The timeline that must be made, or else, does not matter as much as you think it does.
Or as much as the people pushing the timeline make it out to be.
Forces are always going to be pulling you in this and that direction.
You must remember to take care of yourself.
If only by dedicating your attention to yourself for a moment.
As they say in airplane safety demonstrations, put on your oxygen mask, then your child's.
But in day-to-day life, this is not the normal behavior.
Grinding oneself to bits for the sake of:
Social expectations
Unrealistic timelines
Unachievable ambitions
Is far from putting on your oxygen mask first.
Imagine trying to put on everyone else's oxygen masks on the plane.
While holding your breath.
This is absurd.
You are in a much better position to serve others and bring your vision of the world to life when you have put on your own mask.
When you have centered yourself as much as possible for a given scenario, then you turn to help others.
Rushing around with no regard for yourself is not the way.
Have you ever watched firefighters arriving on the scene of an accident?
They do not run. They walk.
This is a part of their training.
It should be a part of everyone's training to navigate life.
There is immense pressure to rush around.
To get this task done, then figure out what is next. All so the broader plan can come perfectly in order, just in time to be the hero of the story.
But if we sacrifice everything to be the hero in the broader story, then how much did we show up for ourselves?
There is an element of egocentricity in this drive to be the hero.
To be the boss.
To not serve under anyone.
There is nothing wrong with this drive in and of itself.
The consequences of it are harmful.
Because it locks you out of the present moment.
If you are plotting and scheming about the future, or if you are busy analyzing various plans to avoid harm, then how much can you experience the present moment?
Sound familiar?
A powerful tool to gauge where you are at any given moment is your breath.
Checking in with your breath helps to bring your attention back to the present, if only for a second or two.
When in the present, it is so much easier to get a true read on the question - How am I doing?
Next time your mind is racing, or you find yourself suffering, try to notice your breath.
Let it carry you back to this moment.