I Need Time

Needing time is not a sign of weakness. You are not being a wimp by saying you need a moment to regroup. We all need time to regroup our thoughts, re-center ourselves. We’re only human and can’t be super man or super woman 24/7. We are allowed to stop and rest if we need to. It’s the process of learning to rest though, and not stop, that is so important to remember. We are told so often by everything and everyone around us we always have to stay on the grind, WHICH I am not refuting that at all! Being on the grind and working hard for what you want in life is so important and crucial for our growth, ethic, goals… etc. We must however, be alright with taking a little rest if we need it. We don’t want to burn out completely and then not complete our goals at all! Then that defeats all the effort and time we have put into the journey, and maybe even the struggle. No we need to be able to pause once in a while, take a breath, take some time to recollect our thoughts, escape the craziness and find a quiet haven to recharge. Sometimes this will mean you have to stand up for what is right for you. Others might label you as a slacker, but everyone takes their own journey at their own pace. If you need to pause, then pause. If you think you can go and go the entire time without a break, then do it. It is our personal journey, not the person’s beside us, and vice versa.

I often get really focused on a goal and am so motivated to complete all the goals I have set for myself. Along the way though I feel sometimes my motivation doesn’t lessen, but I notice I am getting a little worn out. That doesn’t mean I want to stop my goals, no not at all. I just take a little rest to re-center myself. Re-center my thoughts and my passion for my goals. I refuel myself so I can tackle the journey with even more energy and focus. So I can hit my goals with even more passion when I achieve them. I never view the pauses I take as weakness, instead they are my recharging periods so I can return even stronger. It’s okay to pause! I think of hiking when I need an example. You are on your way to the top, but once in a while you might need to take a break to drink water, take a picture of the scenery, catch your breath, etc. That doesn’t mean you’re turning around and heading back down and not completing the hike. Nope, you are just enjoying the journey. You’re taking everything around you in, enjoying the moment with the people you’re hiking with, or if you are hiking solo you’re soaking in the sounds and sights of nature around you. You get to the top ultimately, and still feel so accomplished even if you paused a couple times!

This goes hand in hand with being vulnerable. With being okay to show the real you. To not always be okay and be okay to show that side of you to those around you! To be brave enough to tell those around you, “hey I need to take a break to re-gather myself. That doesn’t mean I’m quitting, no I’m just taking the rest my body is telling me I need.” Listen to your body, our body will leave signs and signals for us and it’s good to listen. We want to be in tune with our body and know what is best for ourselves in the long run to avoid a burnout.

Taking time to heal can take as much time as you personally need. Everyone’s healing process will be different and we can’t expect those around us to conform to our time, and vice versa. Also don’t feel like you need to speed up your healing process for someone else because they think you’re taking too long. Your heart doesn’t answer to them. They aren’t inside your core seeing the level of healing you need. So if you need to take extra time, or are healing slower than others around you that is okay! You do you boo! It’s a process of letting go of the care of what other’s think of you and focusing on what is best for you. What you need to flourish and become rejuvenated to begin again.

Taking breaks and your healing process can go in waves too. You might take a break and then think you are completely healed and ready to start again, but suddenly get hit with emotions and feel like you’re back at square one. That is okay too. It’s okay after one pause or break to still not be completely better. Just do what is right and best for you. Take it at your speed and soak in all the life lessons being given to you along your journey. These life lessons will help in the long run and process, and you will feel almost like a new person at the end due to all the new things you have learned and experienced. I am currently in the process myself. Getting over someone you truly loved is very difficult. You are in a very raw vulnerable state and are having to pick up the pieces and figure out where they all go again. I have many days where I am completely fine and feel like I am making progress, and then I will have one day where I feel I am back to square one. Those are the days I take a step back, breath, pause what I’m doing, and think of all the things I have learned from this journey. I have found since this journey started I have almost had a self-awakening. A realization that emotions are good, being real is important, being true to yourself is crucial for your survival. It’s okay to not be okay, AND it’s totally fine if someone asks you how you are to not sugar coat it, but tell them the truth. It’s okay to take a step back, a pause to regroup your thoughts and emotions before continuing on. That is all okay and I love that I have figured that out through this process. A lot of the time life throws us tough lessons to really open our eyes to how incredibly amazing and strong we truly are. AND even when we find out how tough we actually are, we become even more resilient when we realize it’s completely okay to take a break. To need time, or almost a time out. That makes us so much stronger, so much more real and genuine too, and that is priceless.

 

Photo by Stephan Bullard