One Day at a Time

It’s strange to think that I would be leaving for the Peace Corps right now had my life not been turned upside down by a silly little tumor. However, I know there is a damn good reason for the twist of fate that has bound me to this new path. I have learned so much about myself and the world around me over the past several months, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I am exactly where I am supposed to be.

Lately I have spent a lot of time on my own. Being the socialite that I am, it is unusual spending more time with myself than with anyone else. But in my solitude, I have learned some profound lessons. While I have explored innumerable modes of healing, the best medicine has come from the work that I have done completely on my own…free of charge. By exploring my innermost workings through meditation, movement, and breathing, I have come to better understand myself, without the influence of other people. This does not mean I sit in a transcendental meditative state for hours each day. Heck, I honor myself for sitting for 30 minutes, even if 25 of those minutes I was thinking about lasagna and dinosaurs. The point is that I take time out of every single day to honor myself and attempt to connect with the light that burns within me. For when we are able to recognize our own light, we can fuel it to burn brighter.

It took me a while, but I have finally come to terms with the somewhat obvious fact that healing does not happen over night, but over time. I have spent so much energy focusing on a destination of healing and self-realization, as if I’m waiting for nirvana to hit me on the side of the head and everything will be all sparkles and rainbows. It don’t work like that. It’s more of a gradually ascending climb, one in which I have whole-heartedly pointed my feet in the right direction and started walking. Sometimes I don’t feel the steps I am taking until I look behind me and see how far I’ve come in such a short amount of time. I now congratulate myself for the progress that I make instead of look ahead at how far I need to go. Life is a process, there is always work to be done whether we are learning how to heal or love or simply sit still in solitude. All we can do is take it one day at a time.