I’m just now learning how precious that teeny bit of time is.

Occassionally, and more regularly than I’d like to admit, I get this feeling of Monachopsis (The subtle but persistent feeling of being out of place). Like the plan I’ve set for myself isn’t what is supposed to be happening in my life. It’s at these times I pray for answers. It’s not a proud moment for me, I know I should be talking with God regularly and I was better at it when it appeared everything was going “according to plan” but thats just the thing. It’s not MY plan.

Now that I can identify those moments, it helps me to put life back into perspective. We used to call them ‘mental health days’ growing up. A freebie get-out-of-school-free day if you will. Sometimes Mom would fake an orthodontist appointment because she needed help with BigSeester’s middle school play, sometimes it was  take-your-daughter-to-work-day and dad was off, so we went as a 4-some family to play golf (I was terrible, still am), or sometimes it was just a day to sleep in.

One of my favorite bible quotes comes from Exodus 14:14 “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still”. And so when I was in Mobile for work on Wednesday & Thursday I jumped down to visit the other half of an agency in Pensacola and stay the night as traffic would be too much for that evening. I hoped to get a good night’s sleep but tossed and turned all night and was wide awake at 7:30am. Because I had asked for direction in prayer that night, I figured this was somewhat of an answer so out of bed I crawled, threw on the cheap Target suit I had just purchased and went down to the beach to just be still.

Sometimes you just need to take a breath. To realize that things are bigger than you. That whatever you’re going through, you just need to take a step back and let it all soak in. Hear the waves roll and crash like clockwork and take a “me moment”. So I finally listened. I let the warmth of the sun wash over me without worrying about where I thought I needed to be, or what milestones I thought I should have hit already. I sat in the surf, I took myself to lunch and just. slowed. down.

You know that Verizon commercial with Christoph Waltz?

We are busy, busy, busy. But the world still turns if we take a moment for ourselves. I could do a whole separate post on measuring happiness but I’ll just let CNN do it instead, or if you really want to dig into it you can read the whole World Happiness Report.

We perceive it to be a fight between success and happiness – that the more successful we are, the happier we’ll be. But in working toward that sometimes unrealistic success, we sacrifice our happiness. So yes, you may be the most successful person in the world, working towards a monetary goal but be honest, how would you rate your happiness? Do you take the time to appreciate the life you’re living? To play with your kids? To be with the people you love? Do you tell them? Or are you constantly on your phone trying to find happiness in everyone else’s life? Maybe you’re checking your work e-mail at the park when all your toddler wants to give you is the dandelion they’ve just picked because it’s the most beautiful thing they’ve ever seen and reminds them of you.

So on this 3-day weekend, the house cleaning can wait. The laundry will get done later, after I incorporate “me” time to re-center my happiness.

Change your perception, find your happiness.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” Jeremiah 29:11.