refresh, relax, recharge, repeat (remember)
do you ever have a moment when you stop and take a look at what your inbox consists of?
what your conversations consists of? look at who is in your life?
think about it for just a moment.
i’ll wait.
go ahead.
open up your inbox, click refresh, then take a look at what is sitting there.
still here?
thanks.
i had a moment last week when i was on the verge of a panic attack. i haven’t had one in a while, weeks even, but last week i had a few and some piggy-backed right onto the next one.
so i needed to reevaluate.
and i did.
what i saw was a pattern of ugly. of hate. of discouragement. of sadness.
the news. headlines. lives. pain. anger.
my inbox, twitter stream, chat conversations had become so crazy depressing that i became consumed with anxiety over what would come next.
so i would refresh my inbox, check my voicemails, etc…
do you ever do that?
things come and go in waves. when things are quiet, they are DEAFENING. and then a week like last week (and let’s be honest, the week before counts as well) will happen and i don’t feel like i can be heard because IT’S ALL SO LOUD.
i can’t speak over anyone else and i certainly cannot stop anyone else from speaking.
so i waited.
but that doesn’t mean my anxiety waited.
i spent nights wondering about people i have come to care for, thinking of stories i have been told in trust, and attempting to know what would happen next.
i couldn’t relax.
i still can’t.
but i’m trying to.
because there is good in this world.
there’s a lot of bad. we all know that.
but there is so much more good.
and sometimes i need to be reminded of that.
(the above pictures were taken by me this weekend while i was in nyc with the love of my life… recharging.)
18 Responses to refresh, relax, recharge, repeat (remember)
Have a Sip
Good for you for realizing you needed to get the hell outta dodge for awhile and then actually doing it!
I pray you were able to leave some of your burdens and heaviness behind you in the big city and return feeling at peace with the moment you have right now.
Sunday´s last [type] ..Port Discovery supports Special Kids with Discovery Days
I know just what you mean. Hope NYC was good for your soul!!
I had a very similar week last week, minus the panic attacks. I had to step a way, or at least back a bit. It felt good to let go of some of that.
I’m glad you had a nice weekend with Paul. It looks like you had gorgeous weather. Recharging weekends are the best.
Lisa´s last [type] ..Sprucing Up Maya’s Bedroom
Those are the days I have to close the email, shut down twitter, turn off the phone, and just walk away.
PrincessJenn´s last [type] ..Stop Trying To Sell Me Your Crap When I’m On Hold- Dammit
Thank you for posting this…. At dinner with my daughter Saturday night, I recounted all the bad things that had happened to our family in 2010. She paused, and said “mom, think of all the good things that happened during 2010″ and then proceeded to name them one by one. She was right! There is good; however, sometimes we just have to be reminded and look hard! How timely your post is! Thank you!
that amanda… she’s a wise one. takes after her mama.
Hope your trip was everything you hoped it would be. So thrilled I got to meet you and your man!
I’m sorry. I hope NYC was as awesome as it always is for me. For some insane reason, that place is like soul salve for me. I don’t know if it’s the enormity of it all, or the anonymity it invites, but I love it so. I wish I could take away your panic attacks, because you’re one amazing lady and I hate that they happen to you. If I could, I’d punch them in the neck and jab a fork in their eye…seriously. I need to be reminded that there is good in the world a lot, because I always focus on the bad. Thank you for the reminder, dear.
p.s. do you hate me?
WOW…
just WOW!@Sometimes I come across a post that will change the way I see the day in front of me…. this is one of these posts.
“and sometimes i need to be reminded of that.”
we all are
Awesome you shared this with us
vanilla north´s last [type] ..take the train quickie
I promise this works….but I don’t always practice what I preach
….it was good for me to pull this out of my files and read it again……Those anxiety attacks can be devastating. I am sending you light and love and prayers dear Nic. Love Auntie
Reverence for God adds hours to each day. Proverbs 10:27 (LB)
“Without margin in your life, you’ll think, Oh, no! Another thing to do! Sorry, God — I’d like to do that, but I’m just too busy.”
In preparation for a decade of destiny, we’ve be…en talking about the need to be physically healthy – that God wants us to take care of our bodies. And I want to stress one more time that unrelenting stress harms our bodies.
Why do we wait until our health plummets before we decide to create margin in our lives? The Bible teaches that your body needs downtime in order to heal and re-energize.
Listen to why this is so important: when you’re overloaded by activity, you can only think of yourself. You’re in survival mode, just trying to make it through another day. And that limits your usefulness in ministry!
When you have no downtime or margin in your life and God taps you on the shoulder, saying, “I’d like you to do this for me,” your first response isn’t joy. Your first response is, “Oh, no! Another thing to do! Sorry, God — I’d like to do that, but I’m just too busy.”
We end up resenting the great opportunities God brings into our lives. But when we deliberately and specifically add downtime into our lives, we become available for God to use us as we head into this decade of destiny.
You don’t have to live on overload. You don’t have to live in survival mode. Begin today to build a buffer around your schedule. Then enjoy the benefits of margin — and see what God does next!
I had a similar week last week. And it was only made worse by a gigantic sized fight with my husband which stinks. But luckily that week is over & so is the fight. I hope you got to get totally refreshed in NYC
Yes, in fact, I do know what you mean… sigh.
And by the way, great pictures.
A weekend of sex goes a long way!
BuenoBaby´s last [type] ..Some of you may find this technique disturbing
See, now it’s my turn. You were in NYC and you didn’t tell me??
I hit refresh and there was the same bunch of spam I see there every freaking day. It seems the more I blog the less people get in touch with me for real. They say they feel like they already know what’s going on in my life but forget that I have no idea they are even paying attention.
I love that picture with the dad in the hat and the little girl. I hope the trip served you well:)
Ilana´s last [type] ..Calming the Baby Beast
that dad and his little lady were PRECIOUS! and magical. i couldn’t not photograph them. such a sweet moment. i got a shot of a couple that is my absolute favorite. the sweetheart of one of the street performers gave her man a good luck smooch before he went on. so sweet! (it’s on my flickr.)
Just read this after a hectic morning full of stress and chaos. Good to remember to slow down and evaluate priorities, as well as to hit delete or move away from the toxic things in life. Thanks!
Dana Udall-Weiner´s last [type] ..Pleasure and Pain au Chocolat
My husband normally knows before me if I’m going to have a panic attack. I break out into hives, I scratch, and I start talking faster than normal. He’s always trying to remind me to “relax, take a deep breath, it’s not as serious as you think.”
That story and those pictures were a very powerful combination. I hope you have had time to heal from those difficult weeks. I’ll be praying for you.
By the way, what does it mean if you refresh and your inboxes are empty?
Otter´s last [type] ..Avatar Describes My Child