My first blog on this subject was back in January 2015! Back then I was focused on how to “get stuff done” and find fulfillment and joy in the mundane. These days I am setting my sights a little higher… much higher! I have learned that it’s not about doing :all the things”, it’s about doing specific things that make it easy to say no to other things. It’s not about being busy, it’s about being blessed with activity!
Over the last year we were forced or choose (choose is my preference) to limit our activities to the “essentials”. For some of us this has been really challenging and for some it has been a real gift! I am noticing a difference in the experiences of those who have clarity of purpose, goals and really clear values and those that don’t. The people I know who have clarity used the opportunity of the last year to peel away the extras (I call these extras noise, like white noise or static) and get laser focused and feel a sense of their purpose being magnified.
For those of us that weren’t quite sure of our purpose or clear on our values, the last year felt like we were holding our breaths. Holding our breath until we could get back to doing! Because, doing was harder and opportunities to stay busy for the sake of busy were greatly reduced over the last year or so.
Being in the quiet can be a wonderful or terrifying experience depending on where you’re at in life. The white noise of being busy and having a lot of activity around you. Knowing what life’s essentials are to you is different for each person. Being on the other side of the stay at home is causing very different effects in these two groups.
We are being thrust or choosing to launch back into life as we knew it! Life is back and so are all of the requests for our time and attention. For an entire year our list of to-dos has been abbreviated, don’t get me wrong they weren’t made easier, we just had fewer options. Now we get to decide if we want to go back to life as we knew it.
For those that don’t have the clarity of purpose, getting back to real life and being able to be busy again might sound like heaven! But for many of us the last year or quiet was really amazing! Lonely but wonderful. Going back to a busy social life and keeping up on the things that make a life full but not necessarily fulfilling, might leave a sense of loss.
Both outlooks are good and right for the person living them. I don’t believe that everyone has to live their purpose at every moment. But if you are one of the ones that doesn’t really want to go back to the busy life, then I want you to have a chance to stay firmly rooted in your purpose and get to experience the best of both worlds!
It is completely possible to have both and to get to feel like both the quiet and the full life are gifts that can be experienced simultaneously!
If you are really clear on your purpose skip to step two!
First, get really clear on your values and what you want in life! This might mean completing the first 8 weeks of the Creating Joy On-line Course. Doing some soul searching or finding the meaning of life.
Second, figure out what you are already doing right.
Third, and identify the things you are doing and spending your money and time on that don’t meet your values and purpose.
Fourth, brainstorm all things you have done in the past and what you want to do in the future to meet your purpose and live your values.
Fifth, TAKE ACTION! Join us for the Bhavana Workshop!! And Get ready to Cut out anything that doesn’t meet your purpose or your values. This will mean saying no. However, instead of saying no feeling like a heart wrenching struggle it will feel like a gift and it will be received in the same way. When you say no because you want to use every moment to live your purpose and maximize your value people can feel it.
Sixth, let people celebrate with you! You are living the dream of purpose and fulfillment. Assume everyone wants that for you because THEY DO!!
So tell me, are you ready to start loving the word NO? Are you ready to feel so good about how you are spending your time that you can’t wait to say no? EEEK I am so excited for you! Join me for the Bhavana Workshop. No matter what step you are on you are bound to get a major boost toward your best life! It starts this week. Don’t wait :)