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May 12, 2022

"It's Okay To Not Be Okay"

By Barry Rudesill

Good morning to y’all! I sincerely do hope that you’re having a good morning! The sun is shining...ish! The birds are chirping! (We have Sandhill Cranes in the field next to us and they’re “chirping” at about 8,000 decibels!) The snow is melting! (Yes, there are still pockets of it in the Northwoods!) All-in-all it’s a great day!

Now, some of you, having read the first paragraph, have decided that I’m one of those “morning people”. I’m not. My idea of being a “morning person” is to stay up until sunrise, not get up at sunrise! (Getting up to watch a sunrise means that something has already gone wrong in my day!)

So if my first paragraph isn’t the result of being a morning person, maybe it’s because I’ve had too much caffeine, sugar...or both! As for caffeine, I HAVE had some – us ADHD people don’t function well without it! – but I haven’t had anywhere near “too much”! As for sugar, I haven’t touched any yet today.

Oh, and just in case you’re wondering, the happy attitude isn’t because of good health (I’m getting over bronchitis), a past/upcoming vacation (I’m booked solid for the next three months), good news (is it bad that I’m trying to not even WATCH the news right now?), or for any other reason you might come up with.

The reason I’m feeling this way is because of last week. Last week, I was given a new task that is going to eat up about 160 hours of my life. On top of that, I was trying to finish building the new High Ropes Course at Crescent Lake Bible Camp. On top of that, I had a couple of “road trips” that I knew were going to be stressful. On top of that, I need to finish the repairs to my house. On top of that, I had bronchitis and was struggling to get out of my chair to try to accomplish any one of the thousands of tasks that were piling up.

As I was sitting there, frustrated because I wasn’t making any progress, I had someone share a thought with me: “It’s okay to not be okay!” They knew that I was tired; that I couldn’t focus; that I wanted – needed! – to get work done! But they also knew that mentally, emotionally, and most of all physically I wasn’t in a place where I could start rushing around!

In that time, in that place, the most important thing that I could – and should – do was rest. If I felt good enough, I could go out and work; if I felt poorly, I could sit down and rest. (It’s kind of hard to handle “big things” when simple things – like breathing – aren’t going well!) I needed to do what was required to get my health back, to get my tasks sorted out, and to figure out a plan for how to move forward.

“It’s okay to not be okay!” That’s pretty good advice!

But the caveat to that statement is this: “But you don’t have to stay there!” This week, I’m feeling a LOT better! Am I at 100%? Nope. But if I pace myself, if I do the work that I’m able to do, I should be fine. Even more than that, instead of focusing on the entire “task mountain”, I’m looking for the little bits and pieces that I can handle with the strength I have.

I still get tired, I still need naps, and I still need help. There is still a lot of work ahead of me, but I’m doing what I can, when I can, to the best of my ability; knowing the whole time that each and every step is leading me one step closer to the place where I can rest. Because of that, I can take some time this morning to enjoy the warmer weather.

Today, instead of focusing on the overwhelming mountain in front of you, focus on the next step! Instead of being frustrated by what you don’t have or can’t do, be thankful for what you do have! And, if nothing else, take a moment, sit down, and spend at least five minutes just enjoying the day!

“It’s okay to not be okay, but you don’t have to stay there!”

Hope this makes sense and we hope you enjoy your journey!

- The Trek

May 12, 2022

"It's Okay To Not Be Okay"

By Barry Rudesill

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