Remember the post about Childhood Creeks? Go check it out to
remind yourselves of the creek filled to capacity with flowing waters that our
son enjoyed playing and splashing in. Go on, look!
Drought is taking its toll all over the US. We haven't had rain since early October. The North Carolina and the north Georgia mountains have more than 15,000 acres in flames. We are praying for those people, homes, animals, even the trees. Some hundred+ years of vegetation burned to ash. I pray for the lives and safety of the firefighters attempting to battle these blazes.
Staring at the dry, empty creekbed brought to mind times in my
life in which I experienced a drought. No maybe not a personal lack of rain,
but a dry spell of life.
Life is meant to be lived abundantly with great relish,
celebration, and thanksgiving. It's so easy to live so fast, in such a rush and
give so much of ourselves away to work / career, education, church,
organizations, friends, family, even to our own children that we find that we
have nothing left for ourselves. Where did that other me go? You know the fun,
spirited, creative girl with dreams of grandeur and a wild side?
We get so busy with the routine, to–do list, and errands and what
we think we should be
doing, that we can easily lose track of those little things that bring
fulfillment to our lives. Sometimes we must make the time to nurture our inner
child, our internal dreamer, and remember all those things that ignite our
spirit and soul.
What was the name of your imaginary friend as a child? When was
the last time you lost hours of time doing something you enjoy? When is the
last time you played? When is the last time you laughed so hard you fell out of
your chair?
Don't let the world dictate
what's important to you. Avoid the traps that throw you off track or make you
forget those old dreams. It’s difficult to put these things into action. If you
aren't intentional about doing these things for yourself, no one else is going
to remind you. The kids aren't going to say "hey mom, take some time off
of doing all those fantastic things for me...you go on and do something nice
for yourself." Nope they will not say that (ever).
Purposefully set aside some time for yourself. Go on a picnic, run
wild with your dogs, go find secret gardens or mysterious caves in your
backyard, build a treehouse, climb a tree, seek solitude among rocks and trees
in a wilderness or state park, go camping, wish on a star, eat cake, watch the
leaves glisten in the sunlight, read in your favorite spot, get to know
yourself, revive your inner dreams, wishes, and childhood ambitions. Remember
who you were, who you wanted to be,
and bring that back into who you are
and have become. Harness the dreams you may have set aside or forgotten to inspire a life
less busy, a life less empty, a life less dry.
Invest in yourself to find your life's balance. The rains will
fall again on the earth, in the mountains, into the creek just like your cup of
life can be refilled with love, laughter, light and harmony. We can't be our best
to those little kids, bosses, spouses, friends, PTA...unless we balance our
lives to live with abundance and joy and remember the wishes and dreams of our
authentic selves.
I'm thankful for the balance, the peace, the contentment in my life and the people in it who inspire me to be the best me I can be and that includes knowing who I am, what I need, and what my life means in my terms so that I can be the best in all my roles. Happy Thanksgiving!
Cheers,
Ramsey
Like this one? Here's some other posts I think you might enjoy too:
Like this one? Here's some other posts I think you might enjoy too:
- Childhood Creeks (yeah, read it again! It's good!) 😊
- Slow Pace of Life
- Teamwork
- Farm Heart
- Take Time to Smell the Basil
