Free, it’s day 8…. How did you feel when you woke up, and how do you feel right now? Do you have FOMO?
I’ll start with last night. Last night, the renters upstairs were tromping and stoping, and the whole town is lit with visitors who are ‘lit’. I live in a resort town, and until we get out of here in two years, it’s just the way it is. So last night, I decided to put ear plugs in my ears AND put noise cancelling headphones over my ears. I took care of me in a few ways. One, I didn’t drink to ‘fall asleep fast’, and two, I didn’t storm upstairs to unite the new short term renters with what is social etiquette after 10pm, and three, I reduced the noise in my head with earplugs and noise cancelling headphones.
The result of that was I slept fairly well, and I was so UNASHAMED of myself when I woke up. In fact, I was pretty darned happy with myself, and a spring to my step as I headed toward the coffee maker. THAT’S how I felt this morning.
Dr Free and I also took a glorious hike up to Uneva peak today, with glorious views. We started out fairly early, and the temp was low, about 34 degrees Fahrenheit , and a little frost on the ground. We love nature, and love to push our senior bodies to the limits and experience nature this way.
So back at home, and after a salad for lunch, also posting here.
In pondering Rule 2, I found this note I made and copied and pasted it here, from a book “The Language of Letting Go”.
I think so many things ring true here, and I’m actively trying to live it. So far, results are GREAT!
Self Care - From ‘The Language of Letting Go’
Self Care
When will we become lovable? When will we feel safe? When will we get all the protection, nurturing, and love we so richly deserve? We will get it when we begin giving it to ourselves.
—Beyond Codependency
The idea of giving ourselves what we want and need can be confusing, especially if we have spent many years not knowing that it's okay to take care of ourselves. Taking our energy and focus off others and their responsibilities and placing that energy on to our responsibilities and ourselves is a recovery behavior that can be acquired. We learn it by daily practice.
We begin by relaxing, by breathing deeply, and letting go of our fears enough to feel as peaceful as we can. Then, we ask ourselves: What do I need to do to take care of myself today, or for this moment?
What do I need and want to do?
What would demonstrate love and self-responsibility?
Am I caught up in the belief that others are responsible for making me happy, responsible for me? Then the first thing I need to do is correct my belief system. I am responsible for myself.
Do I feel anxious and concerned about a responsibility I've been neglecting? Then perhaps I need to let go of my fears and tend to that responsibility.
Do I feel overwhelmed, out of control? Maybe I need to journey back to the first of the Twelve Steps.
Have I been working too hard? Maybe what I need to do is take some time off and do something fun.
Have I been neglecting my work on daily tasks? Then maybe what I need to do is get back to my routine.
There is no recipe, no formula, no guidebook for self care. We each have a guide, and that guide is within us. We need to ask the question: What do I need to do to take loving, responsible care of myself? Then, we need to listen to the answer. Self-care is not that difficult. The most challenging part is trusting the answer, and having the courage to follow through once we hear it.
Today, I will focus on taking care of myself. I will trust myself and my Higher Power to guide me in this process.
~Melody Beatty
Language of Letting Go