Much like the ostrich, some of us tend to tuck or bury our heads in the sand. Do you occasionally tuck (more often than you probably ought to)? What gets you to tuck your nose in hiding? Or is it more that you are resting, like the bird in my picture clearly is? Are you hiding from the world? And/or just exhausted? Perhaps you flit back and forth, and maybe lots of times you just “wing it.” [DEFINITION BREAK: to wing it means to do something without much preparation or practice. It comes from actors being asked to cover someone else’s part and them frantically studying that part in the wings of the stage.]
It’s okay to hide away at times, you know; when life is getting too complicated or scary, or the pressures of people and paperwork and crap are weighing you down. It’s okay to take a couple hours or a day or two to just shut it out and pretend it doesn’t exist. Read a book, put a puzzle together, go for a long hike in the woods or on a shoreline– Tucking in your wing to hide AND rest. Just don’t stay away for too long. All these pressures do need to be faced down, sorted out, and taken care of.
Now on the topic of winging it. When we come out of that wing – hopefully stronger, refreshed, and ready to face the world again – we may feel we want to get back to the tucked wing sooner than later, so we are going to try and “wing” some things to do so. But some things can’t be “winged.” Bills still need to be paid, people still need to be helped or given boundaries, papers still need filling out – etc., etc. And these things really shouldn’t be handled as “wing it” tasks. Winging it can be fun, can get some things done more quickly so you can get on your way, but the important stuff needs to be handled with care.
We've jumped into this new year. Let's keep it moving with a goal or two. Not to lose weight or make more money or the usual worldly goals, but to get things done. Start with one thing a day, move on to two or three things a day - big or small. If it helps, write lists to remind you what needs doing and what needs doing NOW. Then take a day off - a "tuck it" day. You will feel great getting things done and that will make it easier to keep your head out of the sand and thrive instead of survive. And when you can “wing it,” do it! Spontaneously go for a walk, try something new to the best of your ability, give an unanticipated speech, act on a stage - whatever! Something new and fresh to mix up the drudgery of life and get your heart pumping. Happy new year to all my reader friends!
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