Zig Zag #21

Wow. My journey so far has been filled with not only zigs and zags but ups and downs. It’s par for the course in this life.

That’s why there have to be moments of rest and recovery. It’s kind of like when you go to the gym. Going to the gym every day doesn’t really do you much good. Every time you go in and lift, you’re tearing up your muscles. If you don’t take time for rest in between, you don’t give your muscles time to recover and repair. It’s not just muscles that need rest and recovery. Our spirits need those things as well.

Am I going to abandon my life of adventure? Nope, of course not. That’s just a part of who I am. But I want to continue on with more intention, more groundedness, more clarity.

I’ve been the chaser of adventure. I’ve sought it out. I've jumped in without thinking or considering what I truly wanted and needed.

I’ve taken a pause in the past few years. I slowed down. I’ve done some healing and reflecting on the zigs and the zags. My spirit had become a bit weary and tired. I needed to rest in every sense of the word. Physically, emotionally, mentally.

There was a moment when my period of rest and recovery started when I felt a bit guilty. In our culture, there is this unhealthy celebration of the hustle. I was caught up in it just as much as the next person. I had to fight against that guilt and do what was best for me. I had to give myself permission to rest. I had to let go of expectations. I had to let go of where I thought I should be at any particular time. I had to let go of the cultural timeline that has been thrust upon me since I was a kid. And be okay with it. That’s how this zig zag project got started. I needed to take a moment to look back at the first part of my adult life and accept that it hasn’t looked like that prescribed timeline. And, again, that’s okay. It’s the way my cookie has crumbled, and you know what? I kinda like it. I wouldn’t change a thing.

One of my favorite thought leaders on leadership, Simon Sinek, once talked about how he was asked the question: “What would you go back and change in your life if you could?”

His answer blew me away. He said: “Nothing.”

He said he wouldn’t change anything because otherwise, he wouldn’t be who he is in the present moment. Everything that happened to him: All the lessons, all the people he’s met, all the fumbles and stumbles, all of the triumphs brought him to right where he is supposed to be. If one little thing changed, he’d be someplace else living a different life.

It’s true. I wouldn’t be the person I am today if I went back and changed one minute of my journey. I would have missed out on the great lessons I needed to learn. If something changed, I might never have arrived here. Writing to you about what has been and what is to come.

Here are a few things I’ve learned during my rest and recovery period:

1. I need to listen to my soul and pay attention to what brings me joy.

2. I need to write every day.

3. I need to consistently engage in things that keep me grounded regardless of what’s going on around me.

4. Music has to always be a part of my life.

5. Maybe it’s time to let adventure and opportunity find me and to trust it’s exactly what’s supposed to show up at that moment.

6. My health (physical, mental and emotional) is my number one priority. Always.

I feel pretty blessed to have been able to press pause for a minute. Not everyone gets to do that. Although, if you can find a way, I highly recommend it. Sometimes life presses the pause button for you. Either way, rest and recovery are important along this zig zag way of life. That’s where the growth and strength happen.

And remember what my favorite writer of writing says:

“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.” - Anne Lamott

Have a zig zag kind of week. Until we meet again.