MORE | May
The May prompt was just what I needed - an opportunity to practice something for the whole month. Initially I chose ‘walk’, then I thought about ‘recipe’, ‘write’ a story, ‘call’ a friend, ‘watch’ a movie from a carefully curated list of “must watch” cinematic masterpieces, ‘organize’ a drawer or a room, ‘explore’ the area by getting lost in one direction or another. Then I realized I didn’t need any of that - certainly I’ll get to do all of those things, but none of those ideas lit me up inside.
As I integrate what I learned while away, ease into my retirement, and decide how I want to show up in my life going forward, I learned that for a while I need to release the idea of goals. I really want to allow for things to evolve the way they’re going to go without any influence from me. I need to surrender the drive to constantly produce, always be doing something.
Yes, I’ve already checked off today because after 30 days of guilt-free rest, I know I’ll enjoy a snooze out on my porch. I had turned off my 8AM alarm thinking that would be helpful but lately the dogs have been getting up with the birds - around 5:30AM - and even with a bedtime of 10:30PM, it’s a bit of an early rise for me. I let the dogs out and snuggle into the pillow I drag down from my bedroom, load the blankets on me and enjoy the cool breeze off the lake and the deep notes of the windchime which inevitably lulls me back to the land of nod for another hour or so. I’ve even been indulging in a 20-minute cat nap sometime around 11AM and I’ve fallen asleep a few times while reading in the middle of the afternoon. It’s been lovely! Honestly, I hope this is simply the introduction for me to enjoy a lifetime of guilt-free rest.
I think I may use this checklist format for a few other habits I’d like to integrate into my daily practice - certainly a consistent 20-minute walk and 20-minute meditation. The key is, of course, the consistency in addition to finding something not too ambitious or “life-altering”. Something that requires small, incremental, focus knowing that it is a healthy, restorative choice. That is what I’m inviting into my life - healthy choices. I no longer need wholesale changes, just a tweak here and there.
How are things going with your word this year?