I’ve been dished even more perspective over the last two weeks. Injuries suck! My words of the year are LISTEN & PERSPECTIVE. So far, my words are quite appropriate!
It’s interesting how life works. There is something to be said for the saying ‘You have no idea until you walk a mile in my shoes’. We can try to understand others’ situations, but you truly never know how something feels until you have a personal experience. We can empathize and offer support to others, but we never 100% know how someone else feels. However, we don’t really need to try…we just need to show up, acknowledge and be there.
I had a short conversation with my daughter last week, as she tore her ACL a little over a year ago. It only took me a year, but I understood her frustration and emotion of her situation so much more. I felt compelled to acknowledge the struggle she went through over the last year, for so may reasons. I have obviously expressed how awful I felt for her along her recovery journey, but for the first time, I feel like she truly felt acknowledged and heard. Sometimes I think that is what we need…a little acknowledgement of the ‘suck factor’. Sometimes what life throws at you just sucks and it feels good for someone to see and hear you. Show up for you.
Do you Show up? This is a two-part question. First of all…do you show up for YOU? Do you make promises to yourself (I will wake up earlier, I will eat healthier, I will make better financial decisions…you get the idea) and not keep them? Then you need to start showing up for yourself. Why don’t we treat ourselves as we treat others? I personally think it’s easier to show up for others than ourselves. Do you show up consistently? If so, ROCK ON – you are awesome! If you are struggling with getting started in a routine and/or just being consistent…Well, this is your reminder to SHOW UP FOR YOU!! You are worth it. You deserve to go after what you want and consistently show up for yourself, no matter how you are feeling. I’m not only reminding you – I’m reminding ME too.
The other part of this question is…do you show up for those you care about? Do you make the extra effort to make those that are in your village feel acknowledged and heard? First of all, you need to show up for YOU. You know the saying ‘You can’t pour from an empty cup’. Then, you need to show up for others. Give attention to those you care about, just show up! I’ve experienced this multiple times in my life now…my back surgery and my divorce were probably my biggest teachers. Sometimes I asked for help and sometimes I didn’t, but there were people that just showed up – checked in on me, acknowledged the ‘suck factor’ of what I was going through. I will never forget these people and how they made me feel. So please, send a note to someone to let them know you are there for them, call them, show up at their doorstep – Just SHOW UP! Be the kind of person that you want in your own corner.
Can we make a pact together and put more effort into Showing Up. Go after those big dreams and show up for yourself every dang day…especially those days that are extra tough. Those days you don’t want to wake up to your alarm or walk that extra mile – read that quote above a second time. Stay the course and SHOW UP!
Don’t forget to buy yourself flowers. It’s also Valentine’s week – perhaps buy someone else flowers too. Be well!
