The Swarm of Oughtas

Finding freedom from inner pests

Soul-sucking oughtas swarm our days: we oughta eat greens, oughta exercise regularly, oughta floss, oughta save for retirement, oughta enjoy the little things, oughta volunteer, oughta mow the lawn, oughta vote - the swarm is practically limitless. In the rare moments when they appear one at a time they can be manageable - even helpful - by providing a nudge toward our better selves. But as a swarm? More like a draining nuisance or a prompt toward empty escape.

A surprising gift from COVID was a thinning of my swarm of oughtas, because I was forced to focus my energies on the moment and surrender my bigger illusions of capacity. I oughta remember that lesson in the days to come!