It Shouldn't Be This Hard
Hi there,
I work hard to show up for others.
I feel drained, unfulfilled, lonely, lacking somehow.
I should reach out to friends more, get out more, do more exercise, eat healthier, meditate, pick up my art (again), start volunteering in the community.
But I can’t. I’m too tired. I’m just going to watch a show, scroll on my phone. Tomorrow I’ll just keep my head down and work hard again.
But I feel so drained, unfulfilled, lonely, lacking somehow. There has to be more to life than this?
What’s wrong with me? It shouldn’t be this hard.
I should reach out to friends more, get out more, do more exercise, eat healthier, meditate, pick up my art (again), start volunteering in the community.
But I’m so tired.
Does this sound familiar? Do you believe you have to DO MORE or BE MORE to have a more satisfying life? Do you beat yourself up when you can’t or don't? I have good news and bad news for you.
The good news is: You don’t have to do more or be more than you are (doing) today. Yes, you are enough exactly as you are today.
The bad news is: You have limitations (you are not a robot) and life is uncertain (you can’t predict the future). Much of what we do every day is meant to distract ourselves from these 2 facts. It’s what our survival brain tells us to do: Stay away from what’s uncomfortable or painful.
What if we went beyond the default and DIDN’T look away? What if we faced these difficult facts head on and allowed the grief and other emotions this brings up? What if you had compassion for the fact that life feels hard right now? What if you didn’t beat yourself up for things you don’t control?
Saying, “It shouldn’t be this hard” dismisses your lived reality. If life feels hard to you right now, it’s because it is. There are no “shoulds” when it comes to emotions (or anything else, for that matter!). We can only feel how we feel, and be curious about what our emotions say about how the world is affecting us today.
Our emotions want to be known by us. Our true nature wants to come out. At our core, we are joyful and creative, no matter what’s going on in our lives. It all starts with being willing to notice our lived experience in the moment. Even if our lived experience is deep sadness and grief. Especially then. No, your grief won’t swallow you whole. It will cry tears of relief and say, “Finally! What took you so long?”
It’s my desire to help others find their way back to their true nature. That’s what my group program The Art of Joy is all about. You can find all the updated details here: www.marybrutsaert.com/services.
As always, If this message resonates with you, please drop me a line. I read all emails personally and I would love to connect with you. Also, if you know anyone who could benefit from receiving these messages, please forward this email on to them. I would greatly appreciate it.
Warmly,
Mary B.
P.S. My 12-week online group program The Art of Joy launches this August! Exact dates TBA. To sign up to my waitlist, please visit www.marybrutsaert.com/services or reply to this email.
