Take a Break

Monday Missives #6

Just typing “take a break” makes me want to explain (“Since Friday, I have been in classes all day every day as part of the coursework for the training program I am in”), justify (“And before that, I spent hours editing audio, driving north, working more, and preparing for the weekend so I did not have the headspace to think about what I would post to Substack today”) and then defend (“I told you I was very, very busy didn’t I?”) why it is ok for me to take a break today.

Of course, nobody—not the people around me or anyone reading this post—asked me for any of that. In fact, I am pretty sure nobody cares (in the best possible way) what I am or am not doing today. Well, nobody but me. And apparently, I care a great deal. In fact, I care so much that I started that whole argument with myself and demanded a good (enough) reason from myself in order to be ok within myself to take a break today.

But that does not feel like care or concern. It feels inconsiderate and unkind. In fact, it is care-less. And that is not how I treat anyone (certainly not intentionally or deliberately). Well, not anyone but me.

So, what if today, I give myself a break?

Meals Out: All of them (and every meal lovingly prepared within community—home cooked alternately at my bestie’s house and a retreat center)

Listening (voice): Many, many different and beautiful voices in person (only digital, recorded voice I listened to was my own voice while editing the first podcast episode)

Listening (song most likely on repeat): Please Please Please (no, not the Sabrina Carpenter song even though I do love that song but for very different reasons) by Cats on Trees. (It is a great love song—especially when you send it to yourself).

Watching: Nothing this week. (that’s all I got for that)

Reading: Powerpoint slides and handouts in class (and nothing else, not even the news!)

Most Hours Logged Doing: In class of one kind or another.

Monday Morning Meditation: 2.24.25

(I did not do my full morning time routine today…actually, I skipped it completely on Saturday and Sunday. And even though I know it’s a good practice for me because it grounds me in each day, I also do not want it to turn it into something I do just to check it off of my list. It is more important to me to be authentic about the practice even when sometimes that means taking a break from the practice.)