Once in a while I would get the question, “what do you do for yourself?”
I’m a mom, and I love being a mom, so being a mom was my thing, and that’s how I would answer. It was the truth. But I would later find out, it didn’t quite cut it.
Being a mom didn’t give me enough direction.
It was good when the kids needed me, but the more they needed me the less I enjoyed being needed. The less they needed me the more I wanted to be needed…It seemed like I could never be happy or find the balance, I was on a winding road to no particular destination.
I’ve learned something very valuable lately.
Finding not only a thing, but a cause, something you believe in, something others benefit from, and something that matters changes your whole life.
Now I want everyone to have a thing… a thing that you wake up for at 5:55am instead of 6 am… a thing that is important and would be missed if it no longer existed… a thing that makes a difference in someone’s life… a thing that speaks to your heart and soul.
Here’s the best part about having a thing for yourself… when life falls apart, you have a good reason to not let yourself fall apart with it.
When you have to show up and do your best everyday in a way that matters, you can’t afford to let life or anyone else take your steering wheel anymore.
You have a reason to not feel hungover from booze or sweets or late nights or someone else’s drama.
You have a personal reason to feel physically and mentally strong and healthy everyday.
You have a personal reason to better yourself, because you can see an immediate payoff for it.
And you have a clear direction in order to focus on and move towards every day.
If you don’t know how to find your thing… start paying attention to the little things that light you up, the things that you do and time becomes irrelevant.
Then use them in a way that matters.