Sometimes it Pays to be Sick

The start of 2021, I have to admit, didn't have the start I was looking for. However, the past week did feel like some light has been lit at the end of a dark tunnel that's the state of the world. For me personally, I can literally feel like I can breathe. You see, I've been sick for the past week and haven't been feeling myself (to answer your question, it wasn't COVID). The lessons from being sick are certainly many. If you're like me, then you may think there is a reason for everything. For me, it's time.

I have this disease that I've been fighting for most of life. Want to know what it is? It's called notimitus major. In case you're wondering how to pronounce it, I'll spell it phonetically - no time-itis. And I have it majorly.

I feel like there is no time and I have to get everything done. Problem with that is, it forces my mind to work overtime, which gives me no time off. Can you relate? I go into this work mode and it doesn't turn off until after I fall into REM sleep and even then, it continues. I wake up answering questions I was asking before and always seem to have something near me to write down the answer in case I come up with something brilliant. cEspecially in the shower.

So when I get sick, I'm like that lady on the internet that went viral with her quote "Ain't Nobody Got Time For That!" I certainly don't. On the other hand, because I also believe that me being sick has to be for a reason, I can't help but try to understand the lesson within. So I try and listen.

Lesson 1: You need to be quiet to listen.

I should first mention that when it comes to being sick, I'm the biggest baby there is. I'm super needy, super codependent, it hits me hard so it takes a while for me to get back into prime condition and hate the fact that I have to endure the process. So needless to say, it didn't excite me to know that I was going to be out for a bit. The first few days were the worst. My mind is still trying to get stuff done and I think because now that I'm home, I could get other tasks done at home since I'm not at "work"

That consistent movement doesn't lend well to learning the first and most important lesson I needed to learn. The fact that there was a lesson there in the first place. Did you know, you can't learn a lesson if you're not listening? and to listen, one must be still. I didn't start listening until day 5. It figures. My mom always said I was stubborn. I guess it runs in the family.

Lesson 2: You need time to replenish.

I used my newfound time to do mundane things that kept me in bed and allowed me to sleep all hours of the day. Naturally, when I'd wake in the morning, I went to TV Land to watch reruns of Golden Girls. Ahh, home. There I sit watching Rose, Dorothy, Blanche and Sophia get into trouble over the craziest things. After 20 straight episodes and hours of sleep, it was almost 8 PM. Cari close to getting home and time for me to eat one meal and head off upstairs to bed. Suddenly, I had all the time in the world, because there was literally nothing to do. Couple that with the occasional video game play and you have a recipe for replenishment.

Funny how when you take away the work, with time, the body will power down and begin to regenerate that very power to work and create once again.

Lesson 3: Clarity lies outside the box

The third lesson and possibly the least important is clarity. When you are in the very thing you are working at for awhile, you begin to lose sight of what's important (or where you're going). Think of it like driving in the rain to a new destination. You might know where you're going at the start, but when the rain hits hard, it's difficult to see the road. Every once in a while you need to look at the map. A map guides you with an overview of your end point, reassuring you that you are in the right direction or giving you new directions to get around any obstacles or wrong turns. When you spend a little time watching your road from the outside, it can bring you the clarity you need and some answers you were struggling with before.

Obviously, I'm feeling better now since this post is longer than my typical ones. But you see, I've learned some lessons and now with my new found energy, I'm excited to get back to work. My hope is that maybe some of these lessons can help you along your journey without the effort in getting sick. But just in case you're hard headed, like I am and need a little help from the powers that be...

Here's to getting sick!🤒

JG