Have you ever felt out of joint? A sudden absence of fulfillment?
You’re functioning perfectly well. Your house is as clean as it needs to be. Your bills are paid. You have all you need. There is no real reason to feel this way, but you do, & all your attempts to remedy it prove fruitless.
You go get that meal you love, but you’re still not satisfied.
You go out with the friends who know you best & leave feeling lonely.
You try your best to articulate it to your “person”, but all you can manage to say is something is missing & you can’t begin to think of how to search for whatever it is.
This has happened to me…more than once. More than twice, if I’m being honest.
I tried dismissing it. Ignoring it. Drowning it out with the noise of activities & new Netflix obsessions. That never worked.
I attempted to self-care myself out of the funk. Got massages, had a float, took a day off, went shopping to treat myself to something “well-deserved.” But, nothing changed.
I sought to rid my life & self of unnecessary thoughts & things. I journaled. Made vision boards. Went through closets & majorly purged what I had & did not need or use.
Eventually I convinced myself I was better, but I was really just burying the feeling hoping to suffocate it like it was suffocating me. Inevitably, it resurfaced every time.
Then I had a stroke of insight. A eureka moment. An epic AH-HAH!
All of my solutions were about me.
It made sense to look inside initially. After all, if I had a problem I needed to dig deep to determine a solution. But, then I realized self-focus was the issue, so it could not be the remedy.
Now, hear me clearly, there is nothing wrong with introspection or taking care of yourself. You must do those things to stay well. But, sometimes when life feels out of joint for no good reason, it’s because you need to look outside yourself & invest in the world around you.
Get some perspective. Gather gratitude. Give of yourself in ways that require a sacrifice of comfort, be that money, time or otherwise.
Find a local organization with a mission you identify with & schedule time to volunteer. Call that friend you know is struggling & have a quality conversation to remind them they are not alone. Go for a walk & smile at strangers.
Getting outside yourself is the key to being a balanced human. If you are too about you, your scale tips & you will always feel “off” no matter what you do.
So splash some water on that gorgeous face, shake it off & turn your eyes to your family, friends, neighbors…anywhere but you for a minute. Do this a little bit all the time & stay out of that self-focused funk.
The world needs you. So share.
