Crappy Days

Whenever we are told that we are to pursue a life in balance, we immediately think that it's a life of positivity and perfection.  Au contraire, positive people have crappy days too. Living a life in balance suggests that one should give herself permission to have that crappy day. The key therefore is to sit with one's feelings and own it, honor it and above all DON'T ignore it. Life is about energy. We must allow ourselves to feel the positive and the negative. Once we are conscious of those feelings, we can use tools to help us navigate through them, ie. meditation, prayer, etc.

It is uncomfortable for some  to honor negative emotions  and therefore,  they are tempted to mask to appear happy. Heck, no one feels up all the time! I know I don't. It's very necessary to allow ourselves to feel it all. It's freeing and empowering to feel what we feel when we feel it. Once we have allowed ourselves to be present and honor our feelings we must be gentle with ourselves when the emotion subsides.

Today I looked at my body and didn't like the way it looked. I was engaging in a bit of self loathing. I silently wished when the clock went back an hour it took 10 of my lbs with it.  I know that my health is in the balance currently and I'm working on it. I allowed myself to have a sulking moment and when it was over, I was thankful to my body for the hard work it does on a daily basis given the circumstances. I had a chance to keep it real with my thoughts. How dare I insult my body that is working so hard for me!!! My sulking lasted a couple hours. Other moments may last days. Be patient with yourself. Whether its anger, sadness, hurt, anxiety, frustration or any other seemingly negative emotion. Honor it, feel it. That's balance! Recognizing each emotion and allowing ourselves to feel each one.  Once I respect my feeling and sit with it, I reduce it's power over me, it dissipates and positive energy returns.

I realize that being in overdrive without checking in with myself puts me in a crappy mood. I know what triggers my negative energy. Sometimes I'm able to curtail the onset of a bad mood. I know when it's time to show some love to myself and appreciate who I am. I place myself in a timeout and spend sometime alone and do something that makes me smile. Sometimes I just take a nap to rejuvenate. However, I never force myself out of my crappy mood or mask my emotions to make others around me comfortable. When I'm engulfed by negative energy, it is best for me to be alone. However, it's not always possible. Therefore, I am aware of my feelings and try my best to not have my energy disrupt others. I am intentional in my approach to others, very conscious that what I feel should not impact them negatively.

Life in balance is by no means a perfect life. Give yourself permission to have crappy days. Don't ignore your feelings, honor and respect them. Know your triggers. Be gentle with yourself and slowly your positive energy will resume. Be patient, be loving, be in balance and embrace your journey.