Just Exhale

I had a good day today...took care of some stuff here and there and just enjoyed strolling around
Sometimes it's just about taking care of myself and appreciating a sunny day
I'm just glad I'm slowing down and listening to my intuition more and more
It knows the way

I also talked to a couple of friends today who are going through some tough times internally
They've got jobs so money isn't the problem
It's the emotional stuff that's getting in the way of them seeing themselves clearly
So they reach out to me once in a while for an objective reality check, and I do the same with them when I'm endlessly chasing my tail or just beating the shit out of myself or both
I need touchstones to ground myself now and then
We all can be so fucking hard on ourselves

I went through a bit of dark time lately where I was working my ass off with little return
I was grumpy, spent and irritable most of the time I was awake
The finish line was all I could see, but the faster I went towards it, the farther away it got
I needed a break...cool my jets, take a breath and relax
It was only then that I was reminded of the importance of taking time to enjoy myself
Whether it's having coffee with an old friend or seeing that flick that I've been looking forward to,
life is all about the exhale...

I recently saw some people I used to hang with, and it was great to catch up with them
We all roamed the same campus years ago, and it had been awhile since we broke bread
But they all gave me a pretty consistent message:
"We miss you...be great to see you come around more...it's not the same without you."
Huh? People actually notice when I'm not around? No shit
Talk about a jolt to the self-esteem
From where I come from, I've done a lot of work to accept the fact that people dig me, that I have value, that I matter
Sounds new agey cliche, but believe me, it's taken awhile for me to accept the fact that I ain't broken
I've been letting go of the old belief system and welcoming the new
The most important thing we'll ever do is recover ourselves, recover our spirit, recover that sunny day

If you've been giving yourself a hard time, I suggest that you stop
You're a good person
You mean well
You have a lot to offer those around you
There's no mistake you've made that can't be amended
And there's nothing you'd still like to do that eventually can't be done
Even if you don't believe these words, believe that I believe these words for you
You ain't broken, you're just going through some changes
Just exhale