I’ve decided I have a heart problem. Yes, I know, most people don’t just “decide” they have a problem with a major organ in their body. They go to a doctor and a medical professional doles out that diagnosis.
Call it “January” or “one too many snow days” or “cabin fever,” but I don’t need a doctor to tell me I have a heart problem.
The things that used to make my heart happy… going to basketball games, driving my kids to practices, writing my blog posts, working on my cancer book… now seem like one more thing on my to-do list.
The word BURDEN looms large in my brain.
When something we love to do becomes a burden it begins to suck the life out of us. Those same activities that once gave us energy and made us feel purposeful or maybe even excited now leave us feeling tired, weak, and overwhelmed.
So what’s the antidote to allowing our lives to be filled with burdens?
I am seeking the advice of a medical professional to find out for certain, but I’m pretty sure it’s gratitude.
When we see each duty through the lens of I get to be a part of this instead of I have to be a part of this, we begin to see the exact same circumstances in a whole new way.
The part that confuses me is how we retrain the brain — and the heart — to see things like leaving my house when it’s a freezing 5 degrees outside as an opportunity, but I’ll be sure to report back.
In the meantime, I’d love to hear your favorite practices for keeping a healthy (unburdened) heart. Please post them on Facebook or email me at info@nicolejphillips.com. I can’t wait to hear what you have to say!
