2/23/26:  The Week Systems Didn’t Save Me

Originally, I had a very different topic planned for this week.  It was “Systems Create Sanity”.  Life decided to kick me/us in the teeth and systems went out the window.  Instead, this week I am sharing about how it is okay to not be okay.

Without going into a lot of detail, because not all of it is my story to share, February has kicked us in the teeth.  Normally, I am the strong one, the level headed one, the one who can see the practical side of things.

In this season of life I am struggling.  

I want to be strong…instead I cry.  

I want to be reasonable…instead my thoughts run off the tracks.

I want to be driven by systems and routines…but I just don’t feel like any of it matters right now. 

I do not say this to make excuses for my short-comings or inadequacies.  I am saying this because I promise I am not the only person who feels this or has felt this, and you need to know – it is okay.

It is okay to break and cry.

It is okay to let someone else be the rock when times get tough.It is okay to acknowledge life isn’t going exactly as planned and things may need to be put on pause because you just don’t have the ability to handle it right now.

At the time of writing this, I celebrated very small wins, in life and business – we had lunch with my dad, went to the bank and delivered the proceeds of a fundraiser that was hosted by Balance & Business with Melissa a couple weeks ago (I am very proud to say $3,710 was raised and an additional $1,200 was directly donated to the charity), did a Wal-Mart pick-up, prepared a basket for a local fundraiser, ran adds for an upcoming workshop, and although it doesn’t feel quite right, we took in a college basketball game. 

All this to say, it is okay to not be okay.  Let yourself feel what you need to and let yourself have space to do what you need to and not do what you can’t.  You cannot care for others if you do not care for yourself.  Care for yourself, without guilt.

Hopefully by next week I feel in a place to talk about systems and structure, but for now, I’m not in a place to talk about much.  There will be time again for systems and strategy. For now, the work is different. The work is taking care of what matters most. And that, too, is balance.