Be Soft
Image by Irina Kozorog via Shutterstock
“Be soft…”
That’s what I heard upon waking up this morning. I usually wake up with a song melody or some sort of motivational quote in my head.
“Be soft…”
That’s what I reflected on during my quiet time after I recover from the brain fog upon waking.
I must admit, this past couple of weeks, I have been hard on myself— physically, mentally, and emotionally. My body has been taking all the brunt. As a result, I was on bedrest for a few days to heal.
It started with just an extra umph on my aerial yoga workout. I pushed my body beyond my limits which ended up with severe core muscle and rib pain and injury and a bruised self-esteem. What was I trying to prove? Why do I have to prove anything?
I ended up on bedrest for a few days and then slowly progressing my activities. As I write this, I can hardly even finish a sun salutation in yoga without feeling the pain. I know my body is deconditioned from days of bedrest so I started walking around the neighborhood. The ground impact with running is still painful on the spine.
I was kicking myself for not listening to my body. Although I am flexible enough, this mid-lifer shouldn’t have, couldn’t have, wouldn’t have…. But push it to the limit I did, thinking I could kick millennials’ a**.
“You can waste so many years of your life trying to become something hard in order not to break; but it’s the soft things that can’t break! The hard things are the ones that shatter into a million pieces!” ~C. JoyBell C.
Painful lessons learned.
“Be soft…”
Listen to your body. Yes, you are flexible, but no, you are not invincible. Your display of grit has led you to where you are. Respect your limits. Rest is what your body needs right now. Rest is what will let your body heal.
“Be soft…”
Do not be so difficult on yourself. You are not unproductive just because you spent a lot of time resting. You are making space for healing, which is what you need at this time.
“Be soft…”
Stop overthinking. No more should haves, would haves, could haves. It happened. Learn the lesson and move on—with caution.
“Be soft…”
Stop being too harsh on yourself. You are still healing. You are still mending—mind, body, and spirit. Be gentle with yourself. Be careful with how you talk to yourself. Your body will take the effect of the mental and emotional stress you put into it. You have to remind yourself that it’s okay—that everything’s going to be okay. Because it always turns out that way.
“Be soft…”
Take a gentle gaze at how far you’ve come. You are where you’re supposed to be. You are learning. That is part of the process. Trust that process.
Sometimes we find ourselves unable to do anything when our body is asking us to rest and heal. We feel like we are moving backward. We feel non-productive. We should be showing more grit. Grind. Hustle. Flex. Slay!
…Until your body bends and breaks.
“Find the lesson in the chaos.” I can’t remember who told me that. But I am learning. The struggle and the chaos—they are all part of the process of what you are becoming. The need to be soft is what will help you accept your flaws, your mistakes, your humanity.
Amid rest and healing, you can find that there is strength within you. In the resting, you can find the softness of acceptance. In the healing, you can see the softness of flexibility and resilience. In the process, you can find that “soft” is what you need—it is that gentle force that will lead you to your Self. Be gentle to who you are becoming.
Be soft.
Trust the process.
You are mending.
You are healing.
You are becoming.
“Just because you are soft doesn't mean you are not a force. Honey and wildfire are both the colour gold.” ~Victoria Erickson, Edge of Wonder: Notes from the Wildness of Being
Image by Two Tarras via Shutterstock
