Making Time ‘To-Be’
TENACIOUS TUESDAY ~ Due to some unplanned but ultimately positive circumstances, I found out last week that I was going to have a lot more time available in my schedule. When I shared the news with my younger son, his face lit up, he gave me a giant hug, and he said how excited he was that I could spend more time with him. It was genuine gratitude and I was grateful that’s the first thing he thought of.
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To kids, especially younger ones, life is that simple. They don’t go to bed thinking about how many things they didn’t get done that day or start a checklist of what they have to do tomorrow. Hopefully, they go to sleep after exhausting themselves from playing, running, bouncing, and laughing all day long. As adults, many of us assume we don’t have the luxury of not overthinking. We’re always spinning our wheels and often worrying about what needs to get done, who needs to do it, or who didn’t do what when we wanted them to. Here’s the thing – how much of it matters? Really?
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What if you woke up each day and only put one or two things on your to-do list but added one or two to-be items instead? Today I will be … present, authentic, honest, kind, connected, vulnerable, open, curious, playful, or brave. Think about how you can carry yourself throughout your day and how that might impact you and those around you. Imagine the difference it could make to focus your attention on how you feel and make others feel versus what you think needs to be accomplished. I’m not suggesting setting aside responsibilities, but I am suggesting intentionally making space for more that matters.
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Even in yoga, our focus tends be on an outcome – a checklist item – instead of how we experience it. I need to hold the handstand, touch my toes, or straighten my leg. If you must have a goal, try focusing on savoring the transition from one pose to the next. Try getting out of your head and into your body. And then carry that off the mat. Make time to move through life honoring the moments in between the tasks. This week, focus on being the person you want to be and how you show up for others.