Three kids. A dog. A busy mom. You know so much about me from those few words - mainly, that my mini van is disgusting. And it's not like I'm ok with it being filthy - every few... months... I take an hour and fill grocery bags with garbage: crushed granola bars, banana peels and/or rotten apple cores, broken pencils, those little rings that come in store bought cupcakes, wrappers of all kinds, school papers that never made it to me in time... and haul another bag into the house full of water bottles, lunch containers, random utensils, shoes...and then I vacuum the remaining almonds and pretzels and dirt, and wash the dog nose prints off the windows. And you know every time I do that I re-instate the NO FOOD in the van rule. I insist that each person will make sure they take ALL of their things every time they get out. Sometimes it stays clean for a week after that. If I'm lucky.
Enter more normal life: the back hatch of the van getting smashed, and it going to the body shop for repair. But this job came with a bonus: because they had the van a little longer than expected, they detailed it for me. It's like entering a whole new vehicle! Clearly, I am not a car detail expert. I don't detail cars every day, nor do I have the tools to make the inside of a mom's mini van look THAT clean. Before this extra little bonus, I honestly never would have paid for someone to clean my van like that, because heck, I can vacuum and wash windows - and I honestly never would have gotten it that clean! Clean enough that when the kids saw it, they were so wowed they are actually making sure to take all their stuff out, without me even saying it!
Light bulb! Every one of us has an area (or a few) that we excel in; that we keep up on, we attend to, we make sure we're doing a good job. In order to do that, there are other areas that we have to pay less attention to, and sometimes those areas are just as - or more - important than our areas of expertise. Think about the areas that you keep up on. Do you do it alone? Or do you have the help and structure in place to keep you on track?
When it comes to my health and well being, I keep up on it. I don't do it alone. I attend programs and classes and seminars and conferences. I read. I invest time every day into physical, emotional, or spiritual self care. I have a supportive community of people who inspire and encourage me, and motivate me when I get off track. I regularly add new DVDs to my workout collection. I have a network of alternative health care specialists whose input I seek when I need to restore health, alignment, and balance. I create space for spiritual retreat days. I am an expert in wellness and self care because I live it every day, I invest my time and energy, and I know what tools to use and where to turn when I'm off track.
When it comes to cleaning my van, it's an area I don't keep up on. When it's totally gross, I still don't always have the time (or want to invest the time), energy or even desire to get it back to it's sparkling clean, original state, and I definitely don't have the right tools. I've always managed the cleaning of my van alone - and it was neglected. I can't believe what a difference it makes to get into a clean vehicle, and how nice it feels to not have to throw tons of clutter around depending on where people want to sit. Utilizing an expert to achieve this result made this possible. It's still up to me to maintain it, but it motivated me beyond anything I've ever done myself to keep up with it, and it made it so much easier for me to do.
Health, wellness, and feelings of vitality are like this. Not everyone has the time, motivation, tools, or even desire to put effort into figuring out what they can do to feel better. And not everyone has to, because this world is designed for all of us to support each other, to be experts in different areas. You don't have to excel in every area. You can focus on what delights and energizes you, and get the assistance you need in the areas you're struggling! It's amazing how easy it feels to have the support of someone who can help you make a daunting change so effortlessly and naturally.
What areas do you excel at? What areas do you need expert support in?