Put the coffee on, wrap yourself in a blanket, and park yourself down for a few moments before the world wakes up. Close your eyes. Take it all in. Listen to the natural world around you. Offer gratitude to those you love. Feel the cool air on your face. Consider how wonderful it is to be alive.
This past summer, one of my big goals was to build a stone path from our front door to the staircase that leads down to the lake. It started in May with breaking up the surface of the ground to build a channel. This meant cutting tree roots with an axe, digging out rocks, and carrying them away a wheelbarrow.
“Stop daydreaming,” we’ve been told. But as we near the end of the year, it’s the perfect time to let your mind to wander. Lie back and watch the clouds float by. Erase all timelines and agendas. Allow one thought to drift into the next. What’s possible now? What is your biggest, boldest dream? Let your limits dissolve and see where you end up.
As I’ve put in kilometers of training, I’ve become aware that this is unlike any other goal I’ve set. The distances melt away, and the aches and pains dissolve. Any time I get distracted by my own small discomfort, I think about the love for my family, how hard they are all working, and how much I want to contribute to their well-being.
Connect with your childlike spirit that craved the challenge of a climb. No matter how big or small, when you climb a rock, your heart rate accelerates, and danger becomes real. Bring your attention to your limbs and focus on what’s right in front of you, breathing into each moment and thinking through every move. You’ve got this.
Don’t doubt for a moment that you are an artist. Slip on your shoes, grab some shears and step outside. Open your eyes to the beauty that surrounds you. Collect colourful blooms, large green leaves, crooked branches and stems. Arrange them in a bouquet, noticing each little petal and leaf. This is one of nature’s greatest gifts.
As I’ve put in kilometers of training, I’ve become aware that this is unlike any other goal I’ve set. The distances melt away, and the aches and pains dissolve. Any time I get distracted by my own small discomfort, I think about the love for my family, how hard they are all working, and how much I want to contribute to their well-being.
Take off your shoes and socks and feel the air between your toes. Bring your attention to the many bones in your feet as they adjust to the uneven terrain beneath them. Explore slowly, one slow step at a time. Notice every sensation as you connect to Mother Earth. Let the power and groundedness flow through you.
Did you know that if you are patient enough you can pet a bubble bee? I remember being a five-year-old in my grandma’s garden. Holding my breath, I ran my little fingers down the bee’s yellow fur. I knew that it would be only a short, magical moment until it would fly away, leaving nothing behind but pollen and wide-eyed wonder.
In my last newsletter, I made a big pronouncement: I was going to start taking Friday afternoons off. I was freshly home from a vacation and felt renewed by the power of downtime and fresh air. I was planning to fully “walk the talk” and truly invest in self-care.