Something struck me this morning when I was getting up that stuck with me, and I have to write about it. I think it might be helpful to someone else.

Just a few years ago, I was sleeping through life. I was not happy, but I wasn’t unhappy. I didn’t know what I was. I bounced around to therapists because either one left (which happened frequently) or there was no chemistry. One female therapist kept her cell phone in her bra and it rang during the first time I met with her. She answered it, it was her son, and she shoved the cell phone back into the bra. I never returned, and my guy and I comically refer to her as “Cell Bra.” It’s been a journey trying to find someone to help me. Thankfully, I have. It’s not unlike meeting your partner. You have to kiss some frogs first.

But even though I was getting help, I was sleeping, and not a lot was getting inside. It was like I was going there talking to a friend, running down what was happening in my life, complaining about my job, and crying about why can’t I earn a living doing what I love to do. It seemed like I was getting nowhere, just a hamster spinning on the wheel.

In my slumber, I kept super busy, so I didn’t have to feel anything. That made life tolerable because if I woke up, I would have to take responsibility and do some sort of action. I wanted to keep sleeping. It was comfy and cozy, and I could complain and make excuses. It was easier, but life was harder.

When we deny our pain, no matter what it is, it keeps us sleeping. It could be as simple as wanting to be more assertive or being able to love what you see in the mirror every single time you look at yourself, not just when you’re dolled up. I had that pain, and it sucked to address it because that meant I had to wake up and face the truth. Oh, that blasted truth that wouldn’t go away! Gosh, I didn’t want to think about it, but it kept poking at me, taunting me. If you ever feel a desire/need/want that never seems to get satisfied, it could be that your truth is blocking you. It’s trying to get you to wake up.

But sleeping is great. You get to dream, and life is wonderful. There are no consequences, no pain, just living life as it comes. And we deal with it. Some do it better than others, but we all deal with life every day we’re alive. The poor souls who gave up just wanted to keep sleeping, but their truth kept waking them up. Sadly, some just wanted to sleep and not be woken up. The truth was too difficult to bear.

Hey, I get it. I’ve been there. But here’s the thing about life, it’s a little secret I’m going to share. I’m sure you’ve heard it before. You need to wake up, sleepy head!

What we put into our life is what we get out of it.

Think about this – you’re sleeping. It’s so comfortable! You don’t have to do anything to make your life better. You think it’s okay. You have a roof over your head, and the kids are healthy. But when no one is looking, your head drops a little bit, and you sigh. Your truth butts into your gratitude moment, and you think, “Am I happy?” Gratitude is incredible and necessary, but we still need to acknowledge ourselves. How are you – really?

Waking up means tears might fall, the pain might overwhelm you, and you may feel like you can’t handle it. The truth can do that. But here’s the great part that ties in with ‘what we put into life is what we get out of it’ – after we deal with the hard stuff, we get to heal. And being healed is the most incredible thing! I had to wake up to heal. That’s the only way it can be done.

We can meditate, do yoga, party till the sun rises, go shopping, exercise, play Bingo, or do whatever helps us feel good, but it’s all temporary when we aren’t awake. Even mindfulness can keep us asleep if we’re still sleeping while doing all those things. The only way to lasting happiness is to do the work and take complete control over your life. Sorry, but we have to wake up.

Thank you for reading this, and hopefully, I gave you something good to think about. That’s what I meant to do.  If this inspired you, please let me know in a comment below. I’d love to hear from you. 🙂

To Waking Up,

Francesca