I did something radical today. Maybe radical is a bit of an exaggeration but for me it certainly felt like a radical thing. It’s something I’ve been wanting to do since I got a car and started working in 2017. Today, on the 19th of March 2019 (two years later after dreaming of all of this) I took nap in my car during lunch.

This seems like a not so big deal but for me it was because it stemmed from something I have been practising and trying to implement a lot lately and taking a nap in my car has been a pretty big deal to me for a while. I have always been of the belief that we all need a nap during the day, something short, something simple, something to help us recuperate somewhere during the day and find the calm and centre we usually have a few minutes after waking up. You know what I am talking about, those few hours (or minutes) of a day when you feel well rested, ready to tackle the events of the day and you are feeling alive both with possibilities and in a more practical sense in that your lungs are filled with air for yet another day? That is one of my most favourite feelings because I happen to be a morning person and someone who feels really good and motivated when I wake up early in the morning.

So back to this great nap I took and why this simple thing took me so long. It all goes back to what I wrote about a while back about the shoes. These two things seem unrelated but when one takes a closer look it all has the common golden thread that was my desire to please others. Even though most times this option has always sort of been available to me I have resisted doing it based on what I thought others would think of me if I chose to enjoy my lunch alone with a book or followed by a nap. I always assumed that people would think I am rude and stuck up or that I saw myself above them or their conversation, I am not quite sure how I reached these rationalisations but I did and after I did I let them keep from doing a lot and napping in my car was one of those things.

Lately I have been trying to check in a lot with myself and what feels good to me. This was inspired by a lot but most recently (yesterday to be exact) I discovered it via a yogi on YouTube (Yoga by Adriene on Youtube) who encourages one to “do what feels good” when practising yoga. I think this a terrific concept for life especially for those of us who go through life just simply doing because it is socially acceptable or because of some deep seated desire to be liked that has as a result made us disconnected from what we actually like and who we actually are. And so I have been asking myself this a lot lately: Does it look good on you? Does it feel good on you? Does it taste good you? Does it make sense to you? Does being here feel good to you? Stopping throughout my day and asking myself these questions is giving me some meaning to my days and consequently to my life that I never knew was missing. It is also helping me be more honest about things I have no interest in doing because I am slowly realising that something NOT feeling good is a good enough reason for me not to do whatever that thing is.

Asking myself if something feels good has added consciousness to my mind, body and somehow my soul as well which I have recently decided to feed more (a blog for another day). Of course this does not give me permission to be reckless in my interactions with myself and others. There needs to be some boundaries. Doing what feels good does not mean that I disregard anyone else’s feelings or efforts, it does not mean that I am self-harming in my desire to be a hedonist only eating dessert despite the consequences of sugar on my health. Doing what feels good does not mean living life selfishly but rather living life consciously. Doing what feels good means added awareness to what makes you feel joyous and alive as opposed to what moves your day along. Sometimes what feels good is eating lunch in company, sharing stories and laughing full heartedly. Other times it means having your lunch at your desk because you are doing work that is both fulfilling and nourishing to your mind and body. And in some very particular instances doing what feels good means having lunch in your car listening to a podcast you’ve listened to many times before, taking a nap and waking up refreshed and inspired to write something for your blog.

If you haven’t done this lately maybe now is the time to do it. Maybe now is the time to check in and ask your body if it’s feeling good. Start at the top of your head all the way down to your feet. Is your mind feeling good or is it calling for a break? Are your shoulders feeling good or are they tensed up? Is your stomach feeling good or does it need a little TLC? Are your feet feeling good or do they need to be planted a little more? Is your body feeling good or do you need to find balance? Stop today and ask your body, mind and soul if they are feeling good, you will be surprised at the responses you get.