As I locked the door on my clinic last week I felt unsettled. I got to my car and I let myself ponder the emotion I was feeling in my gut. It immediately bubbled to the surface.
We are so dedicated to the concept of busyness. So much so that it affects nearly every person in North America: all ethnicities, all genders, all economic levels … from toddlers to seniors. We cultivate it in our children. We celebrate it in the boardroom, the locker room and in our conversations with most of the people we meet. It’s become a greeting, of sorts – our way of connecting with the people around us.
Busyness = Productivity = A life of success
Busyness is the badge of honour most of us wear that is reflective of our constant focus on the fine art of micromanaging and multitasking to the point of internal chaos and disruption.
I’m. So. Over. It.
Can you rant in a blog post? If so, this is my rant.
Busyness is so common that it’s become a “normal” and quite frankly, its the biggest trigger of despair, discontent, (dare I say divorce) and disease. We focus so much of our energy on DOING that it leaves so little time for BEING.
The irony of it all is that we aren’t completely confused about what we desire. Look at the barrage of pinterest boards that show images of wide open beaches and serene landscapes and the thousands of Facebook and Instagram memes that talk about the essence of life being peace, love and connection. The joy of reading a book or having a bath in silence The simplicity of life.
And yet we do the opposite. The frank opposite.
So. Much. Chaos.
Yes to ALL the wrong things.
Feeling an intense sense of obligation to others.
And not to yourself.
Doing things we don’t want to do.
Spending time with people we don’t enjoy.
Buying things that either we either can’t afford or that we don’t particularly want or need.
Drugging ourselves.
Feeling depleted, unfulfilled, sore/achy/in pain … and wondering,
IS THIS HOW LIFE IS SUPPOSED TO BE?
The simple answer is NO.
And somewhere inside you knows that to be true even if no one around you is modelling or mentoring what you desire. You just know that this – isn’t – it.
If you are one of those people that is reading this in silent awareness, I’ve written this for you and I’m sorry. Frankly, it sucks to feel like you are on the treadmill of life in constant anxiousness of time passing knowing that you aren’t living the life you were meant to live.
I know because I’ve been there. There was a time when my life didn’t reflect what I felt (and hoped) was possible. I wondered if I would have to be barefoot, unemployed and broke in order to live a life that felt calm, connected, passionate and in pace with my soul’s needs. It took me a long time to unlearn what I had adopted as my roadmap to success and learn how to create a life that no longer subscribed to the concept of busyness.
This is how I did it.
I slowed down. I slowed way the fuck down.
I said no …. many many many times. Way more times than I felt comfortable doing.
I created space.
I cultivated boundaries.
I turned off the tv (in fact, I got rid of it for 3 years)
I stopped picking up the phone simply because it was ringing. (And yes, my phone was on the wall in my kitchen … pre-cell phone days).
I threw out my day planner.
I went outside.
I planted my feet on the ground and I breathed.
Was this my new plan for the rest of my life? NO … but this is where it needed to start. In fact, it was a MUST.
Only then was I able to hear my inner voice.
The gut knowing.
The internal radar that knew exactly what I needed to say yes to in order to feel:
Whole
Settled
Calm
Connected
and available to all that was waiting for me in my life.
It sounds so simple and it is, but it can be challenging too because you will need to unlearn a philosophy that you adopted before you knew better. The reality is that with clarity, you will begin to design a life that is purposely congruent with what your soul desires. This alignment leads to synergy, momentum and a universal shit load of opportunities that will help you live the life you KNOW is for you.
And the irony of the whole thing is that once you slow your life down, your life may actually speed up again.
But it will be so different. It will feel so different.
It will feel enriching, grounding, energizing and fulfilling.
This process – it takes some time. Not nearly as much time as it took to create the life you are living right now, but it will take time for your external surroundings to match up with your inner consciousness. In the meantime, pace yourself and allow the process to feel easy and joyful. I promise you, it’ll be so worth it.
This process means so much to me, that I’ve been cultivating these teachings into a full-blown, retreat-worthy program, which I’ve lovingly named HeartSpark. If you’re one of the lucky few joining us in Costa Rica in 2018, we are going to be diving further into this and we’re going start from the ground up.
Step by step.
Inch by inch.
Until you’re ready to start building the life of your truest desires.
If I can wish ONE thing for you in 2018 it will be this…
Live at a level of consciousness that allows you to unsubscribe to the rat race of busyness and allows you to get on with living the life you were designed to live.
xo
DRF
