All About You FRIDAY – The Side Step Save

Falling domino blocks on blurred background

It’s easy to get caught up in the frenzy of the every day. I spend most of my weekdays running from one thing to another. One patient to another. One goal-oriented thing to another. When I was younger, it rarely phased me. It was the speed of my life. But in recent years, I’ve been known to pass by one of my co-workers and jokingly say, “Stop the bus. I’m getting off!” Only maybe I’m not joking.

It made me stop and think. Am I just getting old and tired? Why does an 11-hour day feel so difficult when I used to regularly work 12-hour days? Is the constant noise of the news and media wearing me out?

I read an account recently of a mother who was lamenting to her child about the state of her world and all the plates she had to keep spinning so that things moved smoothly. Hearing her exasperation, her child replied, “It’s like the dominoes. It only takes one to be a little out of place to save the rest of us from falling.”

One little side step stops the frenzy for you and the ones you love. One decision. One little move.

Maybe it’s a decision to put down devices and have a conversation. Maybe it means listening to your patient and not just going through the checklist of things that need to be done to get paid. Maybe it means taking a walk with the one you love instead of heading to a noisy gym after work. Maybe you stop the fear in your heart by shutting out the media and finding facts on your own. Maybe you learn how to play again. And maybe, you eat dessert first on Friday.

I think that picture will sit in my head for a very long time. The side step doesn’t just save you.

Last weekend, we tried a really fun thing. For 75 minutes, I dodged, ran, hit, shot and hopped my way through a series of games with some friends. We laughed, screamed and cheered as we played, a reminder of simpler times. I slept like a baby that night. Side step complete.

“Modern luxury is the ability to think clearly, sleep deeply, move slowly, and live quietly in a world designed to prevent all four.” -Justin Welsh

It doesn’t take much energy to take a little step to the side. Exercise your frontal plane rights. The ones you love will thank you.

It’s been a long week. Don’t forget to celebrate.

Until next time…