Wednesday, February 4, 2015

A Few Things to Say About Fatigue

To say that this 4040 list has awakened me in a mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual sense would be a vast understatement. I am energized in a way I haven't been in a long time - if ever. I am busy. My days are full of good stuff. I process life in pictures and words, and when I consider the effect the list and its prescribed activities is having on me, I imagine a big plate of colorful fruits and vegetables. I am feasting on good stuff: yoga, running, reading, writing of letters, blog, and novel-in-progress. The junk food of life - excessive television viewing - is virtually non-existent in 2015. It really can't be a part of my diet if I want to accomplish everything I've set before me.

And yet.

I'm fatigued. I feel a little breathless by all of this activity. Just like the day at the track when I started struggling for breath as I ran, I'm reminding myself that pacing is really important. On the track, I identified that I was struggling because I'd picked a pace I couldn't reasonably maintain. I didn't stop running, but I slowed down, and it helped.

I'm pondering this morning what slowing down looks like as I celebrate my 40th year on a daily basis. Maybe today it's simply acknowledging that I am feeling winded. The great thing is I don't have to have an answer or a quick fix. Just recognizing what I'm feeling and observing is enough. And this good activity mixed in with living in the moment is also teaching me that the moment will pass. The fatigue will lift. The breathless feeling when I run won't last forever. Especially when I pay attention. And course correct as I go. There. I feel better already.

How do you cope when life's pace leaves you breathless?

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3 comments:

  1. StephanieFebruary 4, 2015 at 7:44 AM

    I think this is my favorite post so far! Great comparisons! Great observations! Remember you have an entire year to finish your 4040....and worst case scenario if you don't finish....um, so what? It's your journey, no one else's! It's a marathon, not a sprint. I love reading of your journey!

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  2. Julie SteeleFebruary 4, 2015 at 9:06 AM

    I love that this is your favorite post...it was completely extemporaneous. I had finished my page a day, had some extra time, and thought that tracking this part of my 4040 journey was relevant and would add texture to the whole experience. Oh, I'm stubborn enough that barring something completely unforeseen, the list WILL be completed, but I understand your sentiment. I think the reading is what has me feeling breathless, but Martin Van Buren is moving quickly and Anne of Green Gables times six will be a joy! Thanks for your comments.

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  3. UnknownFebruary 4, 2015 at 9:29 AM

    I can relate. Sometimes reading leaves me breathless too. ;)

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