You’re Doing Great
Did you know you can peel a hard-boiled egg by shaking it in a closed jar?Go ahead, try it!
I tried it once, but with mediocre success. So, I just stick with peeling it the old-fashioned way…also with mediocre success. A close friend of mine recently mentioned to me that she does this regularly — shakes her hard boiled eggs in a jar.
On the mornings when she has mediocre success, she says to herself “Oh, so this is how it’s going to be today.” I laughed out loud because I felt so seen. Are we all doing this, in our own little weird ways? Maybe your hair doesn’t look the way you want it, or the belt on your car does that obnoxious, squeaky thing before you get going, embarrassingly turning heads in your direction.
In one way, or another, I’m guessing we all have that ‘so this is how it’s going to be’ moment at least once per day.
At the moment, it feels like we are all trudging through life, as if we’re in the midst of some dark and foggy bog on the way to Mordor. It feels like that to me.
Don’t get me wrong. I don’t intend to have a pitiful tone here. I’m not really even trying to be dramatic, but I couldn’t come up with a real-life metaphor for what I’m feeling as life’s trajectory. BUT, it’s hard. It just is.
We’re all suiting up in the morning…some of us in real suits and others in barely-more-than-pajamas…to cross the threshold into the world. Right now, it’s a world that feels like maybe it doesn’t want us.
We often get attitudes at businesses we frequent; like it’s inconvenient to take our money. I’m hearing stories of fraud. Scary diagnosis. Nasty politics (still…or always?). War. Illness. Imminent death.
People don’t seem to be pleased. I don’t have a boss, but I’m overseeing a 60+ year-old non-profit and I get a lot of feedback about what I may not be doing well rather than the things I am doing well. I hear my kids feeling worn down about not understanding concepts in school; not performing.
You may not feel it — and if you don’t, I am cheering you on. Oh, and maybe like birds flying South for the Winter, you could fly up front for a while, then? Because for the majority, I think we need a breather.
So, let’s take one. Let’s take a moment and notice what we ARE doing; the good we’re spreading and the nice job we did on ‘that thing’ yesterday. Thank you for the work you’re doing…whatever it is. You’re doing great.
You helped your kid with his homework? Terrific job. Really. You separated your garbage? You’re doing your part. High five! Today, you chose a salad rather than a cheeseburger. And you didn’t WANT a salad. I get it, and GREAT job. Keep going.
Come to think of it, maybe we’re all a bit like a hard boiled egg. We’re walking out into the world, soft on the inside and encased in our hard shells. But, they can crack and sometimes in a not-so-pretty way. ‘That’s how it’s gonna be.’
Maybe it is, but we keep going. So be kind to yourself. Be kind to others. We need it, and we’re all doing great.
Photo Credit: Maria Ionova on Unsplash