Waiting to Exhale

For a million reasons, I feel like I’m waiting to exhale. My breath stays permanently stuck in the back of my throat. I’m stalled here—waiting for so much before I can relax.

My lungs are burning, my head aches, and I want to decompress, relax. Holding this exhaust in my lungs is exhausting.

Are you choking on your breath too?

Are you telling yourself…when this week is over, I can breathe. I’ll rest when summer comes. I’ll be happy when I’m promoted, when I lose ten pounds, when I can sleep better.

Maybe you’re holding your breath until your kids leave for college or Kindergarten. Then, you will definitely return the voicemails clogging up your phone and the dreams dying in your head. Then, you’ll exhale.

I don’t think we have that kind of time.

What if this is the moment you’ve been waiting for? What if you’re missing it because you’re afraid to exhale?

The old air is clogging my mind and it’s clogging yours. It’s hard to focus when you’re clenching your jaw. It’s hard to imagine new life with stale air in your lungs.

Get the carbon dioxide out of your body. Let it out in a whoosh. Change what you can, right now. To the gym tomorrow! Forgiveness for the friend who hasn’t called. Forgiveness for yourself. Be brave enough to ask for what you really want. It can’t hurt. And even if it does hurt, it’s worth it.

Because at least you’re breathing again.

When we can master the skill of exhaling, we can take in a new, deep breath.

And with that breath, is new life.