Full disclosure. Yesterday I woke up at 5:30 a.m. with the lights on (not uncommon), my earrings on, my clothes on (including tights. Yuck!) and my makeup on (the worst of them all).
I’d love to tell you I had a fun and crazy night out drinking, but the truth is I was out teaching one of my storytelling classes, there were subway delays and I could barely keep my eyes open on the train. I’m lucky I got off at the right stop. (I’ve only missed it twice in the 18 years I’ve lived here. One was after a holiday party where, yes, I did throw back several cocktails. The other was when I was (you guessed it) looking at my phone.
I bring this up because I want to share that even though I’m doing my best to take care of myself for these 30 days, I’m not perfect. I expect perfection (which is unrealistic), but I’m human. I’d also like to point out that this is not the first time I’ve fallen asleep with my makeup on although it is rare that I fall asleep with my clothes on.
To make me feel better about what I did, I grabbed an ice cold towel doused in eucalyptus at the gym, put it on my face and inhaled the wonderful scent. It went a hell of a lot better than it did the other day when I put the “oy” in essential “oil” and it felt great.
I also watched the sunrise for the few minutes on my way to the gym. How? Because I wasn’t looking at my phone. I’ve tried to do that a lot recently and it’s amazing the things you see, hear and notice when your head is up and your eyes and ears are perked.
Last weekend I saw balloons (big and small) four times in one day which sparked an idea that I want to do.
Last night I saw one of the first guys I went out with when I moved to NYC. He was talking to another guy, so he didn’t notice me, but it brought back some memories for me that I might work into a story.
I challenge you to try that today.
Whether you’re walking somewhere, on the subway or just waiting for a meeting to start, put your phone down for two minutes and see what you notice in your body, in your mind and in your world.
Then, report back below! I can’t wait to hear from you!