Care for you on purpose

Do you ever feel like the happenings of your day are like a current sweeping you from thing to thing? The energy of the calendar carrying you from responsibility to responsibility - checking an item or two off your list as you go - but barely touching ground along the way? As if the tide of to-do’s is pulling you along, without so much as a moment to stop, look around, or even catch your breath?

And at a pushy pace like that, where oh where could we possibly secure space for an intentional round of breath no less a self-care practice or two?

Am I close?

Dear One, this is your life. And it’s time to proceed on purpose.

All too often, it can feel as if life is in charge - with it’s looming schedule and loop of tasks and have-to’s. So I am here today to remind you that you get to choose. You can choose. And you can proceed on purpose.

If you’re neck-deep in the current, you may be rolling your eyes. But know that even if you are not aware of it, a part of you is hearing this message. Is receiving this reality. And when the time and the conditions align, you will take a step just for you.

One breath. One sip of tea. One slow-paced walk amongst the autumn foliage. One step is all it takes to begin. One moment. And one choice. Your choice. To begin to proceed on purpose.

When we proceed on purpose, we share our awareness with our action.

Have you ever left your house only to wonder (concernedly so), “did I shut the garage…” You probably did. But likely your awareness was not a part of the act of pressing the button. Action without awareness.

When we proceed on purpose, we allow ourselves to be alert in our action. We see it. We feel it. We keep it company. We share our precious attention with it, and in doing so, we also share our energy with it.

Have you ever stepped aside during a particularly frustrating experience and taken a deep breath? And then, in a way that feels almost magical, you find your way to a reasonably grounded and centered mindset…? It was so simple - with a slow, focused round of breath you were able to welcome a sense of calm into your being. Action with awareness.

The same applies to how we care for ourselves.

If we finally secure a sitter, book the appointment, and treat ourselves to a spa pedicure, but sit in the massage chair scrolling social media posts on our phone for 45 minutes, do we leave feeling relaxed? Odds are, not so much. But if we were to arrive to the same appointment and allow ourselves to experience the care, close our eyes and breathe into it, and actually let ourselves be where we chose to be, a simple pedicure could offer us next level renewal. And cutie toes too.

It’s time to care for ourselves on purpose.

And it’s time to open our eyes to the types of care that actually renews us, helps us recharge, and nourishes us. Personally. Authentically. Truly. And totally.

And step one to welcoming this authentically-aligned care: create some space.

And in order to do that, we must remove ourselves from the current.

And in order to remove ourselves from the current, all we need to do is see that we are separate from it. The current is not in charge, and we have the ability to choose differently. To sink our feet into the ground of this moment. And to allow ourselves to be here in it - totally. And aware.

And then, by sharing our breath and our precious attention with our moment, we are empowered to choose.

We choose to proceed. We choose how we’d like to step forward. And we choose where we’d like to go. Perhaps you choose that pedicure, or maybe you decide to begin taking a few conscious breaths in the morning before starting your day (even before leaving your bed!) Each of us is served in different ways, and our care can + will look different. And it’s up to each of us to discover what renews us.

Personally. Authentically. Truly. And totally.

But before we get into refining your own personal self-care plan, let’s agree to one thing: you can make some space. It’s time.

Maybe you start with one breath - one intentional inhale + exhale - one time a day. Maybe you are ready to offer yourself one planned, meaningful connection each week - and you text your most uplifting friend to get coffee with them on that sacred schedule. Or maybe your whole being knows that it is time for a day to immerse in the spaciousness of self-care practices, and you book that retreat you’ve been considering.

In intentional space - one moment, one hour, or one day at a time - we proceed on purpose.

You can do it. It’s time. We must care for ourselves in order to care for those we have the privilege to care for in our families, workplaces, and communities. You feel it. You know it - whether your mind is open to accepting it or not. Just remember, there is a part of hearing this message. Receiving this reality. And when the time and the conditions align, you will take a step just for you. On purpose.

I look forward to cheering you on when you’re ready.