
๐ ๐๐๐ก๐ก ๐๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐๐ “๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ช๐๐ง๐ฎ ๐๐ช๐ฃ๐ .”
I had been riding high from the holidays with everyone home and the excitement of following our big kids around the country as we watched my daughter’s college team win game after gameโuntil they didn’t. They made it all the way to the National Championship, but it was another team’s day to win it all.

Georgia deserves a big congratulations, but this isn’t about football.
This is about feeling stuck with no apparent good reason why. When you’re muddling in the muck, but you can’t quite put your finger on the cause. When you don’t even recall how it started.
When you’re feeling unmotivated and lethargic, and you know you “should” snap out of it, but you can’t see a way out.
๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐๐ซ๐๐ง ๐๐๐ก๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐๐๐จ ๐ฌ๐๐ฎ?
When it’s dark and it’s cold outsideโday after day after day.
So you try to do all-the-things: (๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ต ๐ข๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ด๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ด๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ฎ๐ข๐ฌ๐ฆ ๐ถ๐ด ๐ง๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ญ ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐ต๐ต๐ฆ๐ณ.)
โช๏ธKeep a daily journal of everything we are grateful for
โช๏ธStick to a routine
โช๏ธGet outside in the sunshine…(if we can find it.)
โช๏ธEat healthier
โช๏ธExercise for at least 20 minutes a day
๐ผ๐ฃ๐ ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ก๐ก, ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ๐. ๐ผ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ค๐ฃ๐?
A few days ago, I created a post that read, “A beautiful day begins with a beautiful mindset,” but I couldn’t post itโI didn’t have it in me. Adding to the toxic positivity already splashed across social media felt fraudulent.

๐ฝ๐ช๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐ค๐๐๐ฎ ๐ ๐ฅ๐ค๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ฉโ๐ฉ๐๐ “๐๐๐๐ช๐ฉ๐๐๐ช๐ก ๐ข๐๐ฃ๐๐จ๐๐ฉ” ๐ฆ๐ช๐ค๐ฉ๐. ๐๐ฉ ๐ฌ๐๐จ ๐ฉ๐๐ข๐.
Last night I told myself I was done feeling this way. I was going to wake up with a more positive outlook, and poof…the fog lifted.
๐๐๐ก๐ก, ๐ฃ๐ค, ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฉ ๐๐ญ๐๐๐ฉ๐ก๐ฎ…
I do feel better today, and I have been thinking about why. The obvious is that two days ago, I traded the dark, rainy days of the Pacific Northwest for the sunshine of the Sonoran desert in Arizona. But after much consideration this morning, I think there is a more compelling reason.
๐ ๐จ๐๐๐ง๐๐. ๐ ๐๐ช๐จ๐ฉ ๐ก๐๐ฉ ๐๐ฉ ๐๐ก๐ค๐ฌโ๐จ๐๐๐ง๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐ฎ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐จ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ช๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐๐ข๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ข๐ฎ ๐ข๐๐ฃ๐.
As a recovering “avoider” and a lifelong “stuffer,” โsometimes it’s still hard to share with anyone, let alone my husband when I am not feeling so great, especially after he planned this little getaway to the sun for us.
๐ ๐๐๐ ๐จ๐๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ ๐ก๐๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐๐.
And somewhere in the “I don’t know why I am feeling this way conversation,” I was able to unlock the floodgates.

My angst spilled into the dry river bed, which hugged our hiking trail as we wound through the saguaro cacti and the prickly pears. I left it in the dust, both literally and figuratively.
๐ ๐๐๐ก๐ฉ ๐๐๐๐ง๐.
๐ ๐๐๐ก๐ฉ ๐จ๐๐๐ฃ.
๐ ๐๐๐ก๐ฉ ๐ซ๐๐ก๐๐๐๐ฉ๐๐.
And today, as I sipped coffee as the sun rose over the Sonoran foothills, I felt more at ease. I realize all my challenges can’t be washed away in a day, but I sure felt lighter as I watched the sun spread its vitamin D across the valley.
If you’re feeling this way, I encourage you to reach out and ‘๐ฅ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐ ๐ ๐๐ง๐๐๐ฃ๐.’ Sometimes just knowing we aren’t alone makes all the difference.

Lisa hopes to share life’s stories through the ever-changing platform she founded, called The Evolving Nest.ย She writes and shares insights about her own triumphs and struggles during her 30-year marriage to her husband and best friend. Together they have 3 growing children, two of which live 1,500 miles away most of the year, and an adult son with autism who has the run of the upstairs to himself. Lisa also contributes to Her View From Home, various podcasts, and of course, her own website, The Evolving Nest.
Please consider following The Evolving Nest on Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin or receive the latest post via email, or writing for The Evolving Nest. Lisa is motivated by the quote, “What will the world miss if you don’t tell your story?”-Donald Miller