A lifelong friend of mine has this saying when the going gets tough “I just want to get under my duvet!”
Recently, I’ve had a few life bumps that took me off my course a bit, and I started to have those same thoughts – I just want to get under my duvet! Hide away and let life go by for awhile. I just want to be a bystander, and not actively participate!
Funny how life can bring about circumstances that lead to that thinking. If I think about it long enough, I can quickly get on my pity pot and start feeling like everything is hard. Getting up is hard. Feeling good is hard. Forgiving is hard. Working is hard. Being creative is hard. Whaaa whaaa whaaaa… feel sorry for me (I say to myself).
Then I start thinking, I have friends that have it much harder than I. My circumstances are not that bad, they could be much worse. Sure, I feel hurt by someone who lied to me. Sure, I am pissed off my son forgot my birthday and is punishing me for associating with someone he doesn’t like.
None of that is worse than the circumstances of others I know. It could be SO MUCH WORSE.
How can I overcome myself and claim my own little victory?
The victory of choosing not to be unhappy.
The victory of choosing not to be unsettled or sad.
The victory of doing a meditation that helps me to feel better.
The victory when you take your power back and not allow circumstances to influence your moods and emotions so much you can’t feel anything anymore.
There are a few things I can do that help me get me back to myself:
- I read the Proverbs and remind myself that how I behave counts. How I treat people counts. The Proverbs are pearls of wisdom that remind you of how we should act vs. how we want to act. I often feel a sense of relief when I read them over, they give me hope. A favorite Proverb is:
Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs it down, but an encouraging word makes it glad. :Proverbs 15:13
2. Shut off social media. I have taken a hiatus when I need it. Sometimes I just don’t want other inputs on my thinking, I need to get my mind clear. Nothing is worse when you feel sad or bummed out and you jump on Facebook and view everyone’s highlight reels. Reading the Bible is much more powerful and better use of time that will actually give you something back. Social media is a huge time sink that brings very little in return.
3. Read a good book. Any book. Get my mind off myself.
4. Go for a walk. Or for a motorcycle ride. Walking is similar to meditation to me. I need fresh air and wind in my hair. If I can swing a motorcycle ride, I’m there. That is my ultimate happy place.
4. Go be a blessing to someone else. This is really the key to opening up a door of happiness. Helping others leads to a happier heart. By focusing on what someone else needs, we ultimately help ourselves.
How do you reclaim your power? What are things you do to get out from under the Duvet?
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