-
A foundation of rest- unpacking my 2020 manifesto
Did you create a set of intentions or resolutions for your year? Last week I shared my 2020 manifesto with you and some thoughts on the whole new year thing. Over the next few weeks, I want to take you through the elements that I have chosen to include so that you can be inspired in your own journey. It won’t look like mine and you may not focus on the same areas but we can share ideas and encourage each other on. Foundation of rest Here’s a revelation for you- I am not superhuman and neither are you. So why do we try to live our lives like we…
-
Take the Weltschmerz and grow
I am in the midst of a week that feels full to overflowing with logistical decisions, unexpected errands and significant preparation needed for many things. I have felt the stress building and the brain freeze set in as I try to prioritise, plan, shuffle and cut things down. My default is to shove these feelings away and stuff them down deep. My default is to numb out and ignore. I choose not to do that as I grow. As I have created a bit of space to listen to my soul and see what it has to say, I recognised a deeper current of emotion that is amplifying the stress…
-
Allow the night to do its work
In an age of lights at the flick of a switch, 24/7 entertainment at our finger tips and a push to fill our lives with so much, I think the concept of night has been lost. We can push back the darkness. We can ignore it. We can end it whenever we want. I wonder what we have lost in this quest to extend our days for work or entertainment. I wonder about the impact on our mental and physical health as we have all learned to ignore the natural rhythms around us and within us. For me, I notice this most when we are out in the bush camping.…
-
Staying tethered
Do you ever feel like you are getting lost in your own thoughts and find it hard to return to the real world? Does the lure of distraction and numbing tug at you constantly? Me too. There are times when I think I might just get lost and untethered permanently. Of course, this is often linked to times of overwhelm or pain but I am recognising more and more that there is a natural inclination in myself towards this. It can be both a strength and a challenge in many ways.
-
What to do when you are frustrated……with yourself!
Have you ever found yourself speeding towards a deadline but spending your time on useless, time-wasting endeavours? Do you experience times of cascades of ideas and plans that make your heart beat faster and yet never quite seem to get around to the doing part? Is the pull of distraction strong at this moment? I can answer a resounding “yes” to all of these this week. What about you? I am so frustrated with myself. I am ashamed of the amount of time that I have wasted on technology, scrolling through social media, and little jobs that are far from important or a priority right now. The temptation to berate…
-
What have you been neglecting in your life? For me, it’s the ocean.
There is something about the ocean that unwinds deep within my soul. I find that it is something I take for granted and don’t make use of though. I live within 5 minutes and yet almost never get down to the beach. I love going for a walk beside the ocean but have not made it a priority in my life. I say I am too busy, even though I know this would be good for me. What is it in your life that you neglect? What do you know brings you joy and peace that you don’t make a priority? I catch myself saying I am too busy (maybe…
-
Provide for others by building into yourself
I think of all that I want to provide for my daughter- quality time, a safe and calm environment, a sense of courage, integrity, kindness. The more I think of what I want to be able to instil in her, the more I have to remember that I can only provide something that I have myself. If I want to provide peace, I have to be at peace. If I want to provide a sense of integrity, generosity and kindness, I have to be showing those qualities myself. I am constantly reminded that it is vital to be building into myself in order to build into others effectively. It isn’t…
-
Tired (too tired to even come up with some witty title) Five Minute Friday
I wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry when I saw the prompt word for this week’s Five Minute Friday: tired. I debated whether to even write a post this week on it. I was nervous about what would come out. The truth is I am tired. I have been resisting acknowledging it this week. Sure, I use the word but I don’t want it to change anything that I am doing. But it does. I am much shorter in my patience and stress tolerance. I am more in my head. I am defaulting to negative. Resisting the fact that I am tired and need to do something about that…
-
Whiplash of emotions and a song
I’m going to make the assumption that you have had days like I am about to describe because you are a human being. I could be wrong, of course. When contemplating writing a post this morning, I was all set to write about how wonderful I was feeling in the midst of taking steps towards goals, my house feeling more under control and as I want it and feeling productive after so long a time feeling helpless. I was going to encourage you to set realistic but important goals for yourself and give yourself grace in the process of pursuing them. I was going to encourage you to seek out…
-
Who is responsible for burn out?
The concept of burn out is something that I have been pondering for the past couple of years. I saw a culture of burn out in an organisation I was part of and wanted to know how to change that. When multiple leaders are burning out in one organisation, who is responsible for that? Is it the fault of the organisation or the people themselves? Who needs to work at resolving it? Maybe you have found yourself at that point where you have hit a wall and cannot keep pushing any longer. Maybe you have seen people around you reach that point. The conclusion that I have come to is…
Encouragement for women in leadership
