Thirsty Thursday

My husband and I have always thought weekends were over-rated. We love Thursdays. After all, it's Friday eve. Thursdays are always our time to step outside of our daily grind. Go to dinner alone or meet with friends. It's a night to break up the week and get out of work mode. It's a time to celebrate the coming weekend and the accomplishments of the week thus far. A time to wind down and let loose a bit. That's why we love Thursdays.

So I got to thinking. What are we all craving, thirsting for when we look forward to the weekend (besides alcohol folks). I think we are craving the end of something and also the hopes of new beginnings. We measure our weeks in days. Five days working and two days to play and catch up on laundry. What if we could take our Thursdays and use them to focus? What if we could practice mindfulness, presence, living on purpose with intention every Thursday? We all know how hard it is to start a new habit. After all, we do it every January with lofty new year resolutions. Instead of setting long term goals with no plans on how to get there, what if we dedicated one day, Thirsty Thursday to go after the things we thirst for. Things like deeper connection with our kids. Alone time with our significant other. Time for ourselves to meditate or visit with a friend. Or for those type A personalities, a day to rest from all the pressures we put on ourselves.

I tend to lean towards every day being thirsty Thursday. I'm an all or nothing kind of girl. I'm working on balance but i also really like me. I like the scattered at times me. I like the "just get it done" me. I like the organized to a tee one day and a hot mess the next day me. I also like the me who is always striving to learn and grow and do better. For me starting a new habit is not easy. If starting a new habit is hard for you, start small. I invite you to pick a day, just one. Set time apart for you. For fun, for quiet time, for reflection time, for party time. Whatever you are missing in your week, take the time to do it. If you're not sure, sit with it. You'll know what you're missing. It's that thing you wish you were doing. When you finally get to it, you have so much fun and feel so grounded you wonder why you don't do it more often. What are you thirsty for?

This past month has been a gloomy one. Literally we have had rain most of the month. I am a sunny beach girl. I thrive when the sun is out. Weather and my environment at times truly dictate my mood, my hunger and my desires. So, knowing me better than I know myself at times, my husband suggested I head to the coast for a bit. I was so blown that he saw I needed it before I did (or maybe I was in denial and did not want to leave him to work on building our home alone). At either cost I was thrilled to get to my place of sanity. Off I went to see friends and family and spend much needed time walking the beaches of the West Coast. It was exactly what I needed. It was a breath of fresh air. I felt grounded. I felt revived. I had lots of girl time with my bestie and I felt hopeful again. Funny how going after the things you thirst for really does quench your thirst pains.

I encourage all of you to do the same. Get out of the grind. Take care of yourself in ways that you know will rejuvenate you. Get out of the house or maybe stay in the house. Whatever your vice is to cope with the drudgery that life can bring, knock it off and do something that reloads your happiness. Don't just cope with life. Live it! I'm preaching to the choir here folks but I am aware when I'm dehydrated and need a drink of the things that hydrate me. Thirsty Thursdays are a great reminder to do just that. Cheers.