All so true and inspiring Jan!! Thank you! I needed this reminder of rituals, that I know will help me stay sane in my uncertain life right now. If only our lives could become balanced by us simply embracing the ups and downs that life throws our way !
I am intrigued too, by your counting up of hours spent doing certain things in any given week. What I notice is that you don't sleep much, neither do I, that if you need more time for your own personal pursuits, you sleep even less - this resonates deeply and I ask myself, why do we have to give up on the those, our only rejuvenating hours to feed our souls with essential breathing time, be that for writing, walking, or as you say just taking a few moments to listen to the river burbling below us - all these I know, all these I love and need for nourishing senses and inspiration.
Surely, there must be another solution in this life of all possible possibilities? X
Yes -- sleep definitely loses out when the work creeps up and up and leaves us choosing between sleep and other nourishing activities. The 'have to' is always the question I'm returning to. I pull in the boundaries and then they slip. And historically I've been someone who didn't need lots of sleep, but that is no longer true. Much as I love quiet night hours I have to find those hours somewhere. I'm about to begin a sabbatical (which feels miraculous) and want to think about how to use this to reset time usage when I go back to work (I'll still have my mentoring work but not the indie press for three months). I hope to maintain the boundaries and come up with some better ways for balancing. We will see. You are right -- there has to be better ways to live while holding body and soul together. xx
I am envious of your sabbatical Jan, I hope it brings you a time of deep relaxation and maybe even a few answers - if so do let me know - if I could take even a week I would jump at the chance! x
This is so interesting to me right now as 3 years ago we sold our house, cars caravan and 99% of everything we owned to live on a narrow boat. We had the boat built to our specification and we live in a space 60' x 6'10" with few possessions. We also move continuously with no 'home' mooring and often encounter problems with maintenance on the canal system which necessitates a change of route. I wanted to challenge myself in my 60s to see how I'd respond to a totally different life and it's been so interesting. We're staying closer to our family over the winter after a year in the north and I'm looking forward to that, but I also welcome having the time and space to 'just be me' after decades of working and raising children. Indeed, I love getting to know myself and finding out what makes me happy 😊
Love this insight into what we mean by home, Grace. Soemtimes it's a place that accomodates many, sometimes it's down to the body we are and so much in between. Someon finding 'home' that liberates and makes breathing space for what nourishes us is always at the heart of it.
I also love taking up the challenge in your 60s. We moved country just before my 60th birthday and this really resonates with me. x
I too gave away and sold 99% of our accumulations and moved to a foreign country six months before my 60th birthday- Costa Rica - but we came back to Illinois, too soon to suit me but what an experience to relax in paradise awhile and still be willing to come back to another new life in a new location with a house that cries for repairs even more than yours does.
Emptying the old kitchen before it is replaced we find things we thought were essential and now it appears no longer are. For years I've had the what if notion that I could live in an empty, or at least a room stripped of everything inessential .... but I find myself delighting in insignificant objects that are freighted with memory and significance. Throwing them away would be like cutting off an arm. Or so I think .....
It's a really interesting balance isn't it? when we moved to France we got rid of several van loads of 'things', stuff we hadn' looked at in years, even decades. But I will never be a minimalist -- objects of memory are so rich and personal -- even some that are only occasionally glanced at -- a book I might not read again, but was a special gift, a tiny beautiful piece of driftwood one of my adult children gave me when he was very small -- these things pull on us, and -- as you say -- in some way 'become us' :)
All so true and inspiring Jan!! Thank you! I needed this reminder of rituals, that I know will help me stay sane in my uncertain life right now. If only our lives could become balanced by us simply embracing the ups and downs that life throws our way !
Absolutely Jeannine -- the incoming stresses at the moment are so much bigger, yet these rituals do contain us and give us the space to breathe. x
You write so much that is wise and true here Jan.
I am intrigued too, by your counting up of hours spent doing certain things in any given week. What I notice is that you don't sleep much, neither do I, that if you need more time for your own personal pursuits, you sleep even less - this resonates deeply and I ask myself, why do we have to give up on the those, our only rejuvenating hours to feed our souls with essential breathing time, be that for writing, walking, or as you say just taking a few moments to listen to the river burbling below us - all these I know, all these I love and need for nourishing senses and inspiration.
Surely, there must be another solution in this life of all possible possibilities? X
Yes -- sleep definitely loses out when the work creeps up and up and leaves us choosing between sleep and other nourishing activities. The 'have to' is always the question I'm returning to. I pull in the boundaries and then they slip. And historically I've been someone who didn't need lots of sleep, but that is no longer true. Much as I love quiet night hours I have to find those hours somewhere. I'm about to begin a sabbatical (which feels miraculous) and want to think about how to use this to reset time usage when I go back to work (I'll still have my mentoring work but not the indie press for three months). I hope to maintain the boundaries and come up with some better ways for balancing. We will see. You are right -- there has to be better ways to live while holding body and soul together. xx
I am envious of your sabbatical Jan, I hope it brings you a time of deep relaxation and maybe even a few answers - if so do let me know - if I could take even a week I would jump at the chance! x
Enjoyed your description of Eros, love the perspective. Thank you!
Thank you, Susan :)
This is so interesting to me right now as 3 years ago we sold our house, cars caravan and 99% of everything we owned to live on a narrow boat. We had the boat built to our specification and we live in a space 60' x 6'10" with few possessions. We also move continuously with no 'home' mooring and often encounter problems with maintenance on the canal system which necessitates a change of route. I wanted to challenge myself in my 60s to see how I'd respond to a totally different life and it's been so interesting. We're staying closer to our family over the winter after a year in the north and I'm looking forward to that, but I also welcome having the time and space to 'just be me' after decades of working and raising children. Indeed, I love getting to know myself and finding out what makes me happy 😊
Love this insight into what we mean by home, Grace. Soemtimes it's a place that accomodates many, sometimes it's down to the body we are and so much in between. Someon finding 'home' that liberates and makes breathing space for what nourishes us is always at the heart of it.
I also love taking up the challenge in your 60s. We moved country just before my 60th birthday and this really resonates with me. x
I too gave away and sold 99% of our accumulations and moved to a foreign country six months before my 60th birthday- Costa Rica - but we came back to Illinois, too soon to suit me but what an experience to relax in paradise awhile and still be willing to come back to another new life in a new location with a house that cries for repairs even more than yours does.
Emptying the old kitchen before it is replaced we find things we thought were essential and now it appears no longer are. For years I've had the what if notion that I could live in an empty, or at least a room stripped of everything inessential .... but I find myself delighting in insignificant objects that are freighted with memory and significance. Throwing them away would be like cutting off an arm. Or so I think .....
It's a really interesting balance isn't it? when we moved to France we got rid of several van loads of 'things', stuff we hadn' looked at in years, even decades. But I will never be a minimalist -- objects of memory are so rich and personal -- even some that are only occasionally glanced at -- a book I might not read again, but was a special gift, a tiny beautiful piece of driftwood one of my adult children gave me when he was very small -- these things pull on us, and -- as you say -- in some way 'become us' :)