Move and keep moving

photo via Noukka Signe

Day 8 of Blog Every Day in May challenge: "a piece of advice you have for others."

Keep moving.  Physically.  Mentally.  When all else fails, dance, sing, scream, jump, do something.  Move.  Allow movement in your life and be open to change.

I agree with the whole idea of staying still.  Meditating.  And finding peace in quiet moments.  

But, I also believe, very strongly (if not more), in moving.  Moving your body and mind when your heart is so heavy and you just want to lie on the couch, ignore the phone, stare at the television, and try to forget the things that are weighing on you.  A short walk can turn a bad mood into a better one.  It reminds me that if I can make myself get up and move when my whole body and mind feels paralyzed and hopeless, then, I can overcome whatever it is that's making me feel that way.  Looking for the good when things are bad can change a negative state of mind.  

Sometimes, the job calls for me to spend all day looking and reading some pretty horrific things.  Disturbing things that people do to each other.  And when those things start taking a toll on me, I have these go-to photography websites (i.e. Beauty in Everything, Better Than Fine), where I look at happy and beautiful photographs to make me smile.  And they do remind me that there's a lot of beauty in this world.  They restore hope in me.  

And, when something is making me really sad, I go for a run.  Or I dance around my living room to Madonna or JT.  It beats lying on the couch or hiding under my covers hoping the negative feelings that are clouding me go away.  Moving, whether it be my body or my mind, makes me feel stronger.  Makes me feel I can overcome anything. 

    

Don't be afraid to move, shift course and allow change to come into your life.