This morning after my son’s bus pulled away, I decided to do something different.
Rather than go back home and get the other two kids ready for school, I went for a quick walk instead.
How radical.
The air was crisp, the birds were chirping, the street was quiet and I saw the sunlight streaming through the trees reflecting onto the pond.
I breathed deeply, deliberately. Making sure to take in the entire experience.
When Thoreau talks about ‘sucking the marrow out of life,’ this is what he meant.
Take it all in. Even if you only have a few moments. Take up all the space. Delight fully in the moment you’ve just given yourself.
It’s very different from the habit most of us are in.
We might go for the walk, but inhabit an inner state of feeling bad and/or guilty. Rather than fully enjoying the experience we're thinking, “I really should be home getting the kids ready.”
A state of should is a state of shame. It’s you living a story of “Who am I to deserve this delightful little moment?”
This lies at the center of why things aren’t feeling easier. You’ve yet to reconcile feeling Worthy.
Luckily, the solution is simple and brings instant relief.
One small move to break up the routine, that allows you to breathe a sigh of relief and feel your spirit awakening: this is the muscle of Self-Worth that when exercised regularly, opens up a new way of life.
The easier, more enjoyable one you’ve been busting your butt trying to achieve.
Better results doesn’t require big moves, and they shouldn’t feel hard or heavy. If they do, then they’re not the right moves, they will only serve to keep you stuck rather than feeling more free.
And feeling more free is how better results come easier.
You're allowed to have these moments, even if there's people quite literally waiting at the front door for you to return and take care of them, even if none of your friends are living this way, even if you're surrounded suffering.
No one is harmed by you becoming more alive and free. In fact, your courage to begin living this way is often the permission those around you have been waiting for to do the same.
There’s no way to quantify the effects that this morning walk will have on my day.
Will I be more productive, eat healthier?
Will my good mood last?
Will the value of feeling good be reflected on my bank statement?
Maybe yes. Maybe no. You may never be able to draw a straight line and know with certainty.
But beyond needing to know the exact effects, there’s something else; something far more powerful.
It feels damn good right now. And that my friend, is the inner state to pursue regularly.
Because you in a state of feeling good, making small moves they feel slightly rebellious, telling a story of “well this feels great,” holds more power to help you accomplish what you want than any other method.
30 minutes to myself before returning home. It feels like I’ve already won the day.
Rather than worrying about the size of your moves or trying to assess future value, put away your measuring stick (for good) and go for the simple, small, delightful little wins as often as you can.
Little wins everywhere.
The aggressive pursuit of living like this is how you break free from having things feel so hard and heavy. Finally.
Please don’t take my word for it. Go see for yourself today.
And do report back. I love hearing about your wins.
xx Lori
PS: I'm working outside this morning, see image above, and it feels amazing. Seems like the smallest thing. It's not. How you feel while you're doing what you're doing, matters greatly.
And yes, you're allowed to work the way you want and feel damn good about it. This is not a motivational, empowered-kind-of-pep-talk. This the tanglible practice that sets a new foundation for meaningful, lasting change.