I was so excited to get away to the farm that I literally threw everything that I needed for the weekend in the car and drove away on Friday morning.
My trips in the car alone are always filled with learning and growing, because I choose to listen to audio books along the way. Friday’s book was a re-listen to Byron Katie’s “Loving What Is: Four Questions That Can Change Your Life“ … mostly because this past month was surely a test from the Universe. I had spent enough time living through, reacting to and worrying about everything around me, and decided that it was time to ‘get real’ and find a way to be OK with “what is”. As always, who better to remind me than Byron Katie.
Two hours later, I turned in to our long, beautiful drive way feeling excited, refreshed and clear headed. As I was unloading my car, I realized (to my apparent horror) that I left my “work bag” in the city – upstairs in the hallway, just outside my office! That meant my laptop, my notebooks, my journal, my books and anything else that I toss in that (extremely heavy) bag. Sheesh!!
What’s the big deal? Having been off the radar for some time now, I was so looking forward to being inspired, and getting some “real work” done… creating content for blogs, tools to help my clients, and checking off some of the tasks I committed to getting done this week. Having just arrived at my glorious retreat in the country, I was instantly disappointed.
I was greeted with a smile and a great bear hug from Stuart (lucky me!) who I greeted him in return with a “WTF? I forgot all my work stuff!”
To say that I was sulky and less than grateful for being there, would be completely true. Thankfully, that didn’t last long. We had Stuart’s son and his girlfriend visiting and there was really no good reason to be cranky. Although still annoyed with myself, I chose to put that aside and appreciate where I was and why I as there.
I took a few deep breaths and looked for what could really be going on…
- Recharging is probably not best achieved by hovering over my computer all weekend trying to “get stuff done”, but rather by allowing myself to be, do and enjoy what feels good.
- Being present is something that I continue to work on, and I had tonnes of opportunity being presented to me on a platter – and I wanted to take it.
- Reconnecting with nature ~ beyond my usual walk in the woods ~ is good for the soul.
And with that, my first weekend at the farm in a number of weeks (aka a really long time for me!) was stunning weather-wise; and I took full advantage by being outside all day, everyday! We hung laundry out on the line for the first time this year, enjoyed the clear, starry nights, and enjoyed a couple of movies and popcorn.
Without the usual distractions, I had time to visit with Alex and Emily, and devote precious quality time with Stuart that we’d been missing over the past number of weeks. We deserved that!
Getting grounded in nature has healing properties that I drank in as much as possible … the activity of the birds, bees, squirrels, geese, heron, the farm animals across the street and the sound of farms being freshly ploughed are all sure signs of spring – everything is coming to life and growing again!
I walked in bare feet, enjoyed coffee on the deck, was able to wear a tank all weekend long, and soaked up the ultimate source of vitamin D. Playing in the water (washing steps, plant pots, cleaning the pool) added some mucky fun to what was already pretty much ‘heaven’. And of course a hike in the forest to look for Trilliums (maybe they will greet us next weekend!) was in order.
No deadlines, no commitments, just time to relax and enjoy …
Was I completely unplugged? No – my phone wasn’t far away, so the odd post and even a video was shared (another first!).
The best part was, having truly appreciated an absolutely fabulous weekend recharging, being present and connecting with nature …
I extended it one more day … and why not?
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As Jim Carey shared at a Convocation Ceremony,
“Life does not happen to you, it happens for you”
The next time you seem to be beating your head against the same wall over again, or you’re feeling discouraged or puzzled about something in your life or business, ask a couple of questions…
“What would it take for me to look at this [my circumstance] differently?” or “What is the lesson to be learned in this situation?” and then listen.
When you are open to possibilities, what’s happening “for you” will become clearer.[/tagline_box]