Don’t miss your opportunity to serve!

On Sunday morning, I heard an interview with Chef José Andrés, founder of World Central Kitchen which feeds millions of humans in the world’s most desperate regions, now serving food in Ukraine.

Among the many interesting things this selfless man had to say was this, “In a crisis, whether you turn left or right, it is not a mistake because you are moving forward!” He went on to say that you can always correct an error tomorrow, but if you stop to plan your route in great detail, you’ll miss the opportunity to serve. That caught my attention!

I like to plan my route. I like having a roadmap and an emergency kit on-board. I like being prepared. And, I don’t think he was saying don’t prepare, but he was reminding us that we can get bogged down in preparation and never get to the location where we’re most needed.

It is similar to the admonition that we not let “perfect” block the path of “pretty-darn-good!” And we do that a lot; I know I do!

We get caught up in our heads planning, plotting, strategizing when what’s needed most is service – get to the need, and make whatever beneficial change we can!

We need to keep moving forward.

What does moving forward look like in your life?

It may be getting past a week of poor choices that side-tracked your best intentions and unraveled a month’s worth of working toward your goals.
It might be apologizing to a friend when your need to be “right” got in the way of your desire to show “love” in a heated conversation.
It could be breaking your big goals down into smaller, mini goals, so that progress is possible, and you can feel some measure of success, moving forward.

We get stuck when we believe we can’t move forward –when we hold to the notion that movement is impossible, that we have to stew over our challenges and wallow in our excuses. The noise in our heads will sound something like this. . .

Yes, but I screwed up and now I’m back where I started on my (weight-loss, exercise, sobriety) goal!
Yes, but I’m older now, I can’t just start over (go back to school, presume to write, find a new job) at my age!
Yes, but I’m afraid I’ll do it again, make the same mistake, fail to make real progress (act perfectly human!).

We don’t need to put ourselves through all that! We need to take Chef Andrés’ advice and simply KEEP MOVING FORWARD, whatever that may look like as the journey proceeds.

Self-care is every conscious action you take that feeds your soul, nourishes your body, nurtures your spirit, or replenishes your relationship with yourself!

For me, my decision to move forward looks like this. . .

Today, I can re-commit to a more plant-based diet and plan my meals for just this week!
Today, I can sign up for that water aerobics class at the community center and get it on my calendar!
Today, I can clean out one drawer, discard one box of debris, give away one bag of clothing I’ll never wear!

Today I can take an action that moves me FORWARD instead of wondering if I’ll get “off track” again – of course I will, I’m human. We move toward our goals in fits and starts, we get side-tracked, we make mistakes and when we’re determined to achieve our goals, we once again, MOVE FORWARD.

I’d welcome the chance to coach you on your journey forward, let me know if you’d welcome that conversation as you plan what’s next in YOUR life this season.

About Paula

I help other caregivers – both professionals and family caregivers – acknowledge their pain and learn to practice the many small skills of self-care that can sustain them through the challenges of wholeheartedly caring for others.

Recent Posts

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The Guardian reports that compared with other countries, the American workplace record is not good. “In 2021, American employees worked 184 more hours than Japanese workers, 294 more hours than British workers, and 442 more hours than German workers. Unbelievably, in 2023 there are millions of Americans who work at jobs with no vacation time” (The Guardian).

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This song reminds me so much of the nature of my work – certainly, when clients come to me they often feel VERY alone and completely overwhelmed by the caregiver roles they fill. This is true whether they are parents of a special-needs-child or the sole caregiver for a spouse with dementia. That sense of being alone is, in itself, depressing.

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I’m working with a Health Coach myself (yes, even coaches need coaches!) who seems to appreciate my need to measure things. I’m one of those people who likes to see measurable improvement – to choose metrics that allow me to demonstrate progress, if not full completion, of a goal.

Sometimes, especially if we’re working on goals that feel particularly difficult, it can be important to at least see movement in the desired direction. Most of us can appreciate the fulfillment of getting to the finish line of a quick sprint, like the 100-yard-dash. But when you’re in a marathon you need benchmarks along the way to remind you that you’re actually doing it, and that the end will come, even if you can’t see it from your current spot on the route. That’s where metrics come in handy!

Through Co-Create 4 Life, you will learn a range of well-being strategies from skillfully implementing self-care to holistic approaches to well-being, rebuilding resilience, and battling burnout. Book a free consultation call today to discuss your options.