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I just read an article written by a new friend and co-writer which made me think. Yes, Shifay, you did it~ Thank You. She wrote about being “average” and what that really means; the trials, triumphs, the pieces of everyone’s life we have no knowledge of. I read the piece, I commented back to her, as she does to me, and I continued with the sequential things that typically make up my morning. I read emails, I scan my bank account to make sure I understand the remaining balance, I read through the Boston Globe and Salem Evening News online, just to maintain some sense of connection with what’s going on in my previous home area. And, I realize, a part of my morning process is to tell myself I “Should” be doing something else. That something may or may not be labeled. I Should be packing – after all, I am moving on Saturday. I Should be taking a walk; zumba class isn’t until Thursday. I Should be reading – Reading is better than being on the computer, isn’t it? Many many Shoulds. Always. And the Shoulds almost never include what I’m presently doing, unless I feel a sense of accomplishment will result. Even the degree of that accomplishment can be a burden.

I  have had this conversation with myself before. Yes, I do have those; not always out loud, but sometimes it helps. I tell myself that Should is not one of the better words in our language. Should, many times, will limit our thinking because we Should not think that way or we Should do things in another way, we Should maintain status quo. Who gave Should all this power? Seems to me it’s just one of those things that has been done forever, handed down through generations, without much of a thought of what that word does or what it means to us as individuals.

I’m saying, right here and now, we SHOULD do whatever is true and right for us as individuals. We SHOULD begin to think about that! We SHOULD take a vacation when we feel the money should be spent on something more prudent instead. We SHOULD buy that sofa we’ve wanted/needed for our space forever and just haven’t because, well, there’s always another bill to pay. We SHOULD do what it takes to make our lives rich and whole and fun and exciting. Yes, I said EXCITING! As far as we all know, we are here only once. Why not make this trip the best we can? For those of you scowling at this right now, thinking, well, what does SHE know – We have bills to pay!, I understand. I live that life myself. But I am reasonably sure that most of us, if we really really try, can come up with an inspiration or two – small is fine – to make each day a little closer to what we’d prefer it to be. Maybe it’s getting that extra latte at the coffee shop, or getting out of the house or office for a few minutes to enjoy the beauty of the day. Whatever it is for you~ that is what you SHOULD do.