Breathe First - Then Do

A friend posted on social media that they were feeling overwhelmed by the pandemic, by the current climate news... by all of the things going on whether it is personal or global.  This is an individual I know who does care for more than their own comfort - and I understand how difficult it is to balance between care and worry.

The part of the post that spoke to me was, "Must breathe.... Soothe me, friends."

First, I was honored that, perhaps, I could be considered a friend.  And second, I realized I also needed to breathe and I could use some soothing.

So, I put a reply out there with a picture that soothes me - and I wrote: "Breathe first - then do." 

After I posted that reply, I thought about it more - and when that happens, a blog often follows.

Was I writing those words and sharing that picture to soothe myself or to soothe the person who made the original post?  Does that really matter?

We all have things we care about and things we want to do.  Many of us find that we are overwhelmed by how much there is to do and how little of it we tend to get done.  We despair that it doesn't seem to matter what we manage to get done because it won't make a difference.  We get frustrated, we get angry or depressed (or both), and we start to worry that everything is getting away - all for the worst.

Personally, I still worry a bit about my health after kidney surgery and I worry about everyone's health with the pandemic.  I am concerned that we are poisoning our world with pesticides and we don't seem to care about the natural world as we should.  I teeter between the edge of despair and a wild, unsubstantiated hope that we'll figure it all out.

Breathe first - then do.

Tammy and I were able to take a few moments over the past couple of weeks to watch some of the Olympic athletes compete in the Summer Games.  These are people who have dedicated themselves to excelling at one thing and this event is the pinnacle of their achievement - whether they receive gold or finish last in the opening heat of a particular event.

The platform diver takes a deep breath before falling, in a controlled fashion, to the water three stories below.  The volleyball player takes a deep breath before putting the ball over the net on their serve.  The discus thrower takes a breath before unwinding themselves in preparation for the throw.

Breathe first - then do.

Our lives are the event we have prepared ourselves for and this moment is the pinnacle of our achievement.  Just as the next will also be the pinnacle of our achievement.  And the next...

But, before we achieve, we must breathe.  

Breathe first - then do.