Just as my well of blog post ideas started to run dry, my good friend Gwynn Rogers has come to the rescue! She challenged me to a Three Day Quote Challenge. If you haven’t checked out Gwynn’s blog yet, take a look.
Anyway, here goes!
Treating myself like a precious object makes me strong.
—Julia Cameron, The Artist’s Way
We’re a no-pain no gain, just do it society. We’re supposed to be healthy, fit, have the perfect relationship, and work at the peak of our potential.
We’re supposed to be vegan or paleo or whatever the diet du jour is. Recently a complete stranger scolded me for having oatmeal for breakfast. Seriously.
Even some of our spiritual quests seem to involve striving. If we’re not happy, fulfilled, and grateful every minute of every day, we’re doing something “wrong.” I actually had people tell me if I were spiritually better, I wouldn’t have had a miscarriage and stillbirth (don’t get me started on that one!).
And God forbid we complain about anything! There’s always someone to correct us and offer unsolicited advice.
It’s no wonder we’re all so uptight these days.
But treating myself like a precious object makes me strong.
What does that mean, anyway?
For me, it means making sure I take time to rest and rejuvenate. Often on Sundays I will do restorative yoga so I can deeply relax. I get regular massages, and from time to time I take a soak in the local bathhouse, Soak on the Sound. My husband and I have a date on the weekend and one in mid-week in order to connect with each other.
Your list may be different, but I’ve come to realize that the creative life doesn’t come from pushing, striving, and cracking the whip. It comes from coaxing and gentle encouragement. It comes from being kind, forgiving, and compassionate toward ourselves. When I remember this (yes, sometimes I go back to my old type-A ways), I get more done with less effort. I don’t stress. I have more fun. The work itself has a deeper quality.
Do you treat yourself like a precious object? If so, how? If not, what would you like to do?
I’m supposed to nominate three people to participate in the challenge, but I don’t like tagging people online. Any volunteers? Let me know, and I’ll feature your blog prominently here.
What a powerful and fun quote… YEA Nadine! I wish I could say I was as good at treating myself as a precious object as I ‘should be’ but sometimes I slip up and fall back into my hole. Then I have to pull out my old ladder and climb out again. I absolutely love the water, the sea life, the breeze, the people and their pets down at the marina. My physical therapist has created a routine of walking laps along the waterfront and down through town for me and I LOVE IT! It rejuvenates me… when it doesn’t… Read more »
Wonderful imagery, Gwynn! “I absolutely love the water, the sea life, the breeze, the people and their pets down at the marina.”
Interesting quote. Something to ponder. It’s true, as a society we tend to do more striving than anything.
This has been one of the hardest things for me to unlearn. I still fight it sometimes and start treating myself like an army private in basic training!
A lovely quote and wise advice. As for the unsolicited advice you quote – how dare they? (And that’s just the oatmeal 😉 ) I did this challenge last week, it’s an interesting idea.
I agree, it’s an interesting idea and a fun little challenge, not nearly as demanding as the A-Z.