Below is a newsletter I started a few months ago, that coincidentally, is really all about living intentionally. I only just finished it lastnight, adding a few things to make it current. I was amazed at how so much of the past year has led me to exactly this place - this blog, with so many of my thoughts and intentions aligned with eachother.
Mom, thanks for the kick in the butt to follow the GSD plan! (Get Shit Done!) You were always one to get one thing done before starting another and while that is so NOT me...I'm working on being a little more like you every day! I love you!
Crystal
24 Hours of Time
Sometimes I find myself thinking, “I’m running out of time. I’ve got so much to do….so many big dreams…so many projects… and not enough time!” My stress level rises and I can feel my heart beat quicken. And then, luckily, I stop. (Or at least, I try to slow down.) I take a deep breath. I remind myself that I have enough time. I look for my focus and remember that I’ve got 24 hours, every day, for the duration of my life. And that’s enough time to bring my dreams to life.
You’ve heard this before…we all have 24 hours per day – to spend or invest in a way we choose. It cannot be saved for a later date. There is no “carry over” to hold on to and keep until tomorrow. All of it must be spent today. That’s 24 hours, 1440 minutes, or 86,400 seconds.
Do you remember, years ago, the clocks with the numbers that flip over as each minute passes? These clocks, with their flipping numbers, cannot go backwards – they only fall forward. They cannot be rewound, just like life. I love these old clocks! Perhaps it is b/c they remind me of my childhood, and also b/c, as the numbers flip forward, they show me that time is passing by and I need to pay attention to that. All we have is right here. Right now. There’s no “do over’s” allowed in this game of life. Imagine if time were linear, measured in physical distance like kilometres or the number of steps we could take. Being an athlete, I can relate to this clear visual depiction of time in a physical sense. On average, most people could take one step (that’s about ½ meter) every second. If the same pace could be kept, that would work out to 43km per day. Now, walking 43 km/day is unlikely, but it’s easy to look at this as a metaphor for moving forward in life. Imagine that we could only take a step IF we were actively choosing where we were going, walking intentionally. I don’t know about you, but there are times during the day (more than I want to admit) that I live by default rather than by design, waste time, put life on “autopilot”, get pulled in different directions, at the affect of whatever is happening, watch tv or sit at the computer, very unintentional about what I am doing. During these moments, there is no forward movement.
At the end of most days, it’s easy for me to see that I could be farther ahead if I chose to live more intentionally and less by default.
I’ve spent over 38 years of time and a lot of it was invested well. However, I cannot help but notice and admit that I’ve also squandered a great deal of it, letting it slip away forever b/c I was unintentional and unfocused on what or why I was doing something.
This past summer, I went trekking in India for 3 weeks. It was a spontaneous trip that was presented to me and I just knew in my heart that I was supposed to go. I had just seen the movie, “Yes Man” and even made up postcards the week before being invited on the trip that said, “the answer is YES!” I thought it must be a sign! The primary reason I went was b/c I had been feeling restless and unsettled. I hoped that going on this journey, climbing in the Himalayas at 16,500ft., would provide me some sort of epiphany or personal growth to satisfy my inner lack of contentment. The 3 weeks went by quickly and as I flew home, luckily enjoying the luxury of business class, I reflected on the journey.
While it was an incredible trip and the people of India and Nepal were absolutely unforgettable, I was personally disappointed b/c I didn’t experience the life-changing “AH HA “moment” I had been craving. However, when I got back, settling back into my “crazy busy” life seemed impossible. I simply couldn’t re-engage in my life and could not get myself to resume my frantic pace. I wasn’t depressed, ill or unhappy. Something inside of me simply could not and would not get back into my “swing of things”. It was as if an “unconscious” part of me was running the show. A new “me” had taken over and was now in charge. I felt like a rebellious child, with my hands on my hips, daring the “old me” to just try to take the reigns.
The new me puttered around the house, had a deck built in my back yard and planted sod. Then, I watered it – every day – by hand! I took up painting on canvas. I picked up my dusty guitar and started playing again. I redecorated my house. I went for coffee, hung out a little more at the hostel that I own and basically cut my pace in half. I got on my bike and trained for my next Ironman race without guilt for taking the time off work. I took courses through Inside Out Leadership, read lots of books and went out on my paddleboard. The old me looked on,
helpless, very judgemental, scolding, “you are wasting your time. Get to work. Go make some money!” The new me responded calmly, “It’s time to do things my way. Have faith. This stillness will have it’s reward. Be patient.” And this is where I am today, as the year comes to a close, trying to be still, out running and enjoying the sunshine, in the process of doing things differently, in a state of observation regarding my own life and it’s meaning. I just returned from 3 weeks in Mexico where I completed my 7th Ironman triathlon, raising funds for charity along the way. What a glorious place to be, exploring possibility, starting to live from a place of intention and focus, refusing to allow myself to be distracted or pulled in all directions as I have so often allowed in the past. I feel blessed and grateful that I can take this time and work less than usual. The new me has slowly allowed the old me to have a little control but won’t relinquish too much control or too much freedom to the old me, thank God. It would be impossible to go back…and I don’t want to.
The new me connected with three of my greatest mentors over the past few months; Mark LeBlanc, John Wood and my mom. Spending time with these individuals has left me inspired, filled with a sense of possibility and focused on my own purpose and dreams. My mom truly is my greatest inspiration. In honour of her, I’ve decided to start a little project called “The year of intentional living project” because she lives with intention in a very big way. I’m embarking on a journey for one year, focusing on “living intentionally” and living out some of the advice and wisdom my mom has shared throughout my life. I hope you’ll join me on this journey to live a little more intentionally every day. If we did that, just a few tiny steps every day, day after day, I bet that in one year from now, we would be astounded! Please join me. And then, 365 days from now, we’re going to look back in awe!
As this holiday season comes and goes and 2010 begins, who could you spend some time with over the coming weeks that would offer a little inspiration to you? Who or what would help you find your sense of possibility or hope? What are you focusing on these days? What are a few small, subtle ways that could help you slow down and be still to make space for your purpose and dreams to expand?
The answer is YES! Have a fabulous wrap up to 2009 and if you would like a free download (PDF) of the postcard “The answer is YES” along with a few others that I use in my consulting practise, please send me an email and I’ll send them to you. My email address is info@inspiringsuccess.ca.
Take care,
To YOU and living with intention.
Crystal
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