We know what feels good. We know what food for lunch makes us feel the best throughout the afternoon. We know how much rest allows us to feel the best all through the next day. We know what movement and exercise feels the best on an ongoing basis. We know when doing our homework, cleaning up the house, or completing a task fills us with a good feeling from a sense of accomplishment. We also know when treating others and ourselves feels the best, and what overall thoughts feel great to us.

For me I know what feels best in all these areas. I feel best with a salad for lunch, biking or going to the gym every afternoon, getting to sleep at 10:15 and waking at 5:00 a.m., doing creative writing early in the morning, and accomplishing two significant tasks by 10 a.m. I feel best when I am kind and patient with others, when I don’t take personal responsibility for anyone else’s health or happiness, and when I am completely non-judgmental and accepting of myself and others.

Yet sometimes I create the perfect storm:   I might waste my time speaking to negative or fear-filled people, show little patience with someone I love, watch cop shows on TV (with commercials), stay up past midnight, accomplish nothing, have nachos and cheese for dinner late, snack on caffeine-filled chocolate after ten p.m., and not exercise, move, dance, sing or put myself in position to create and be inspired.

Wow, it’s hard to imagine, but sometimes it happens. What do I do when it does happen? I try to accept it! Love it! Appreciate it! Because when I am disappointed in my own behavior, it gives me even stronger desire to feel better. Sometimes getting off track with everything allows me to more easily see that I was off track with one thing.

It also gives me great desire to shift, and to regain focused intention on deliberately doing all the things that make me feel the best. And that is a really good thing. Massive desire builds up within me and drives me to even more deliberate living. I start eating great for my body, resting, exercising, accomplishing tasks, de-cluttering my environment, appreciating and loving myself and others, accepting everything about myself, others and humanity, and just all around having more positive thoughts.

So sometimes drifting away from what we know feels good can be a fresh start to launch into a new season of self-care and feeling even better than we’ve felt before. It’s getting near the end of April, and it snowed last night. I guess sometimes Spring gets a little off track and needs a fresh start too!