Slice of Life: March 16 -- A Brief Reflection on Slicing

Can I be completely honest here?  Brutally honest?

Ok.  Then here's my confession: Slice of Life this year is really hard.

It's been hard before.  That's not new.  This year it's hard in a different way.  Year one was hard because I had never committed to writing for 31 days.  That was hard in and of itself.  However, I found that I had plenty to write about.  I sought out inspiration each day and put my best foot forward with most every post.  Year two was hard because I had to come up with an entirely new set of ideas that I hadn't used in year one.  I still felt inspired, and although my writing wasn't perhaps quite as powerful or motivational, it had meaning and merit.  This year, however, is hard on an entirely new level.

Perhaps it's a combination of several things that have made these past 16 days so difficult.  Being a new mom, the feelings of exhaustion that come with that role, having even more stress at work, and adjusting to a new routine have all made this month's slicing difficult.  I find myself slicing at the end of the day when I'm not at my best and when my head would rather hit the pillow instead of my fingers hitting the keyboard.  I have yet to find my true inspiration.  I thought that writing about my everyday life would be easier, but I have found that most days are pretty normal.  Certainly I am blessed and each day is a gift, but I'm not sure many people would want to read about most of my days.

You can imagine my surprise when a colleague stopped by my office today and told me how difficult slicing was for her, too.  We shared our feelings and were brutally honest with one another.  It felt good to acknowledge the feelings I had.  It felt good to openly admit that there were times I have wanted to quit.  It felt good to share my frustrations.  It also felt good to walk away from that conversation with a new idea to help me slice for the remainder of the month.

So if slicing has been hard for you, rest assured that there is hope.  You can do it and I can, too.  Yes, it's hard.  Yes, there will be times you won't feel like writing.  That's okay.  Just write anyway and know that inspiration will come and that there is something special about committing to writing even when you wonder if your writing is worth sharing.  Stick with it.  Keep slicing.  Seek out your friends who can help you.  And, most importantly, know that in the end, you will look back, smile, and be glad you fulfilled your commitment.