no outline.

~Exercise

~Walk around the block or down a quiet trail.

~Hop on your bike and take a spin to anywhere and nowhere in particular.

~Put on a CD of some of the world’s great piano sonatas and use headphones.

~Sit by the surf, lay back against a driftwood log and soak in the beauty.

There are hundreds and thousands of other ways you can think of to care for your inner self.  Let your imagination take over from here. 

One fine word, actually three final words.

Just DO It!

P Michael Biggs

www.up-words.net

Offering Hope

Encouragement Inspiration

One Word at a Time