The song running through my head as I write this post…
I kicked off my video call with the very mundane and predictable "How are you?" My colleague surprised me when he said, "I'm actually really thirsty.” He quickly excused himself, leaving his his desk, where he had been on back-to-back calls and doing a lot of talking, to get a drink of water.
His response, so simple, so true, struck me as incredibly poignant given the current state of things. In a seemingly perpetual state of overwhelm and uncertainty, I often find myself planning for the future, reflecting on the past or wrapped up in a complex array of emotions. I routinely search for the deeper meaning, looking beyond what's right in front of me to explore the depth of an idea, a topic or an exchange.
It's A LOT right now. We are scrolling news feeds, engaging in tough conversations, and wrestling with big questions. When so much is out of our control, it's hard to know where to start - where we can be the change, where we should focus our attention. His response showed me that we can start by considering our immediate needs, controlling what we can and taking care of ourselves.
“I’m thirsty,” took me out of the expected. His honesty in expressing a true, right-now, physical need felt so clear. When stuck in a cerebral space of swirling, shifting attention to the physical can help cut through the fog to satisfy something immediate.
The fact that he got up, right then, to get a drink of water was a great reminder - yes, we have permission to take care of ourselves.
And our needs may not always require overthinking.
We can...
exercise,
get some sleep,
play with our kids,
write to our representative,
talk to a friend,
eat an apple,
go to the park,
shovel snow,
listen to music,
help someone load groceries into their car,
offer a smile,We can get a drink of water.
These actions are accessible - matching needs with attainable solutions. In the day-to-day hustle, these are things I tend to overlook, and I am grateful for this reminder that in satisfying the basics, we set ourselves up to take on bigger challenges - one glass of water at a time."