Anything that costs you your peace is too expensive. – Anonymous
I know, I know, it is easier said than done. But sometimes we are so focused on what we want to achieve, that we forget to check on what really matters: ourselves. Is it really worth to keep pushing to reach our goals, even if that means losing sleep, skipping meals, or ending up so grumpy that the only thing we want to do, at the end of every day, is just to go to bed and hide under the blankets?
The thing is, sometimes we feel that until we push ourselves to the very limit, until we are feeling physically ill, because only then we can “justify” ourselves to stop or take a break.
But the question I want to ask you is: is it really worth it? Is that promotion really more important than having dinner with your family? Is that person ignoring your messages more valuable than a night of sleep? Is your life depending on the result of that match, now that you trained so hard that you are aching everywhere?
I think that the answer to these questions is quite clear, but sometimes we fail to see it, as what we want to achieve seems so important that we forget to check on ourselves, to make sure we are still ok or if it is time for a break.
I know that it seems hard to accept that we need to take it easy sometimes, but let’s try to shift perspective one second: let’s pretend that you get wherever you wanted to be, wouldn’t the situation require you to be at 100% of your abilities? If you get that promotion, or that message, or win that match, wouldn’t you prefer to live the full experience, be your true self and be able to do your best?
And let’s not forget the best part: celebrating with your loved ones, maybe with a pancake stack!
THE PARMIGIANA WHISPERER 
I love this! I have been so excited to see your daily notes and been literally checking updates to see if a new one is there yet.. and this is just so spot on! It has been such a hard year and we need to check in with ourselves and also with close ones like never before! thank you for sharing with us your own advent 🙂 your posts are just so beautiful and inspiring! exactly what one needs this time of the year ..cant wait for the next one!
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awww thank you so much for your kind words! I was worried that people might get bored, I am so glad that you are enjoying these posts 🙂
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Yes
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Reading your post today reminded me that I hadn’t checked in with my grandchildren in a couple of days – you know how time sort of slips through your fingers. They were so happy to talk to me but bummed out because school is closed again until the January 4 at the earliest. There are just too many teachers who need to quarantine and cannot physically make it into school so everyone is back on virtual schooling. They miss their friends and all the necessary socializing so important for relationships, whether between adults or kids. They were excited to tell me about the gingerbread houses they built over the weekend and will post photos on Facebook. My oldest, 11-year-old Mckenna, asked me when things would finally be back to normal. I wish I had an answer for her but I didn’t. 💔
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This is the real gold of our lives isn’t it? The connections with our kids and grandkids, those moments of ordinary conversation that mean so much right now.
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<3<3<3
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I think teenagers and kids are paying the highest price in this situation…if adults are struggling already, the situation is even more complicate for them! Today we started with the first doses of the vaccine in the UK, fingers crossed we can get back to normal very soon!
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I love this post. We sometimes forget what “enough” is, what do we really need and what are we giving up to get even more?
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Thank you! I totally agree. too often we forget about what really matters in life – if this pandemic taught me something, is to give priority to the most important things: my loved ones and my serenity ❤
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Many people have said this is the silver lining!
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Absolutely and those pancakes look amazing !
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thank you Sandra! 🙂
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Support. Maybe it has got to do with this societal mindset that we need to be more, which translates to keep going always. Like you said, this is not true and sometimes being more means slowing down, doing less, and being quiet. Your thoughts also reminded me to refocus. I hurt my knee and cannot exercise and have been thinking of ways to do it. But actually I should just rest and recover. Thank you.
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I am glad it was a useful reminder! I agree with you, I think the society played a big role with this idea of what “successful” means: big house, great job, expensive car. But today, I believe that to me successful translates as “happy”. Happy with a studio flat, a castle or a caravan, it doesn’t really matter! Take care! xx
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You are so right about thinking about whether something is worth it or not. The way we choose to look at situations and think about things make a huge difference.
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100% agree! We tend to believe at a definition of success that is not applicable to everybody: to me, being happy equals successful. I don’t care about big cars or massive houses, I just want to have a serene and fulfilled life, regardless of what I own!
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One of the gifts in this time of uncertainty is the for some of us the time to reflect on what is truly important in our lives. It sounds to me like you have done a good job with that and, oh, the pancakes aren’t too shabby either😊
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I totally agree! It was certainly a good time to think and re-prioritise everything!
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