I could not tell if life was on auto-pilot or was it deja vu but it felt like everything was going in circles. As if life was happening to me, not for me. All I knew was that it was becoming more and more difficult to breathe as if the walls were closing in on me.
Don’t get me wrong, I love the everyday hustle-bustle. I love my Netflix binges. I love strolling around Target for no reason when I could be doing a million things instead.
But something seemed off…
Deep inside my soul was craving space.
How many times have you felt that despite having everything tangible you are still not complete?
How many times have you felt a void for no reason? Why is it there in the first place you ask yourself?
How many times has a single moment ruined your whole day?
How many times have you enjoyed a moment, a passing pause which was genuinely sweet?
How many times have you smiled from your soul?
It was the end of the year anyway and we had already planned a trip back home so I knew I will get a chance to take a break from the everyday grind and will be able to reflect on the year past.
Throughout our lives, people tell us to take care of ourselves and our loved ones but how do you take care of others when you are messed up inside?
How do you give from an empty cup?
1. TO KEEP YOURSELF HEALTHY YOU NEED TO START FEEDING YOU SOUL.
Life by default is busy. It is very easy to get tangled in everyday affairs and it happens to all of us. As a result, our souls keep getting forgotten and are buried deep under the demands of everyday life.
It is not until you make an effort to create a space and welcome it back in your life that you will be able to feel complete and at peace.
How do you do this you ask?
CONNECT WITH GOD!
For a few moments everyday pause your life and be fully present in the moment.
It is not time wasted!
Initially, you will have to push yourself.
If you think pausing and reconnecting is like doing nothing and is easy, in truth it actually requires an effort because like I said earlier life by default is busy and busy does not do pauses.
2. STOP FILLING THE SPACE.
You are enough. What you have is enough. Leave some space.
We are already saturated but somehow still need the urge to add more to our overflowing cups. If you do not stop and recharge, a time will come when there will be nothing left to recharge. You will break.
Have you ever wondered?
Whenever there is an invite to an event, we rush to the calendar, be it printed or digital and make sure no time is wasted in blocking that date/time. Somehow we feel important and special when our calendars are marked and full.
How about, for once, blocking a few minutes every day to connect with our souls?
Reconnecting with God.
How about praying and meditating?
Leave some space inside yourself so you have the energy to hear your soul. Leave some space to have some space to grow.
3. WE HATE TO WAIT.
As human beings the one thing we all dread is waiting. It is true for my own self.
I give up if I don’t see results soon.
According to research, the average human attention span is now at almost 8 seconds. Globally, the attention span is decreasing. We change channels, skip websites, turn pages even end conversations because we just cannot wait long enough.
For some reason, waiting equals wasting time.
We prioritize and we hurry to get things done.
But you know what, God is in no hurry.
We have all grown up knowing that things take time. We all know that dua/invocation takes times.
When you make an intention to pray you are physically present, but it makes a huge difference if you are mentally present as well. Think back to a time when you made time stand still and enjoyed the prayer/meditation. How did you feel towards the end?
Relaxed….Composed….. Complete and above all Connected!
4. THE RIGHT KIND OF BREAK.
It is not unusual when I tell anyone that I am tired and overwhelmed for them to say “Take a break”.
What ends up happening is that another process begins which is called “Vacation” which includes planning and packing and booking and everything in between. Sometimes it includes other family members or friends, so there is extra effort involved to make sure everyone is on the same page.
Technically, this should have been a time for relaxing and recouping but sometimes (not always) we are soo exhausted that we need a vacation after the vacation.
Now don’t get me wrong, sometimes despite all the exhaustion you do feel recharged, in fact, you can even be recharged after a simple, grocery trip all by yourself, heck you can even have a spiritual encounter while surfing down the bread aisle but when nothing seems to be working, what do you do?
You reach inside. It is your soul asking for help.
It is not your body which needs a break but the invisible thing inside. It is as alive and as present, as the next thing, you can see and touch. The only thing is that it needs a different kind of attention.
You can go to a spa and rejuvenate your whole body and come back physically relaxed but for the soul, you need to reconnect with God.
The best thing is that you do not need to go anywhere to do that. God is everywhere. You can reconnect with Him in every layer and every second of your busy lives.
5. THE INVISIBLE IS REAL
But sometimes, we are in that season of our lives where nothing seems to be in our control and we like falling apart. Doing the bare minimum doesn’t seem to work anymore.
That’s when you know you need to make drastic changes. You will need space and silence. You will be reconnected at a higher level.
Pray.
Read.
Write.
Talk to God.
Express your feelings in your own words. He understands all languages.
There is no right or wrong. You are His creation and He knows you.
3 Comments
Every word of it — relatable.
God is everywhere, not in a hurry, understands all the languages, speak yours to him, even in silence, connect! Repeat.
Beautiful. Thank you.
Very nice. Keep it up.