This morning I awoke to a new level of optimism.

Yesterday was a really hard day. In fact, September has been a really hard month. Nothing that should have worked right, did. But, instead of forcing change, I dropped it, left work early, which I rarely do and went home. I took a nap in the sunshine. I decided to do some retail therapy with my 17 year old and even went out for dinner.

They and I chatted about deep things and laughed about silly things. It lifted my heart and also challenged my mind. They provide me with regular opportunities to check myself and see if my bias is showing. (And, it usually is!)

Then, I decided to go for an extra long run and clocked in at an incredibly high heart rate which felt like a mixture of death and invigoration.

Slept for 8 hours and voila!

OPTIMISM.

Who cares about the issues of yesterday. They will sort themselves out. My job is to do ‘ME’ well. To understand myself better and to recognize that the only thing I can change is me.

So, I'm fresh from sitting by myself for 20 minutes and now I’m heading for a shower. All small things that seem to be propelling me forward today.

Where is my optimism from, you ask?

Taking care of the fundamentals of being human makes ALL the difference in how you feel. Without self-care, there can only be short lived successes. Being optimistic about the future doesn't always have to mean seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Sometimes, it can be just enough to get to the afternoon.

For that, I choose self-care and optimism. . .at least for today.

Tomorrow? Baby steps. . .

Amber (aka The Feisty PM)