Can you do yourself a favor?

Yesterday I realized something so important. With everything I want to accomplish, I feel like I cram something into every single minute of my day.

Do you ever do that?

Do you try to fit in all your phone calls while you’re driving like ME, only to hit the floor running when you get out of the car? Then you listen to personal development podcasts while you exercise and read articles to get you ready for the next big thing right before you fall asleep.

What happened to a few minutes of me time? What happened to music and laughter? Sights, sounds, smells? Hugs and cups of coffee? Where did the joy go?

Though our efforts to better ourselves really can get us to the next level, sometimes, they can also lead us to nitpicking our every flaw. We are on high alert with all that fine-tuning and action-packed living, so we become hyper-critical and hyper-focused on everything . . . including our diets.

If you really pay attention, those times when you are chugging the high-octane bulletproof coffee and fitting more stuff into every moment like your life is a giant game of Tetris or scrabble (am I dating myself there?) are also the times when you feel like you have to count every calorie and criticize every extra bump and lump you may or may not have.

Do me a favor. I want you to step back and think about where the beautiful things in your life are. Are you taking the time to focus on them? Do you give yourself a few minutes to enjoy your favorite song, meditate, chat with a friend, or gaze at the sunset?

I want you to do that.

When you take the time to bask in the good things in life, you can also focus on you and how wonderful you are. No matter where you are with your fitness goals, you are worth doing that. You are amazing, whole and perfect exactly how you are!

Carolyn was a busy mom of four, and yet she found the time to prioritize her own health and happiness as a bridge to joy! Here’s what she said about our time together: