Day 175 of Your Year to Wellness; Pushing Through

The Outcome is Better Than What You Go Through

People who know me will tell you that I a neither a “half full” nor a “half empty” kind of person; for me the glass is always completely full.

There are molecules and particles unseen to the eye, so just because I can’t see them doesn’t mean that they don’t exist.

Like anyone though, there are times when some days seem a bit more difficult than others; days when I feel like I can’t roll my own self over to get up and out of my own bed.

Yesterday, my kids and I did something that we have not done for a long time; we a had two movie day. Years ago when I had been traveling and had missed several of the new movies they wanted to see, we would have a two-movie day. The movies were already discounted and on their way out of the theatre, so if they’d completed all of their chores and had done well in school, they’d be rewarded with two movie day. I typically slept through these movies but always had to relive them on the way home and even afterwards as they recited favorite lines from movies like Nemo and the Lion King.

Yesterday, there was no animation; just live action and CG’s (computer graphics---the kids hipped me to that one.) We saw Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter (the book was amazing and so was the movie) and then we saw Prometheus (I was praying for Nemo). I had to close my eyes in both movies, but unfortunately you can’t close your ears and mine were killing me.

This morning, I had a headache and didn’t want to get up to write, exercise or do anything else, but I pulled out an old trick that I use to get myself together.

Today, I’d like to share one of my crazy tips for getting over the hurdle days. It’s a simple thing, but it is rather unorthodox, so please stay with me.

I allow my future self to speak to my present. (I already said it was crazy, so close your mouth.)

Remember, we can’t see and don’t know everything, so open you heart and try something new.

This morning, the me from tomorrow, the one who will be speaking at the graduation that I have to catch a flight for today, told me that there was a group of hard working adults who have worked even harder to complete a degree. They have deferred gratification long enough to get what they will need and now it is time to celebrate, encourage and remember.

My future me reminded me that I needed to do laundry, complete a chapter on a book and answer email. Then she gave me the goods; she said that all of this would be done and I would feel great when it was accomplished. She said that she remembered when I was struggling to complete my doctoral degree and thought I would never finish but she showed up and showed me the life I have now. She reminded me how I thought I’d never be able to raise my kids on my own. She had shown me the first day they came to me when the 19 year old was just 3 months old and how I knew nothing about raising no babies. “Look how far you have come,” she said.

So I pushed through the headache and the tinnitus which is always worse when I’m tired or exposed to loud noises. I pushed through that old “I’m fat” feeling that comes from time to time and I got up, made my bed, said thank you and did my morning prayers and meditations.

I watched as my future self merged with the present me and I actually danced as I put a load of clothes in the washing machine.

We all have tough days; but always remember that the outcome is so much better than what you go through.

Be you, be well, be strong.

Bertice Berry, PhD.

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