Taking Comfort

I love a good piece of inspirational writing. This past year has brought an immense amount of difficult change into my life. For the first time in my life, I am facing serious unemployment. Not the “Oh, I left my job so I can focus more on school” kind of unemployment, but the “I’ve just graduated and need to start a new career where I am competing against applicants much more qualified than I am, and how the hell do I get experience when all the jobs require previous experience” kind of unemployment. I have an unpleasant amount school debt. I’ve endured multiple deaths, including that of my amazing boyfriend, my favorite grandfather, a wonderful coworker, a beautiful aunt, and my super awesome red tailed boa (Rest in peace, Mr. Cupcake). I may potentially move to a new city, where I know no one and will have to endure -40F temperatures.

So yeah, waking up to a great cup of coffee and this beautiful piece of inspirational writing by comedy writer Sarah May Bates was a wonderful way to start my day. I hope it brightens your day as well.

TAKE COMFORT

by Sarah May Bates

We can all take comfort in the simple knowledge we have. Sometimes we just have to allow ourselves to. It’s a part of being self-protective, self-sufficient, proactive: to get wrapped up in solving things and controlling or predicting the outcome of our lives. To know too much about people and how they work can sometimes help us, but more often, it drives us a bit mad. A mantra of sorts that can help you to let go of the things you can’t but want to control is simply “take comfort”. Take comfort in your self, your awareness, and that which is concrete.

Whether it’s a first date you’re preparing for and you feel yourself already worried about if the relationship one day ends, or you’re obsessed with the idea that something you said wasn’t right, take comfort in the facts and let it go. When I begin to obsess about the “what-ifs” of a situation, when I feel I can see something on the horizon or I’ve been able to sense something through subtle cues, I know I cannot act on that information, and in order to get to the right place, meaning a place where I’m not going in circles, I have to rely on the simple truths. A simple truth being: “I trust this person.” “I will figure out what to do if X scenario happens.” “I am kind and loving, and human.” Or “I want to enjoy this, regardless of the future, which I cannot know.”

You can hold tight to facts or truths that you know, despite the buzzing “what-ifs” that fly around you. In a way, you can walk forward stronger and more assured because you are putting faith in yourself being okay with any outcome. You can’t control people or what they do, and you can’t make everything happen perfectly in life. You can however, assure that you feel okay and peaceful throughout all of it.

Take comfort in the knowledge that you will be okay. No matter what. You are strong, you will take care of yourself and heal, and you will grow stronger every day. It’s a simple mantra, but I offer it with the hopes that it works for you too.
Happy Monday, love to you all.

– xox Sarah

*****

You can read the original here, as well as explore more of Hello Giggles, a wonderful website for women.

Taking a Break

Unemployment is stressful, especially when you have a cloud of student debt hanging over your head. And especially when you love your field. I haven’t played with blood cells and bacteria in months, and I truly miss it. Every job application I fill out simultaneously fills me with more hope and stress, and it gets pretty exhausting after a while.

I decided to take a break. Not just a break from job searching, but a break from anxiety. I was fed up with the constant worry and doubt, and just needed a break, if only for a day. One day of not worrying about finances and job applications and future job interviews and cleaning the apartment and relationships and to-do lists and any other thing that could cause me stress.  So I settled in to my favorite coffee shop, surrounded with newspaper, coffee, chocolate croissants, yarn, a book, and a computer full of music.

My book of choice was a borrowed copy of “Headless Males Make Great Lovers,” by Marty Crump. It’s an charming book full describing peculiar animal mating rituals and habits, cleverly written and filled with the kind of enthusiasm I usually reserve for   blood antibody systems. So while attempting to crochet what will one day hopefully resemble a scarf, I took breaks to read about elephant seal harems and headless praying mantis sex. I haven’t gotten very far, but I absolutely love it. My attempt at a scarf is less entertaining, and looks like the work of a demented, drunken octopus. Mostly because I just let my mind wander and forget to count the stitches.

I suppose I’m taking the honey badger approach, where I just don’t care about the damn number of stitches. It’s just a silly scarf. The whole point of a scarf is to keep your neck and face warm, so who cares about the number of stitches or if the edges are straight? Today is my break from reality, so here I sit, contently crocheting away while humming The Cigarette Duet, which has been stuck in my head for days.

I certainly feel better, calmer, and ready to take on the world again, armed with biology books and happiness ^_^