“Let yourself be silently drawn by the strange pull of what you really love. It will not lead you astray.” – Rumi
What do you love to do? What do you long to do? What makes you so happy that you lose track of time?
Life can get busy, pulling us in every direction, leaving no time for what we love do to. Sometimes, we lose the spark of what we loved to do after experiencing something negative associated with it, like criticism, judgment, or another traumatic experience. Sometimes we get so lost in responsibility and duty that we don’t even remember what lights us up anymore. Whatever the reason was, not doing the things we love and devoting ourselves entirely to responsibility puts us on the road to burnout, dissatisfaction, and resentment. The chronic stress of these, in turn, has been shown to be linked with chronic disease. Taking time for what you love isn’t selfish, it’s necessary.
And it can be anything and for any amount of time, this is yours.
These paragraphs written by Dr Clarissa Pinkola Estés in Women Who Run With the Wolves make me smile:
“Spending even a few minutes near a river, a stream, a creek. Lying on the ground in dappled light. Being with a loved one without kids around. Sitting on the porch shelling something, knitting something, peeling something. Walking or driving for an hour, any direction, then returning. Boarding any bus, destination unknown. Making drums while listening to music. Greeting sunrise.” (p.304)
“… remember, other people can pet your cats even though your cats say only you can do it right. Your dog will try to make you think you are abandoning a child on the highway, but will forgive you. The grass will grow a little brown but it will revive. You and your child will miss each other, but be glad when you return. Your mate may grump. They’ll get over it Your boss may threaten. She or he will get over it too.” p.310
What was that thing? Art, music, nature, gardening, reading, cooking, exploring, dancing, moving, learning, visiting, chatting, or trying something new. Maybe there is more than one. It’s still there somewhere. There is no right or wrong here because it is you.
assess your starting point for this challenge
- Reflect on what is it that you love to do, past, present, or something new you’d like to try.
- Think of the last time you did some of these things.
- If it was a while ago, reflect on why you stopped and what it would mean to you to start up again.
- Choose at least one thing you’d like to do during this challenge.
Tips to help you with this challenge
- Make a list, in your head, on paper, or on your phone, of what you need in order to do your activity.
- Remember that it doesn’t need to be anything fancy or extremely time consuming. It could be as simple as having a cup of tea.
- Schedule it in, a day and time, and commit to doing it, at least once.
- Hold yourself accountable either to yourself or to someone else.
- Notice anything that comes up as a challenge when planning or doing the activity.
Reflect on your journey
- After doing your activity, reflect on how it made you feel, both during and after.
- Can you commit to doing it more?
If this is something you are not used to doing, it can be difficult to feel comfortable taking time to do something seemingly unproductive and selfish. It is ok to feel that way. But remember that taking time to do something for yourself that feels good has tremendous benefits for your health and well being.