I had the opportunity to eat breakfast with Sam Tuesday morning. We ate vegan chocolate peanut butter cake. Be jealous. After reading her blog and listening to her describe #thekindofperson movement, I began thinking about the kind of person I want to be; how I want to live and experience and be and do. Aside from being the kind of person who joyfully eats cake for breakfast, something else struck me today.
Have you ever had one of those days where you feel like you're doing something wrong? Like you're not living the way you want to? I had one of those days today. I felt selfish. All day long. And if I'm being honest, I feel like that a lot of days. There are so many days that I get caught up. I get so hyper-focused on crossing things off my to-do list, on running from here to there, on making sure I take my vitamins and get in a run and get eight hours of sleep and eat 5 fruits and vegetables a day and get all my homework done and have quiet time and read and blog and cook.
And what ends up happening? I ignore text messages and screen phone calls and selectively archive emails that I don't want to answer. I am selfish; too busy for interruptions. Interruptions head my way and I dig my stubborn heels into the ground and say, "No, no, no ... I have this and this and this to do. I have too much to do, and there's just no room for anything extra." That's not how I want to be living.
I want to be the kind of person who welcomes interruptions. I want to be the kind of person who, when interruptions come my way, puts down what I am working on and embraces the unexpected. Whether it be an unexpected phone call, a long conversation, a spontaneous dance party, or a last-minute project, I want to embrace it. I don't want to have such a set-in-stone plan that I forget to live open to the interruptions that life is bound to throw at me. I want welcoming interruptions to sink into my soul, to be a part of the way that I live, day in and day out.
The more I think, the more I realize that interruptions sustain me. Interruptions are so life-giving, reminding me that life is not a story about me; that life to the full doesn't mean crossing things off your to-do list but living and experiencing everything that life has to offer. A long conversation with one of my roommates or a spontaneous phone call with my sister or a spur-of-the-moment trip to the store for study snacks or a quick dance party ... those moments bring more life than anything I could plan for. I am realizing that I can't plan for life to happen. Life will happen. Life happens in interruptions and unexpected moments, and I want to be the kind of person who welcomes them.
As I was walking home from yoga earlier, I had a very clear and simple plan for my evening. Put on pajamas, stat. Make tea. Snuggle in my bed in hopes of finishing the first season of Mad Man. Instead, I came home to a house full of roommates ready to put on ugly Christmas sweaters. I mean, isn't this what I was looking for? An opportunity to be intentional and welcome the unplanned. Sure, I could have gone downstairs and done my thing, but I would have missed out on a memory. I would have missed out on laughter and screaming and ugly Christmas sweaters and life as its meant to be lived. So, I was challenged to welcome the interruption. The end result? Hilarious, ridiculous, wonderfully awkward Bethesda Family Christmas pictures.
posed awkward family photo.
notice the symmetrical hand placement?
pointing with joy at this place that has been
so transformative for each of us.
so much love. so much Christmas joy.
so much laughter. always.
a personal favorite, the "subtly ugly" picture.
are we trying to look good? or is it just subtly ugly?
I would encourage you, over the next few days and weeks, to be thinking about the kind of person you want to be. Journal about it, blog about it, or tell your bestie about it. There's so much value in taking a step back and really thinking about who we want to be and how we want to be living. I am sure there will be more to come on #thekindofperson I want to be.
No comments:
Post a Comment