Start By Stopping
Sometimes the best way to kick-off the new year is by standing still for a moment
I was so looking forward to the holidays. A near-global slowdown would finally give me the chance to catch my breath and soak up the season. While some people would be dreaming of sugar-plum fairies, I would be dreaming of sleeping in and not having a Santa-sized list of projects upon waking.
And that’s just what happened. Sort of.
I woke up Christmas Day with a tickle in my throat. After teaching and wishing some friends a happy holiday, I came home to rest. Even as I started to feel worse, it was a treat to get into bed so early in the day and enjoy holiday movies.
And bed was where I stayed for the better part of the next two weeks.
I did go out on New Year’s Day... to go to urgent care.
As someone who puts a high priority on health and well-being, it is not easy to admit that a cold has... well, stopped me cold.
All my grand plans to rest over the holidays and still have time left over to get the last of the 2017 ducks in a row dissolved in a sea of tissues and herbal tea.
My 2018 did not start with a “bang’” (unless by bang you mean explosive coughing fits). But my 2018 started out with something I needed more. A pause. Getting sick brought a non-negotiable moratorium on doing anything but catching my breath, albeit in between puffs on the prescribed inhaler. And as it turns out, I needed that more than a clean apartment, tied-up loose ends, and ducks in a row.
Am I quite as ready for all that awaits me in 2018? Nope. I’m catching up on the highest priorities as we speak. But I’ve already received my first lesson of the new year: sometimes we can bring about the change we want even faster when we slow down a bit.