I’m not feeling great

I’m kind of down.

Part of it is that I have a lingering cold that I’m really sick of. Part of it is the heavy news of the world. Part of it is not seeing the sun for so many weeks in a row. It snowed this morning in Paris, which was magical to see. It didn’t snow for long, but long enough to stand in front of the window with a hot cup of tea and marvel at the sight.

Being down sometimes is normal, and we are under no obligation to be happy and cheery all the time. That would be impossible and exhausting to even try. We might tell ourselves that we need to always “look on the bright side of things,” or “be positive,” or “snap out of it,” but this is just internalized toxic positivity.

We don’t have to be happy or positive all the time.

We get to have bad days.
We get to be scared.
We get to feel overwhelmed.
We get to be embarrassed.
We get to be wrong.
We get to be sad.
We get to not know.

In short, we get to be human.

I was walking down a busy street the other day, and I was noticing all the people. I had to laugh to myself because it’s just so ridiculous that here we all are, and not one of us asked to be here, nor were we given any kind of instructions. We’re here because there was a successful sperm / egg situation, and voilà, a bunch of imperfect humans walking around, trying to figure it out. Also, what is it exactly that we’re all trying to figure out?

So on days like today when I don’t feel great—kind of down, a little blue, not much oomph—I remind myself that nothing has gone wrong, and this is what I’m working with today.

I can marvel at the snow.
I can eat nourishing food.
I can take a nap.
I can feel sad about the world.
I can read a book.
I can get my work done.
I can cough and hack.
I can drink some tea.
I can allow myself to feel what it’s like to get be human today.

How is your experience of being human today? Talk to me in the Facebook group and use the hashtag #HumanExperience.

Molly