Living a Simple Abundant Life©January 2009
Welcome 2009! A new year and 365 opportunities to create the life you want for yourself. By now you have hung your wall calendar, picked up your daily/weekly/monthly day timer, or put the new pages in your planner. You probably entered school vacations, family birthdays & anniversaries, dentist appointments and annual doctor visits. But I’ll bet there’s one important item you haven’t entered on the calendar. It’s something that will delight you (I hope) when you learn the subject of this month’s Living a Simple Abundant Life.
Ready to find out what’s missing on those calendar pages? YOU! That’s what’s missing. Time for you, and just you alone. Time for you…to sip a cup of tea/glass of sparkling something and watch a sunrise/sunset, to read a chapter of a romance novel in a bubble bath, to go to a chick flick in the middle of the day, to take a yoga/exercise class, to have a manicure, to have a massage, to do nothing and enjoy the quiet. When my daughter was small, I got up before the rest of family so that I could write in my journal for 15 minutes in the morning. It helped me find clarity and focus for the entire day. That’s the kind of thing I’m talking about. Not hours–which would probably add more stress to your life and that is not what our goal here. I’m simply suggesting that we as wives, mothers, sisters and friends are usually so focused on the needs of others that we don’t see how taking care of ourselves fits into our daily life. Whether it’s a few minutes every day or a couple hours a week, everyone benefits when we take the time to recharge and refresh ourselves.
So, I want you to take a highlighter (a permanent marker or pen of any color will do) and look at where you can block off time for yourself. Please do not do this in pencil so that you can take yourself off the list. Even Oprah has admitted that she took herself off the list and realized she never had time for herself. If Oprah can do it, so can we!
Ready to give it a try? Feel guilty or silly? Well, let’s make it a game. Let’s use a secret code on our calendars for our time alone. Our initials backwards? The name of our childhood imaginary friend? Grandma’s pet name for us? I’m going to start using M.M.M. (Meria’s marvelous mischief). We’re the only ones who know what L.S.A.L. (living a Simple Abundant life) means and why they are there. If anyone inquires what those letters mean on the calendar, we can reply with the truth. We have an appointment with a very dear friend who needs our special attention. I’m so excited, I can’t wait to fill my calendar with MMM dates. What about you?
Wishing you a year filled with Grace and Courage!
Be well,
Mary