What a good night’s sleep and a good hair day can do

Regarding yesterday’s post, here’s what I am learning. When I am feeling super lame and lousy, I should ask myself the following questions:

• Have I gotten enough sleep? (Usually, if I am feeling terrible, the answer will be no. I am becoming more and more convinced that getting enough sleep should be my number one act of spiritual worship. Seriously.)
• Have I had enough caffeine? Have I had too much caffeine? (Caffeine is my drug of choice – two cups of coffee every morning. But when I miss those cups, or overdo it by drinking an ENTIRE POT, then I’m in trouble.)
• Am I eating the right things? (A meal of salty chips and queso, along with margaritas, does not constitute a well-balanced diet.)
• Am I exercising? (But. Guys. It’s just SO HOT here right now.)

And finally,

• Am I being overly sensitive?

Oooooh. Sensitive. Here’s the thing. Ever since I was a little girl, it has been pointed out to me that I am strong-willed. Stubborn. A perfectionist to the core. With a granite-like resolve, it’s hard to change my mind, or my behavior, or my beliefs. But every so often, something will strike a nerve, and I’ll have a meltdown. Contrary to my rock-solid façade, I can be thin-skinned.

It’s a good thing to be able to feel. The ability to feel allows me to experience empathy, and compassion, and joy. But to open myself up to the good inevitably means that I will occasionally experience what is at the opposite side of the spectrum: suckyness. The capacity to feel pain is actually a healthy thing; it’s a sign that my emotions are alive and well. The trick is to keep those emotions in check, and stop the downward spiral of negative self-talk before it gets out of hand.

Oprah, I’m available for your show anytime.

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Tonight, I am Kansas City bound. Tomorrow, I am 14-hours-in-a-Camry-with-my-family Colorado bound. I’m not sure when I’ll have the chance to post again. And given the fact that my mom called my weekend update videos “creepy,” I can’t promise that you’ll have another one on Monday. Then again, a Parsonspalooza Road Trip video might be in order… especially because this guy will be in the car.