Kick Stress to the Curb

A reality check for us all: Life really is too short.

You know those books that people recommend to you? The kind that people always say, “Hey! You need to read such-and-such because it will enlighten you to the point that you’ll look like a great, fat firefly.”

Yeah. Well, recently I finally picked up a copy of just such a book, one that I’d been putting off reading because I have a bajillion other books to read and it’s non-fiction. Just the very word non-fiction screams to me that it’s less than fiction, so why bother?

But, I did. I stuck my pinky toe in the waters of Anne Lamott’s Bird By Bird, and after reading half a page, I dove in head first. Wowzer. Can this woman write! But besides that, and even more importantly, she inspires.

Whether you’re a writer, a janitor, a brain surgeon or just a mom who stays at home and washes dishes and clothes and sometimes your face, we’re all under pressure to perform in some way, shape or form. We all want to look good to others. But here’s a newsflash, people: at the moment you draw your last breath, that isn’t going to matter to you.

And Anne says this so succinctly:

“Your problem is how you are going to spend this one and precious life you have been issued. Whether you're going to spend it trying to look good and creating the illusion that you have power over circumstances, or whether you are going to taste it, enjoy it and find out the truth about who you are.” 
~ Anne Lamott

So, even if it’s just for a few minutes today, quit caring about your messy house or your imperfect manuscript or just how crazy your hair is looking. Use that time to tell a loved one that you really do love them, because, hey, life really is too short.

(as always, feel free to steal my graphic and use it wherever)