It’s awfully easy to get overwhelmed. By work, by volunteer commitments, by family obligations, by debt, by clutter. When you’re overwhelmed by unpleasant things it’s often so uncomfortable that seeking relief is automatic. But when you’re overwhelmed by amazing, exhilarating, exciting things, it’s much more difficult to recognize the need for change. You’re every bit as far under water, but it’s so darn fun that you don’t even realize you’re drowning.

I know. I’m there right now! There are so many incredible opportunities popping up for Nourish and for me that I’m having a hard time staying on top of them all. I need focus. In fact, I CRAVE order. But I’m afraid that if I say no to any of these swirling, flashing, sparkling opportunities, I’ll miss my chance. And I hate missing chances. Don’t you?

I need to do it though, and do it soon! Otherwise I risk neglecting really important things as I chase these unproven but exciting new  things. I need to find my focus.

When I need to focus, I usually work on coming back to the present moment and giving my full attention to the most important things – one thing at a time. I choose a task on my list – any one task- and do it to the very best of my ability. As Abraham Lincoln once said, “Whatever you are, be a good one.” I have a lot of roles – wife, mother, daughter, friend, entrepreneur, manager, coach, volunteer, student, writer, and many others. I can’t be all of them in any one moment. But I can be the very best at whatever I choose…for just a moment.

Focus is so powerful. When you need to stop the swirling, bring yourself to the present moment. “Whatever you are, be a good one.”

It’s been a rough week in our house! Everyone except the 20-month-old has taken a turn with the flu. The real, honest-to-goodness flu that you try like heck to prevent with a flu shot and those sanitizing wipes for grocery carts and frequent hand washing. That flu. And let me tell you, it was not fun. Body aches, high fever, congestion, sore throat, ear pain, sinus pain, extreme fatigue, no appetite, and a hacking emphysema-like cough. Good times. We missed school. We missed work. We even missed fun appointments on our social calendar so we wouldn’t spread our germs around the city. It was one loooooong week.

Yet now, miraculously, we’re healthy again! We’re back to school and to work; we’ve changed the sheets and aired out the house, and we’re busily making up for lost time. It feels great to be back to normal.

All of this sickness has had one overwhelming effect (beyond the 6-pack abs I’m developing from all the coughing!). It has made me grateful. I’m so grateful that I spend 99% of my days feeling healthy. I feel so fortunate that I wake up in the morning excited about what the day holds and with the energy to take it on. I feel blessed that I can chase my three munchkins around and manage our household and my job and have something left to go out and have fun.

This week, I renewed my compassion for those people who don’t, both for the ones who are debilitated by undiscriminating illnesses like Cancer and Multiple Sclerosis and Cystic Fibrosis and Rheumatoid Arthritis and for those whose daily lifestyles rob them of the energy they so desperately need and deserve. I was reminded that it’s not just the ill person who is affected by his or her illness either; it’s the entire family. When one of us was confined to the couch, we all suffered. Being a caregiver is exhausting and limiting in its own right!

Overwhelmingly, I believe we all deserve to experience life with a sense of thriving well-being. It’s why I left my safe and predictable corporate job and ventured out into the uncharted waters of entrepreneurship. I believe that people, especially women, deserve to THRIVE despite the demands of their professional and personal lives. Everyone who works for Nourish believes that; it’s why we do what we do. I write this blog and speak and teach and coach to help as many people as I can live “in health” instead of “in sickness.” Some people have a longer and harder road than others to walk before they experience thriving well-being but there are steps that anyone can take to move closer to this desired state. Where are you living?

If you’re ready to live “in health,” we’d love to help you begin. Schedule a FREE consultation with a Nourish Coach today. Call 513-245-4224 or email us at info@nourishyourself.com.