One of the things I love to do when I need to feel uplifted is to find a poem or piece of writing that inspires me. I have a few favorite poetry books that I go to often.
I loved it when one day I was looking for some inspiration and opened one of those books right to a poem I come back to over and over again, which I’ve included some of my favorite lines from below.
I read it and thought, YES!
This is a wonderful reminder – especially for educators who often struggle with the idea of not enough, in whatever form that takes.
So often we know we need to prioritize ourselves and take care of ourselves, yet it can feel so out of reach.
Do you ever start feeling like you don’t have enough time to take care of yourself?
I invite you to take in the words below that come from this poem and consider the idea that Anything is Enough when it comes to self-support!
Excerpts from Enough by Danna Faulds
It’s enough to offer love no matter how imperfectly received or given
It’s enough to try and fail at a difficult task; enough to fall and rise, stumble, fall again, sigh, and start to walk, however slowly…
It’s enough to be and breathe…
It’s enough to take the day as it comes, to watch the ripples on the lake as the rock sinks to the bottom, to see the wild reflection of the surface calm into a mirror once again.
It’s enough to hear the voice of fear and hide – or seek it out and face the shame or shadows.
It’s enough to be buffeted by the winds of change and not blown over.
I and you and all of us, more than enough.
When I read this poem, I realized – these lines are the perfect reminder that it’s okay to get on the Self Support Express!
Sometimes we feel like we don’t have enough time to do things that are good for us, like…
- practicing yoga
- doing some meditation
- reading a book
- taking a power nap
- going for a run
- or any other form of self-care or self-support…what else would you add to the list?
It’s easy to write it off and figure that if we can’t spend a big chunk of time on it, then it must not be worth it.
Oh how we put extra expectations on ourselves!
The truth is, ANYTHING is enough.
- 5 minutes is enough to take several full, deep breaths and practice a breathing strategy to feel more balanced.
- 10 to 15 minutes is enough to do a few stretches, take a short walk, or do some other form of movement to feel more energized.
- 30 minutes is enough to combine all of that – breathing, movement to release and to build strength, and also add a short period of relaxation – to feel fulfilled and more at home in your body.
- Any of those time periods could be used to read something inspiring, draw/doodle, dance, or simply listen to some uplifting music to shift your mood – just a few other examples of what self-support could look like.
Even if you can only get away and spend 30 minutes doing something for yourself –
It. Is. Enough.
Always remember that you can’t pour from an empty cup. If there are people in your life that you need to communicate with to help you draw a circle around that time, do so.
Ask for support, set boundaries.
Take that 30 minutes for YOU!
