self-care and passion

[flea]

I have been trying hard to do a little more self-care this week. I am ashamed to admit that it started from reading Redbook and Good Housekeeping at my MIL's house last weekend, but, you know, it's still a good thing. My current goals are:

Take my meds every day. I had been forgetting a LOT, or getting too busy in the mornings. So I put a spare bottle of pills in my purse, so I can take them at work if I don't before leaving the house.

Wash my face every morning and night. I am sure for many of you this is basic. For me, not so much.

I walked home with Dillo in the stroller from his day care twice this week, and will again today. He is very happy (we walk along the bus route, so BUS!) and the weather has been lovely and exercise is good for me.

I am also seriously considering shaving my legs this weekend. I am afraid I will hate the upkeep, but right now I am tired of the furry.

Ask Moxie got me in the gut today with: "Can we talk about one of the central themes of the book, that everyone's "supposed" to be passionate about something according to society, and what if you've never found that thing, or are no longer passionate about something that you once loved?" (http://www.askmoxie.org/2008/03/book-review-the.html)

My reply was:
I am meeting with my counselor next week to talk about the issue of what I am passionate about. I have a job, am in school taking steps to a (second) career, and have 2 kids, and still am not passionate about, well, anything. I never have been. For me, motherhood hasn't changed this, though it has significantly lessened my time to wallow in worrying about it. My older child is 4 and my younger 20 months, so I'm still head-down and moving forward as best I can. No room for big picture, "what do I want in life?" worries. Except with some coming changes in our family, I NEED to think about what I want, so I can start advocating for it. Hence the counselor.

Honestly, the only way in which I am different from my wastrel brother is that I work despite not knowing what I want, while he is waiting to know what he wants and just passing the time until then. But, you know, what if you never know what you want? I hope the counselor can work some magic with me.

Comments

[mightyurchin.livejournal.com]

I'm right there with you on the not being passionate about anything. Hence basically no hobbies (at least you have gardening, which you seem to enjoy). But I'd never thought about questioning why I feel like I SHOULD be passionate about something in the way that, for instance, my husband is about flying.

[tskaredoff.livejournal.com]

Wash my face every morning and night. I am sure for many of you this is basic. For me, not so much.

I am so glad you said this. I have somehow lost the habit and trying to retrain myself is surprisingly hard.

I feel you on the passion thing, also, but I'm ignoring that problem, if it is a problem, for right now. I keep thinking that if I can successfully manage the small things I'll have more room in my life for the big passion when I find it. Anyway, good luck with the counseling, it sounds like a smart move.

[wandsci.blogspot.com (from livejournal.com)]

I saw a career counselor a couple of years ago. It was helpful, although I didn't end up doing exactly what I thought I would when I finished with her. She helped me understand more about what is important to me in a job/career, and I still refer back to that when making career choices.

But I still don't feel great passion for my career. I like it, and I like the money. I finally decided that I didn't need passion, and once I accepted that, I worried a lot less about the course my career had taken.

I hope the counselor helps you, too!