embracing slow + empty

and other priorities

…All this petty worry / while the great cloak / of the sky grows dark / and intense / round every living thing…

what disturbs / and then nourishes / has everything / we need…

All those years / forgetting / how everything / has its own voice / to make / itself heard.

All those years / forgetting / how easily / you can belong / to everything / simply by listening.

And the slow / difficulty / of remembering / how everything / is born from / an opposite / and miraculous / otherness. / Silence and winter / has led me to that / otherness.

So let this winter / of listening / be enough / for the new life / I must call my own.

David Whyte

Last year and the beginning of 2023 have both felt a bit empty of personal and career advancements [including a total loss of direction around how to use my social media platforms, plus a nice little snowboarding injury to boot], yet pretty full of important albeit arduous lessons.

Things have been soft, yet tough. Spacious, yet sticky. Beautiful, yet sometimes surprisingly dark.

When are we ever not learning, though?

And when is anything ever not also accompanied by its opposing force?

All in all, the start of my year and most of 2022 reminded me of the importance of that which I aim to prioritize moving forward:

• embrace stillness and space – even if it’s uncomfortable at first
• enjoy alone time – but don’t forget to spend time with people who make you feel good
• favor quality over speediness – even if you feel you’re lagging [and whether or not you lag, it’s OK]
• invite in more softness instead of always feeling like you need to tough it out – save your toughness for when it’s really needed
• live fully – even amidst bumpy moments – remembering that both light and dark are part of life
• communicate with nature – especially by listening to it – and be outdoors as often as possible
• check in with your inner child – especially when triggered – and appreciate / listen to / love them
• receive therapy – or similar mental health support – regularly
• surrender – but don’t give up
• trust yourself and the timing of your life – especially alongside patience [’tis a virtue]
• practice patience – especially accompanied by trust [’tis easier said than done]
• forgive – especially yourself / especially if you seek emotional relief
• be honest – even if it feels vulnerable and difficult at first – especially with yourself / especially if you seek to evolve both physical and mental wellbeing
• be nice to yourself – notice how you talk to yourself and set healthy boundaries
• don’t shy away from foods that bring you joy – even if you judge yourself sometimes
• avoid the comparison trap – it will take you down an unfortunate path of continual self-criticism
• remember that all feelings are valid – whether they are useful or harmful – and also that feeling / understanding these feelings [without stewing in them] can lead to to further healing
• take your wellbeing and healing seriously – but don’t forget to keep it light [Cc: Jess]
• gratitude is always a helpful tool to stay both present and uplifted – anytime, anywhere
• don’t forget to laugh about it all – but don’t be ashamed to cry about it, too

One of my teachers Nikki Costello said in one of her former classes how emptiness is the space where creativity is born; that rest and restoration are not just for increasing productivity, but are natural and imperative components of mind-body wellbeing.

Here’s to allowing ourselves however much space we need to rest / restore; to learn / unlearn; to gain more clarity on what’s important; to create a meaningful [albeit sometimes challenging], luminous life.

What are you prioritizing? How might you embrace a bit of emptiness and space in your life?

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Take good care of yourselves and each other,

xo

S

Photo: Ian Nelson / Bodega Bay, CA / December 2022.