With the Holiday season fast approaching I wonder if you will set aside time for you. I know it isn’t easy to step back when there is always something to do. There is a joy that comes from getting things done, giving of ourselves, being there for other people, and connecting with others. It is one of the reasons that I write about how important it is for us to reach beyond our walls, what the people in our industry are doing to bring their communities together, and how much the people you serve need you.
I seem to forget to write about how important it is for us to take time for ourselves. Now I am wondering: how much time do you and will you set aside for yourself to recharge, be quiet, and enjoy your own company? Like so many, I too can leave taking time with myself on the back burner as I get caught up in the whirlwind of things I need to do and things I want to do. I realize that the world we live in can pull us away from ourselves.
Living our lives can make it difficult to take time to connect with ourselves and easy to forget that we need that time. After a summer of birthday celebrations, finding joy with friends and family, experiencing a few worries that do not have answers, striving to be there for those I love, building new relationships, and trying to gear up for the busiest and most important time of year for Merry Christmas From Heaven™ and A Gift From Heaven©, my internal energy was spent. I could not leave taking time with myself on the back burner any longer.
Fortunately I have this column that requires me to set aside time to be by myself and my thoughts every month. Even better just as my energy left this column’s deadline came up on my calendar giving me the perfect reason to schedule a time out from the world and a time in with me. This makes me wonder, what do you have in your world that helps you take yourself off the back burner?
What helps you unplug from the world, spend time with yourself, explore your thoughts, and recharge? Are you like my mom who gets up before everyone to enjoy the quiet of the morning? Is there a hobby you love that lets you unplug from the world? Do you find peace in meditation, yoga, prayer, or music? Can you lose yourself in a good book that expands your mind and grows your heart? Are you like my godchild, who loves to spend hours creating art? Do you refuel when you take a hike, walk the beach, get on your bike, or go to the gym? Are you like my sister who journals her thoughts and feelings into poetry? Is there a place that you go to just be and enjoy your own company?
Whatever it is I hope that you will find a way to give yourself the gift of spending time with you. I look forward to hearing about how you connect with yourself and learning new ways that we can take ourselves of the back burner so that we will have even more to give this holiday season. Please join in the conversation on the Let’s Chat blog at www.nomispublications.com/blog.aspx, give me a ring at (781)331-5308, or if you prefer email me at kristan@mooneytunco.com.