Friday, February 27, 2015

Stop. Turn Around. Walk Away

In which I learn to lighten up a little.

Hold on just a sec while I catch my breath...

"Pant pant. 

Okay...

 Whew."

 What a week. Month, actually.

I really, really wanted to write what would probably have been a long-winded blog post on how that emotional, thoughtful roller coaster of mine took a massive dip down for about three days, into extremely dark, cold, hopeless waters. I'm just starting to come up out of it, actually. Hence, one of the reasons I am catching my breath.

But today, I haven't time to write such a big post. The last month I've felt a connection to that poor little rabbit in Alice in Wonderland:

"I'm late, I'm late, for a very important date! Oh dear, oh dear, oh me oh my, there's no time, no time!" ...Or something like that. Reason number two for the above panting.

Instead, I wanted to share with you the importance of something.

You know how people say..."if something's not working, walk away for a while"?

If you run in to a creative road block, if you get frustrated, if you get discouraged, if it just seems like whatever it is you are working on, trying to accomplish, is failing, just stop. Go away from it. Read a book. Pray. Take a walk. Talk it out. Re-asses it from a different mood.

 I don't care if it's cooking dinner or a huge project or a life long pursuit or a craft or school or anything you are doing. If its driving you nuts, maybe shut it down for a minute.

 Put it from your mind completely for a while.

It never really clicked with me until this week how, just, absolutely important that is. I don't know if I can put it accurately into words, the feeling of I want to give up why do I even bother what's the point that happens when you have been trying perhaps a little too hard, or trying with the wrong mindset, to accomplish something.



When you get to that point, despite the whole keep going, don't give up thing, it's time to go play a board game or take a nap. Because although it may seem like procrastination, when you feel like putting an ax through your laptop and then throwing it out window as far as you can possibly chuck it, I don't think your going to do very well at whatever your trying to do well at. (That was me by the way, guys. My poor laptop was in very real danger. Funny how a piece of technology can drive you to hot, literal tears and a meltdown. Pathetic, I know.)

If it's really important and really needs to be done, you'll go back to it. If you let something upset you that much, that something is important to you and you'll want to return to it.  Later.

It always seemed to buzz past my ears when someone said that before. Look at the bigger picture, ask yourself why your doing it again, ask if its really worth throwing an adult temper tantrum over, and in my case, if this is helping or hindering your walk with God.

If it is worth throwing a fit over it, instead of throwing a fit, throw it in a corner for a while and come back later.

 Aaaand I think I just repeated a lesson that people have thrown out there a million times before. It's a tried and true method, though.

 And if your like me and this life lesson kind of glosses over your head every time you hear it, just trust me, one of these days, the full, deep meaning of "just walking away" is going to click and you will get it. Oh, man, will you get it.

Okay. I caught my breath a little. I'm off to get more stuff done and then get frustrated and take breaks from it. See ya. (She takes off running, a little puff of dust all that's left to show that she was ever here.)

Side note: February's Resolution was to only do Pinterest on Mondays. Ha. I can safely say I only pinned about one day a week. Just thought I'd throw that in there.

1 comment:

  1. Thanks, Jillian! 'Something I know, but need reminders of. Often. Great job on the Pinterest resolution, by the way. ; )
    - Becca Lee

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