When I was little, sometimes I’d let my mind run away with itself
Like the time I was swimming in a pool tiled in dark blue stones that made me feel like I was swimming in the deepest ocean.
All my cousins swam to the shallow end, and while I was swimming to meet them I convinced myself there was a shark in the pool, about to drag me under … even though I knew I was in a swimming pool! In the middle of a garden. No ocean in sight.
Sometimes our minds get the better of us. Even though they’re intelligent, incredible things … sometimes things can go awry up there, right?
We tell ourselves we want to do things a certain way, or that we need a certain outcome.
We tell ourselves if we slowed way down, right down, that everything around us would crumble and fall.
We convince ourselves that if we tried less, we’d fail.
And in the process, we exhaust, confuse and overwhelm ourselves even more.
Instead of surrendering to what is, allowing ourselves to flow with what can be, we try to force what isn’t.
Over the last few months, as we ended 2015 and started this new year, I’ve been reminded of something again and again. And again.
And slowly, consistently, I’m re-learning this lesson. Phew, right?
The lesson is about doing what feels good to me, doing what is good for me, in a way that supports me, and that’s in line with my boundaries and intentions.
It’s revolutionary, when you implement it and practice it.
It’s not about doing what you’ve always done. Or doing something new with high, impossible expectations.
It’s about this: doing what feels good to you, doing what is good for you, in a way that supports you, and that’s in line with your boundaries and intentions.
Told you.
Revolutionary.
One such thing that I’ve been aligning myself to for a little while now is doing more meaningful work, in less hours each day.
It’s not so that I can travel with my laptop and work in a different city every week. (As a true Cancerian, I am a homebody. I like structure. I love routine … mixed with playfulness and freedom).
It’s so that I can remember the meaning in all of my life.
Which allows me to do more meaningful work in this world.
Have you heard the principle of working out what’s urgent and important, and doing what’s important first?
Replying to emails the second they come in? That usually feels urgent … yet it’s not always that important.
Same with laundry … until you need socks. Then it’s important.
Here’s what’s important to me, right now:
- Spending time with my family (my little sis is visiting from London, and my other baby sis is about to return home from 5 months overseas – #reunion!!!)
- Working with my lovely clients, helping them clear blocks, elevate their thoughts and align their energy
- Putting the finishing touches on my book, You Are Enough, out 1st April (more details to come)
- Planning my book trailer and photo shoot (fun!)
- Aligning my own energy, through good food, movement, lots of rest (more than I have given myself in the past), playfulness, time to connect with myself, yoga, meditation, writing and journaling
- Supporting all my Hearties (members of my Heartfelt Harmony Society) and Cleansers (members of my Cleansed eCourse)
- Making lots of time for anything else I truly want to be doing
My ‘urgent’ list (the things I’m not focusing on first)? That includes things like … filling my schedule, to do list and calendar with anything that isn’t important. I spent a lot of time on the ‘urgent’ things last year that filled up time and didn’t soothe my soul.
This year, I’m working, loving and living smarter, with laser focus and love and compassion and generosity. And anything that isn’t aligned with that, isn’t on my list.
What feels ‘urgent’ to you, that is actually just your mind playing tricks on you?
What feels ‘important’ to you? How can you work towards it, today?
Doing what’s important in your life might not always be easy … but it’s simple … do what’s important in aligning yourself to where you want to be.
And the rest?
You have full permission to let it go for now, put it on the backburner, outsource it or forget about it.
I’d love to know what’s on your ‘important vs. urgent’ list – let me know in the comments below.
Love,