Creating with intention
Twenty minutes to pause.
Twenty minutes to breathe.
To be grateful.
To write.
To read.
To consume.
To move.
To reflect.
To listen.
To work.
To grieve.
To focus.
To savor.
To feel.
To love.
To connect.
To watch.
To rest.
Twenty minutes can make the unmanageable manageable, the forgotten remembered, and the overwhelming more digestible.
You can do anything for twenty minutes. Use it as your weapon.
You don’t see things as they are.
You see things as YOU are.
Who and what inspires you? Where do you go to find inspiration?
What keeps you pushing and moving forward? What sustains you through hard times?
What do you need to feel supported? How can you get even more?
What does commitment mean to you? What can you to commit to? For how long?
What do you need to feel appreciated and valued? How do you know what you’re doing is working?
Who do you look up to and from where do you receive advice?
What keeps you strong, both mind and body? Where will you learn and how will you grow?
I was writing every day. Every morning. And I stopped.
Why?
I was afraid.
(Yep! Me. Afraid! Little known fact: I constantly battle a thin hum of anxiety. But that’s a different story, a different post. Back to writing.)
I was afraid I wasn’t good enough.
I was afraid my writing was missing the mark. I’d let a few rejections from publishers mute my enthusiasm. And I got tired. Other things because More Important. (Though what can be more important than telling your truth, I am not sure. Certainly not work. Or YouTube yoga videos.)
So in 2020: I’m coming back. I’m owning myself and my time like never before. I’m ready to take up more space. I’m ready to shove fear in its rightful place, even if it needs some coddling to move. This year, I’m not going to let anxiety drive the car. Not anymore.
Your turn: (Here’s where your pen comes in.) Tell me…
What are you returning to this year?
What are you letting go of?
What will you keep?
What mistakes have you made? I’m asking not to make you feel bad, in fact, I want you to celebrate them. Mistakes mean you’re going for it! Have regrets? Even better! Celebrate! You’re LIVING LIFE.
What will you move away from in 2020? What don’t you want?
Now. Get ready.
Celebrate what you’re going to create.
The projects you’re going to put into the world. The dreams that will manifest. The big move. The relationships you will nourish and cherish. A new business.
This time next year what will you be proud of?
And celebrate. Celebrate all of these things as if they have already happened. Imagine your enthusiasm and accomplishment. And rejoice.
Rejoice at this life you are living. Rejoice in who you are.
Rejoice in what you love and what excites you and what keeps you curious.
Rejoice in all of it, the ups and the downs.
Happy New Year.
Time.
You owe it to yourself.
Give yourself time.
Time to create, to explore, to dream, to vision, to get lost, to do nothing, to write, to play, to imagine, to be alone, to be with others, to meditate, to feel inspired, to remember, to reflect, to forgive, to move on, to set goals, to change, to grow, to rest.
Ten minutes a day at minimum.
An hour for yourself each weekend at best.
Schedule it.
Not only is time the best gift you can give yourself, but your families and communities will be better for it.
Anniversaries are a wonderful time for reflection; unfortunately, most entrepreneurs (myself included) are often too focused on task lists, what still hasn’t been done, the goals that are yet to be achieved.
As the five year anniversary of Learning House grows near, I find myself combing through photos and memories. It’s emotional to think about all the people who have helped foster and shape this community from a seed of a dream. (If you’re interested about stats and numbers, I’ll be posting on our nonprofit’s page soon; impressive, like so many of the people we work alongside and serve).
The biggest visions come with challenges and frustrations and disappointments and even moments of despair. But there are flashes of promise and success, too.
Failing to set aside time to appreciate those moments can lead to burnout. It’s a refreshing gift to look back and see all that’s been done.
Yes, focus on your goals. Yes, take daily steps in the direction of progress and improvement. But please, make time for reflection.
Share gratitude with others.
In the upcoming weeks, we will be posting some memories and stories from the past five years on Facebook. I’d love to invite you to follow along and celebrate with us.