As I prepare myself to return to the rhythm of the school year I remind myself : Go slow to go fast. and, Less is more. These are affirmations I use to mitigate the demands of the outer world. In reality, I think, for me, what needs training is my inner world. I am cultivating a spaciousness inside myself. I am cultivating a vast resource of enduing calm and of calm enduring in order to meet each moment with a open and capacious heart and mind. I am cultivating the ability to be present with each arising moment without the baggage of the past or the future and without the baggage of expectations for outcomes. Making my best effort, the best I know how in this moment, with joy and gratitude. This is, for me, a very spacious way to live. Aspirational.
Beautiful reflection, Lori! Thanks for sharing. I like the affirmations. And I especially like this thought: "I am cultivating the ability to be present with each arising moment without the baggage of the past or the future and without the baggage of expectations for outcomes." Whew - yes! That's a worthy (and challenging) aspiration for sure.
Amen, Amen, Amen! I totally agree: We believe that if we complete chores or obligations quickly, then we’ll somehow have more free time. And yet, there is never enough time. And I love that you say that the rushing only leads to more of a feeling of chaos. YES! I often overthink (😒😜) and I try to figure out when these shifts happened because I don't feel like I always lived in this rushed, overstimulated space. For me, I think I fell victim to this when I started working full time. I miss the cocoon of being a stay at home mom. I feel like I had more control of my life and schedule and I paid less attention to the world. When I started working, I added work to my plate but nothing got taken off my plate and so the hamster wheel took off in overdrive! But, I also definitely agree that this fast pace is culture driven. I see it in the people I surround myself with and we often talk about it. Putting my PAUSE button to use much more these days.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Sandy. Yes, I also remember the shift from the years when I worked part-time to moving into full-time work again. I'm so glad that you're using your "pause button" more these days!
As I prepare myself to return to the rhythm of the school year I remind myself : Go slow to go fast. and, Less is more. These are affirmations I use to mitigate the demands of the outer world. In reality, I think, for me, what needs training is my inner world. I am cultivating a spaciousness inside myself. I am cultivating a vast resource of enduing calm and of calm enduring in order to meet each moment with a open and capacious heart and mind. I am cultivating the ability to be present with each arising moment without the baggage of the past or the future and without the baggage of expectations for outcomes. Making my best effort, the best I know how in this moment, with joy and gratitude. This is, for me, a very spacious way to live. Aspirational.
Beautiful reflection, Lori! Thanks for sharing. I like the affirmations. And I especially like this thought: "I am cultivating the ability to be present with each arising moment without the baggage of the past or the future and without the baggage of expectations for outcomes." Whew - yes! That's a worthy (and challenging) aspiration for sure.
Amen, Amen, Amen! I totally agree: We believe that if we complete chores or obligations quickly, then we’ll somehow have more free time. And yet, there is never enough time. And I love that you say that the rushing only leads to more of a feeling of chaos. YES! I often overthink (😒😜) and I try to figure out when these shifts happened because I don't feel like I always lived in this rushed, overstimulated space. For me, I think I fell victim to this when I started working full time. I miss the cocoon of being a stay at home mom. I feel like I had more control of my life and schedule and I paid less attention to the world. When I started working, I added work to my plate but nothing got taken off my plate and so the hamster wheel took off in overdrive! But, I also definitely agree that this fast pace is culture driven. I see it in the people I surround myself with and we often talk about it. Putting my PAUSE button to use much more these days.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Sandy. Yes, I also remember the shift from the years when I worked part-time to moving into full-time work again. I'm so glad that you're using your "pause button" more these days!