It’s not often that I follow my instincts when it comes to time. Rush rush rush. Fit more and more into a day or week that isn’t meant to be that jam packed. Sound familiar?
Today, I’m on vacation. I’ve had it planned for 7 months. Plenty of time to get everything I needed to accomplish ahead of time, right?
Except sometimes life gets in the way. For the last two weeks, I have been trying to figure out how to do what I really needed to do prior to leaving – cleaning my house, doing the laundry, doing the yardwork, grocery shopping, all while working (training) full time – and be ready. I struggled. I brainstormed. I strategized.
And then I gave in to the exhaustion I was facing.
The last couple months have kept my nervous system on high alert. Even though I am a pretty introverted introvert, I’ve been perpetually worn down without regular human contact. Like many, I’ve stopped many of my regular activities in the name of staying healthy and it has come at a cost. I miss hugs. And brunch. And happy hour.
Last week, I made the very courageous (very out-of-character) decision to stop trying to get it all done so I could leave on Friday morning. I simply couldn’t see a way to find the energy I needed and stay grounded for my other responsibilities. I had found the limit of what was possible without losing myself in the process.
That decision felt like an exhale.
Do you pay attention to your body when you make decisions? I’ve started to. The most accurate way of describing what I experienced was “alignment”. I had honored what my body, and my mind, was trying to tell me – even if my heart was trying to find an exit strategy to get to the lake more quickly. (And seriously, whose heart wouldn’t pull them here?)
So, I spent Friday and Saturday doing my chores, but found time to add in a little excursion. Again, totally out of character (read: work before play). I drove to Minnesota’s Largest Candy Store (home of the world’s largest jigsaw puzzle) which is massive, anything-you-can-imagine Candyland staged in a… wait for it… barn. Literally anything you could remember from your childhood… Big League bubblegum, Warheads,Chuckles… they had it. They even still make and sell candy cigarettes (sad, but true). I loaded up.
Sunday got off to a slow start. I hadn’t even packed (another completely out-of-character move). Surprisingly, I was ok with it. Once I was up and moving, I threw things together in about 1 hour (clothing and misc. food) and was on the road. I stretched a 3 hour drive into 7 hours, stopping off to hit the casino, do some shopping, and grab groceries.
It was perfect. The unhurried, I’ll-get-there-when-I-get-there pace was exactly what my weary, time-bound soul was craving. I got everything done prior to leaving, it just wasn’t on my demanding timeframe. And its ok.
It’s a perfect summer morning. The leaves on the trees are rustling in the breeze. The spiderwebs spun shimmer and sway in the sun. The earthy blue of Lake Superior is gently beckoning me and laps the shore. It’s my version of Heaven.
Slowly but surely I am learning to Take Good Care.
QOTD: “Follow your instincts. Your heart knows what it wants.” ~Anonymous
Mood: Make You Feel My Love – Adele
Share: Tell me about a time that you followed your instincts and you were rewarded for it. Did it feel counter-intuitive at first? How do you know you made the right decision for you?
Cultivating Insight and Influencing Change 