“In my life I have deliberately cultivated a workday that is flexible, simplified, slow, mindful, creative” writes Leo Babauta and I wondered what that would feel like, how I could experience that
Set aside contemplative time
Mindfully starting your day with inner work sets the stage. I do Falun Gong followed by Transcendental Meditation and a passage from “Opening Doors Within” by Eileen Cady. When I get to my computer I read the daily quote from www.abraham-hicks.com and www.tut.com And sometimes I sit down and write a post like this in which I try to figure out what changes I can make in my awareness that will deepen my spiritual connection with the Universe.
Journal for awareness
I journal on my computer but in the past I wrote by hand. There is something so serene about hand writing your thoughts, particularly if you are mindful of the way you form your letters and how your ideas emerge on the paper. Writing helps you bring your ideas into a tangible form. For me the ultimate act of creation is capturing an idea and helping it take shape. Sometimes I journal at the end of the day. I reflect on how I felt, what I contributed, what I learned, whose lives I touched and opportunities I took or didn’t take. Acknowledgement and gratitude are important and journaling is a good place to record them.
Simply be
I purchased a new frame for a poster I have always loved to look at. It had been behind a door for many months waiting patiently for me to get the frame. When it was finally up in its new place I simply sat and enjoyed it. I looked around my home and savored the arrangements I have made and the objects I have collected. When my cat came to cuddle on my lap I added that affection to my awareness. It’s nourishing to simply be. I have a bird feeder beside the window where I sit at my computer that brings me fascinating visitors. I take time to watch their interaction. I have a willow tree that dances in the wind and the sky is like having my own artist create masterpieces for me as the sun descends or a storm comes or the fluffy clouds parade around the sky. Take time to simply be with what is.
Read the signs and signals
Sometimes I want guidance. I have an opportunity to consider or a choice to make so I ask the universe for signs. These show up as ah ha moments. They show up as new opportunities. They show up as a sentence I read in a blog post. I’ve been getting a steady series of signs to move more deeply into the spiritual aspect of my work. They keep coming and I keep listening. Now I’m acting on them. Follow your heart when you make your choices.
Capture the opportunities
In your unhurried day you do have to act. It’s not about how much you accomplish, it’s about what you actually achieve, how you move yourself forward, what lives you touch or will touch by what you do with your time. Is what you are doing aligned with your vision? Does it help you change lives? Is it an idea that will serve others? Each day chose to act on only three things that will move you closer to your goal. Take your journey one thoughtful step at a time.
Are You Making The Best Use Of Inner Time?
A workday that is “flexible, simplified, slow, mindful, creative.” When we keep that desire in mind and move with conscious awareness throughout our day we will find ourselves both productive and nourished. I would like that.
When you slow down you savor. When you savor you are nourished. Do you know how to live an unhurried day?
