One of the things I want to be open to changing this year is how things have to feel. I like to work hard and I like being helpful and getting things done.

I think over the years this has meant that life feels hard. My calendar is full, my email is overflowing and I am perpetually behind. Or I must be doing something wrong.

This year, my goal is to shift this mentality. I would like things to feel easy. I don’t want to glorify being busy and I want to teach myself that hard work and productivity doesn’t have to feel hard and is not the same as busy work.

Here’s to sitting with ease and space.

#open #olw #stayingopen

I know some people prefer to ignore.it when they are feeling bad. They will distract themselves, they will make a joke, they will minimize it or just not acknowledge it at all.

They will want to skip over it.

That’s not me.

I am comfortable sitting tough things. I can sit with others in their tough stuff and I can sit with my tough stuff. In fact, I believe it’s when most growth happens. It’s another way of staying open and present with what is. Not covering it up, not glossing over it but sitting in the discomfort so I can eventually move through it.

It’s not fun but it’s always worthwhile.

#open #olw #stayingopen

I am tired today. There are a lot of reasons to close back up and retract into my shell. There are reasons to want to close down and protect myself.

And yet my goal is still to find ways to stay open. And also get curious. What’s triggering me? Why am I shutting down? What am I making it all mean? Does this really matter to me? And if so, why?

If I want to stay open, I have to lean into curiosity. I have to welcome the discomfort so I can sit with it and move through it.

It’s the only way out.

It’s time to journal, to meditate and sit with the discomfort. Let’s see where it takes me.

#open #olw #stayingopen

Open to showing up anyway: I woke up tired today and never really recovered all day. I spent the day reading on the couch. Read a whole book from start to finish and did nothing else.

When the end of the day was getting near, I said yes ok we can go climbing. I didn’t want to. I was sore. I was tired and I have work tomorrow.

But I’ve been focusing on doing things that I know I will be glad I did. I often ask myself what will I regret less? I never ever regret going climbing.

So off we went. Open to showing up even when I don’t feel like it.

#open #olw #stayingopen

My word for 2023 is open. There’s a long story behind it but the short version is that I want to remember to stay open and create the grounded spaciousness that allows for. The presence and peace it gives me is exactly what I would like to hold on to in 2023.

Open Air: I never regret spending time outside in nature. So despite the almost 3-hour round trip, we made our annual trip to Rodeo Beach today. We hiked, we listened to the waves, we basked in the sunshine.

Here’s to staying open.

#open #2023 #olw