"Do Less, Be Selfish"

In a world of productivity, we have been conditioned to utilize every moment of our day. Overtime this conditioning has created a multitude of mental health weight - we now feel less than when we aren’t productive, our attachment to success + “the grind” have become more important than stillness. We have unknowingly created never ending “to do” lists in our heads + we have a constant voice of shame + guilt ready to meet us if we don’t excel or if we don’t maintain all that’s on our plate. This isn’t even addressing the MANY roles in which we all play...the parent, the teacher, the cleaner, the cook, the partner, the creative, the friend, the sibling, the child, the driven, the dog walker, the taxi...

If your laundry isn’t done, it’s OK. If the dishes stack up, it’s OK, if you don’t get dressed, it’s OK. If your kids watch 3 movies, it’s OK. If you don’t go for that walk, it’s OK. If you just simply show up for you, you’ll hear your inner voice + she/he will tell you what she/he needs. Listen.

But, try and do less. Less is more.

In a world where the word “selfish” is used to throw judgment towards another, I believe we need to reinvent what selfish even means. Seeking ones own pleasure or wellbeing sometimes needs to be done without the thought of others #truth

We spend far too much time considering everyone’s needs, wants, desires - we seek external opinions, validations, acceptance. Even our partners and our children’s. It’s a work in progress to find a balance, a balance where we look within to feel worthiness, acceptance & love - to give ourselves permission to put ourselves first.

Maybe for today, we cannot be concerned with how clean our house is, how much laundry needs to be done, that our children need to have an extraordinary, magical day, that dinner must include all food groups and therefore agonizing over what should be cooked and what would be enjoyed - the list goes on and on. Today, be more selfish. Check in with YOU. What do you need?

We have been given an opportunity to do less, don’t let it pass you by. In the stillness + quiet is where you’ll find lost parts of yourself, where you’ll find the ignored parts of yourself — each day, is a chance to reconnect with YOU, not the roles in which you play, not the task manager, the real YOU. 

K