Life Coaching: #killingit or #itskillingme
/If I see one more hashtag “killing it,” I’m gonna puke. When did we as a society get to the point that we feel we have to be on top of our game every waking moment of every single day? And even when we sleep, we should be dreaming new, vibrant dreams and setting some new unattainable goals. There is a sociological pattern emerging that drives us to achieve, succeed, and believe. So my question is what are we working at achieving? In what way are we succeeding? And just what are we believing?
Don’t get me wrong…I’m all for all three of those things. In fact, I’m a huge advocate of setting smart goals—goals that are reasonable and attainable. What I’m NOT a believer in is driving ourselves so hard we fail to stop and just breathe. Or being consumed with guilt because we fall short of someone’s ideal of where we need to be. Don’t be pushed in the wrong direction just because an Instagram guru tells you they’re #killingit and it makes you feel bad about yourself. Maybe it’s because I’m a life coach, but my newsfeed is constantly stalled with ads for the next latest, greatest program that can help me to start #killingit. Maybe I don’t want to kill it. Maybe I just want to wound it a little, like getting shot with a BB gun versus a howitzer. I haven’t even figured out what the “it” is I’m supposed to be killing!
I realize this blog is a little snarky, but I have been thinking about this quite a bit today, a day I just didn’t feel like #killingit. At my age, I feel more like “let it be” rather than “Janies got a gun.” I’m tired and I want a pizza.
I had a point when I started this…what was it…oh yeah…here it is…don’t let people make you feel bad about yourself if you need a little break. Life is hard. It’s cruel. And it’s brutal. Yet, it’s also lovely, glorious, exuberant. It’s the very duality of life that makes it wondrous. How marvelous life is! Yet…how tragic. On those days when you’re just not #killingit, but it feels like it’s killing you, remember the words of Jesus: “That which does not kill you makes you stronger.” Just kidding. Jesus didn’t say that. But what He DID say was, “I am with you always. I will never leave you.” And those are words you can count on, whether you’re #killingit or #itskillingyou.
Not everything is about winning and losing. Some things are about joy, peace, mercy. Some things are about spending time caring for yourself and others. Some things are about spending time with God and getting to know His excellent nature. Those things are important and are more important than leaping out of the bed every morning, adrenaline surging like a turbine, only to crash a few hours later from exhaustion. Stop doing that to yourself. Be kind to yourself. Love God and others. Eat the ice cream, people. If you’re diabetic, eat the cheese. But enjoy life. Enjoy God. Enjoy your fellow man. Live exuberantly in your spirit and extravagantly in your heart. You won’t regret it.
