Photo by Stephanie M Photography

There is no time like the present, to take a step back and reflect on your life: love, friendships, work etc.

For those of you who know me, you will know that I’m not one to reflect openly. But this time is different. I have experienced changes in my life, both positive and negative, and I want to share with you, my journey. What better way to share my reflection, than write it out.

Work created more stress in my life, than good. I had planned and prepared myself for my surgery to come for a while, and it came at the perfect moment.  Even though I would have to recover physically, this was the least of my worries. Surgical recovery allowed me to reconnect with my body, both physically, and mentally. I learned to read, and understand my body and understand what my body is telling me. This was something I have lost a long time ago, and I didn’t  know I did.

My surgery blessed me with time away from work, but most importantly, it taught me to slow down. Not that I had much of choice, lol. Taking time off has been a blessing in disguise, because like most of us, I found myself living up to society’s pressure of a fast pace, and hectic lifestyle. We always find ourselves on the go, doing too much, because if we slowed down, for just a minute, we will feel like we are running behind; we’re missing out! I am realizing, this isn’t true. In fact, it’s the complete opposite.

I figured out how to rest, and simply slow down. More so, slow down with everything including day-to-day activities. For example, driving to get errands done, I slowed down. I didn’t rush. I stopped being the person who tried to get through the yellow light so I wouldn’t have to wait the few minutes. I waited. What is 2-4 minutes going to gain me? Why do I need to live 2-4 minutes ahead, all the time? If you are constantly trying to rush a head, you will lose out on the present moment.

My time off also allowed me reflect on my relationships, with my husband, my family and friends.I put forth more effort to not only be a better wife, lover, and supporter to my husband, but ultimately to be a better person for myself. Sometimes, we need a realty check. That’s what I did. We all can relate, that busy lives, and poor work environments can really effect our relationships, even when we think it’s not. Time away from work, allowed me reflect on how I can make my relationships better.  What can I do to change some things.  For me, reaching out to friends or family more often; planning and scheduling time to visit was a commitment I promised myself.

I remember a saying my mom shared with me, “people come into your life for a reason, a season or a life time,” and at first, I didn’t really understand it. But then I got the “Ah Ha!”moment, and it all made sense. Rather than getting upset when your life changes, and you start to drift apart from a friend or two, understand that there is always a purpose, and the purpose could be temporary, or forever.

By the end, I found myself happier. I didn’t have the unnecessary stress from work, but more so, my reflection on myself, my life, and relationships with others, has given me a huge wake up call. I plan more. I do things for myself, that I didn’t think I had to do, nor thought I had the time to do, and most importantly, it felt OK to do it. We spend a lot of our life focusing, and worrying about others, we forget to think of our self.

Women multi-task, it’s how we get things done. We naturally try to do lots, at one time. At some point, this will catch up. I’m 29 years old, and it already was catching up. We need to slow down, and just take a moment of rest. If that means for 10-15 minutes, then do it. If you are able to take a day off work, do it. Statistics have proven, that those who take 1-2 days off a month for “personal” time, are much more productive, and happier at work. What does this tell us about the way we live now, compared to 15-20 years ago?
On another note, statistics have proven, woman also have a harder time resting. Rest doesn’t mean sleep, this is referring to taking a break. Letting our inner body, take time to rejuvenate.  I believe my time off, has truly allowed me to rest, and it taught me how to accept it.  To be honest, I thought I would get bored, and not enjoy being off, but truth be told, it has been the best thing that has happened to me, well, next to the day of my wedding, lol.

As my recovery completes, I have been blessed with new beginnings, and better endings, and this couldn’t have happened without my rest.
We all need to live life in the moment, but this doesn’t mean forgetting about tomorrow, but rather , learning how to balance both. Don’t ignore one, for the other, embrace both.

I will continue to practice to slow down, and to live life in the moment, without ignoring tomorrow. Even if it means stopping at the yellow light.