We’re in the heart of Autumn with the spaciousness of Summer a distant memory. For ages it was a time of harvest; of gathering the fruits of our labor; a time to fill up before the long winter. While I hope you’re enjoying a peaceful and easygoing season of harvest I know with a new school year in full swing, increased scheduled activities and the holidays on the horizon it can feel anything but.
Personally, I’m coming off a month of steep demands on my time, energy and goodwill. Having returned to the hamster wheel of the school year coupled with a heavier work-load and the ongoing demands of family life I had expected and had planned for some of these while others caught me completely by surprise.
I arrived at this past full moon weekend spent and under the weather with an 11 year birthday party to host. I would love to tell you I was a picture of Grace and decorum as we prepared for the big event. But it was not to be.
I had an emotional storm brewing since the night before when my husband and I watched our daughter head off for her first cotillion. By Saturday I was an emotional tinderbox prime for the spark. And it came – first a small but manageable spark from a sassy 11 year old and then the one that set it all aflame – feeling pressured by my husband’s agenda, which was different than mine. Despite having taken quiet time to align my intentions for the day and cultivate some inner resources it was not enough.
The meltdown came. It wasn’t pretty. And there was clearly damage that required amends. And once I calmed down and all the emotional intensity burned off I made them.
So I share this with you not because I’m proud of the experience or aspire to handle my life this way but because I’ve come to learn there is a profound gift in knowing we’re not alone in our human messiness. And it can provide us with unexpected gifts.
I will never attest to have all of the answers to make your life smooth, easy and pain free. I can’t promise you happily ever after. But I can share how you can have more ease, joy and comfort in your own skin when you say Yes! to this wild ride we call life here on planet earth.
To begin with when you find yourself standing there after your very own meltdown you can forgive yourself and know you’re not alone. Click here to read my Leaving the Shadows article for other specific tips.
What I most want to express today is the importance of taking action to support, align and nurture yourself both when all is well and also when it’s all going to hell.
When life is going smoothly you can build your reserves to draw upon when things get rough.
However, the more you are tasked with in your life – the more people drawing upon your psychic and emotional bank, the more you’re committed to in your life – the more nourishment and filling up become critical.
We pay a huge price when we cut corners on self-care. Depletion and fatigue suck the joy right out of life – even if you’re doing activities or pursuing passions that mean the world to you.
Learning what rhythm and practices you need to replenish yourself, especially when you’re running low is key.
I’ve come to realize I need quite a bit of unstructured time to relax or leave open for more spontaneous activities. I take one day a week with no commitments. I’ve learned I am so much happier when I give myself that day. How about you?
What do you need to refill and replenish?
♥ Do you need quiet, rest or solitude?
♥ More physical activity, adventure or time with others?
♥ Entertainment, play and laughter?
♥ A contemplative, inner retreat?
♥ Or immersion in a creative project?
It will of course vary depending on the circumstances and stage of life. So learning to tune in and listen to your body and Spirit are key.
This month I’m offering an opportunity to practice that!
On Friday, October 30th I will be offering my quarterly Sanctuary Day. It provides you that opportunity to slow down, come into your body, open to your own rhythm and reconnect with and recharge the parts of you that get lost in the hectic demands of life.
I’m clear about my mission this month – nourish and restore.
And you? What is your mission this month for self-care?
I’d love to have you join me!
With blessings for a joyful month of harvest filled with love, abundance and self-care,
Joni