Crashing Cheetah.

One of my not so favorite past times is listening to the kids show, Wild Kratts, playing in the background. With my four kids home more than ever before, I have had to allow myself grace and let them watch more television than usual because of the pandemic. If you are not familiar with the animal loving Kratt brothers (think Zaboomafoo in the early 2000's), let me give you a brief overview! They are two brothers that use their creature powers to defeat their adversaries.

This show has become a favorite of all my four children and finding anything that all of them will enjoy is a chore in itself! In season one, episode 23, the Kratt Brothers take on the creature power of a cheetah. Now this can only be done in a semi cartoon version because the Kratt Brothers obviously don't have the ability to turn into actual cheetahs.

In this specific episode, they talk about how the Cheetah is the fastest land animal. Since Cheetahs are so fast, it seems desirable to want to be a cheetah in the realm of mental health.

Let me explain, a cheetah can go faster than all other land animals, but a cheetah can only sustain that speed for short periods of time. If it doesn't catch its prey within a short amount of time, the cheetah will become tired and have to stop to take a break. Over the past month, I have been a mental health cheetah. I have been doing all the therapy, meditating, going on walks, yoga, reading self help books, and all the other things to help work on myself. It's a new year! So I'm running like a cheetah!

About two weeks ago, I crashed. I lost my stamina. I broke down. I cried for days. I texted the crisis text line. Why am I saying all of this? Because sometimes, we push ourselves to the breaking point. I had a long discussion with my therapist this last week about all of my hurt and pain and she told me to, "Slow down."

I have to remind myself that life is a journey. Some days will be better than others. I can wear myself by going to any extreme, even if it is good for me. Too much of a good thing is a bad thing? I went to the extreme and crashed in a puddle. I crashed hard. I crashed into a pit even though I was soaring high. I remember reading about finding our balance. Finding a comfortable place where I am both taking care of myself but not so focused on myself that I lose focus on the present and others.

I am now taking a different outlook. Finding my balance. If that means taking better care of myself, I'm going to do that! If that means helping others, I'm going to do that! I'm going to do whatever helps me find balance even and recognize that I need different things at different steps along my journey. Today, I am going to take a breathe, ask myself what I need, and do my best to balance and listen to what Sarah needs. I challenge you to do the same!