here is a song i remember writing + singing as clear as day when i was 7 or so, it was sung very excitedly. i think majorly influenced by the style of amy grant, unfortunately.
“the sun comes up
a new day is here!
a baby is born
in paaaaaaahverty againsad as it is
this is the life
that will be…. and has beeeeeeenbut tomorrow is a-
nother day!
time to work and time to pay, a-
nother day!
oh woooah oh yaaaay a-
nother day!
time to live and time to diiiieeeeeee
but pleeease dont ask me whyyyyyyyy”-rebecca fletcher, age 7 or so
its funny, this song popped into my head while i was sitting here working on getting done all the things that have been clouding my brain that i never ever even want to think about trying to do. things like measuring walls and doorways and making mockups and deciding on huge decisions for expensive window and door purchases so the siding that is rotting on my house can be finally replaced. or eating well like i used to, or running like i used to, or getting and keeping my kids schoolwork on track even though i have let it slide for a very long time. or sewing raglan shirts or building chesterfield sofas or making time every single day to be alone in nature.
this morning has been decent. for the first time in several weeks i was able to get up with a spark, clean my house a bit, make my coffee and sit with my computer and a measuring tape and do the things necessary to keep my life-my heart-on track.
kids are quietly doing math and language arts at the table, have done their chores, taken showers and my laundry has been dried and folded. its damp and dark outside and for the first time in a while that feels peaceful and life-giving. i haven’t felt this on top of things for over a month and i am reminded of a mantra i used to cling to in times of physical/mental fatigue and clouded despair.
MONDAY CAN ALWAYS BE A NEW START.
i know this could be said of every day, but i just dont think it is realistic to set our standards for ourselves so high & continue to be successful. we need to allow ourselves days for failure-to embrace failure as part of our being- or we would throw in the towel far more severely. however; there is no monday that i cannot wake up and start over. it doesnt matter if it isnt january first or the first day of spring or any new season or month. every monday is a chance to pick up pieces and treat your life like it has brand new potential and it is the first day of taking baby steps to conquer your goals. make your life the way you envision it to be on mondays. take the first steps, even if it feels like you are repeating something you have already tried to start.
IF WE TREATED EVERY MONDAY AS IF IT WERE JANUARY FIRST WE WOULD HAVE MORE GRACE FOR OURSELVES AND LOVE OURSELVES A LOT MORE. i think.
today i will eat cleaner even though i ate fried food all weekend. i will go for a run even though i havent run for over a week and it might be only one mile. i will do a small part of at least one project i keep telling myself i will never ever finish. i will practice my ballet. i will create music. i will stop looking at my past failures and performance shortcomings and letting them dictate my productivity today. i am a process engineer, a productivity junkie and completely infatuated with the idea of squeezing every last bit of potential out of my time, space and energy. i will not not allow myself to conquer this funk based entirely on how ive been seeing myself lately and i will step back into who i was designed to be.
start strong. finish the week with weakness. who cares. you will be twice as productive as you were when you didnt give yourself a chance to be productive at all.