the mystery of life

Do you ever have the days when you just feel like you can't catch up? No matter how much you actually get done there's always that full trash bag stinking up the kitchen. Or the dirty underwear really, really needing to be washed (thanks, life, for letting me wear leotards and not underwear every day). Or especially that note you meant to mail to your grandfather weeks ago... hashtag: all the oopsies. Or that house plant you killed because you forgot to water it...ever.

But I, Emily, have found a way (two ways, to be exact) to make my days feel super productive. I even feel like I could conquer the world despite the trash and laundry and not mailed mail. Emily the Conquerer! We'll work on a nickname. 

One

I read my daily devotional book.

Two

I floss my teeth.

No freaking joke. As long as I accomplish these two daily tasks, my day feels complete. My day feels good. My day feels conquered and bonus, my teeth feel nice and clean. 

I've been testing out this theory for about a week now. Every morning I wake up a little early to try to squeeze in some Pilates practice. This means that every morning I have a choice: will I also squeeze in my daily devotional reading or will I stand in the scalding hot shower for 5 extra minutes? Once a decision has been made I carry on with my teaching, leaving Freddie notes since I won't see him until late, and rehearsing. When I come home to go to bed I have to make another choice: to floss or not to floss?  

Days when I choose the extra shower time and the dirty gums are days when the overwhelmed emotions get the best of me and I go to bed feeling like I'm still on mile 5 of the marathon when everyone else is on mile 15. Being escorted by the end of race police is not fun! Not fun at all. 

But on nights after I have read the devotional and I have flossed my happy teeth, I go to sleep smiling. Promise, cross my heart, and all that. I don't care what mile I'm on because I'm blasting my happy run music and just doing my best. Screw you, end of the race police escort car. 

I know you're all probably in complete shock that I have just figured out life's big mystery: how not to feel overwhelmed, and trust me guys, I'm just as shocked as you are that I discovered this. 

Just try it. Read your devotional and floss your teeth. Or read a book and brush your hair. Or call a friend and write a letter. Or just actually take out the trash and wash the underwear. Just do the things that make you feel unstoppable. Unbreakable. And most importantly, on freakin' top of things. 

You've got this. My healthy gums and I say so. 

And because posting a picture of me flossing my teeth would be weird, here's a picture of me not flossing my teeth.