I have to say that I’ve cut through this tunnel countless times, but it’s never looked quite as magical as this before. I don’t know if it was the golden hour light this evening or what, but it stopped me in my tracks. I half expected to come out the other end into another world. Like a C.S. Lewis tale or something.

Anyway, it’s Wednesday — day #4 of the “7 ways to be more kind to your mind” exercise/self-reflections from @laurajaneillustrations:

“Say no to something that you know you don’t have the time or energy for today; saying no today will create space for you to rest & recharge so that you can say yes to more tomorrow.”

That. To me, that is the ultimate self-kindness right there. Especially for people-pleasers who struggle to say no, consistently overextend themselves, and ultimately burn out. Some people are completely comfortable saying no and guarding their energy. For others, refusal is a skill that needs to be developed — like trying to engage a muscle group that is rarely exercised. Obviously I fall into the latter. But I’ve been working on it — and pleased to report that I’m getting better. And amazingly enough, I’ve discovered that saying no doesn’t make me a bad or selfish person. It just makes me a less exhausted, more balanced person. And it really is okay. Who knew??