Day 285/366 days Towards Self-Mastery.
"Dance with everything that comes to your door", (Tobias, date unknown).
We can let time rule us or we can take time in small increments focussing on what is at hand, noticing what is around us, dancing with everything that comes to our door. For those who are very literal, that doesn't mean the door to door salesman, right!
Racing the clock is for those committed to the rat race, driven by no end of deadlines and schedules. For what end?
It's so easy to get caught up in the hype of busyiness whether you are pursuing a career or building a business. Even our language indicates the speed at which we will work...pursuing our career as if it might get away from us, as if we need to keep a keen eye on it should someone else nab it before we do.
Take your time. There's no time like the present. When we neglect the present we neglect life itself.
You can pursue anything you want by taking your time in the present. What is the next thing for your career? Do that. What is the next thing for your business? Do that? And do it as if it is the most important thing in your life right now. If it's not, it's not the next thing!
There's a paradox in time. The busier you are with time chasing your tale, the less you accomplish and the more exhausted you will be so that you will not achieve everything you wish to cram into that 24 hours of time we each have daily. However, when you slow down your pace, get really clear on your priorities and do the next thing, you will find that time partners up with you and there is more than enough.
And in between each next thing, be sure to smell the roses, enjoy the sunset, walk the beach, have lunch on the park bench, watch children playing, walk your dog, water your garden and praise the dawn of a new day.
What is time if it is not life itself? Make every moment of life count. Milk it for everything it's got. Live deeply and slowly. Pace yourself so that you thoroughly imbibe life and living in the time that you have.
My health slowed my pace. Most of us wait for a wake up call that affects our health. It's not necessary. No one will thank you for giving your all and then collapsing. Those you love want you around, and they want YOU around. Not your job, not your boss, not your business. You.
Find that happy place between ambition and enough, and fill the rest of your life living fully in the time that you have.
366 days Towards Self-Mastery
When I considered my New Year's intentions for 2020 I had just one: To allow my heart to love what it loved...and let it lead me. (If not now, then when?)
I've spent months working on integrating my life. To live life more fully with my home life, my interests, my work, my responsibilities, all coming together, all connected. I want to give each the attention that they desire and need, and still have time and energy for the others. That means living and working from the heart.
As I was clearing out my bookshelf over the Christmas break I discovered Simple Abundance. I set it aside to explore it on New Year's Day as I lazed through another delicious day of nothingness. Sarah, the author, says this book is about living in grace. Living in grace I realised, is about Self-Mastery.
My thirst for understanding the human condition has driven me all my life, and hand-in-hand with self-mastery it has been a life-long goal. And seeing as I love to write, that living in grace is about self-mastery, and I love a bit of a challenge, then if I am truly going to let my heart lead, I really don't have any other choice. So scary as it feels, I'm starting out on a daily mission of leaning into the suggestions of this daybook and making a daily post to keep me accountable. If not now, then when?
I'm Josie. You can find out a little more about me here.
Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy: by Sarah Ban Breathnach.
This book is written for the Australian and NZ market because it refers to seasonal changes. It's available on Amazon here if you'd like to follow along.
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