I'm enjoying an unusually cool summer in upstate New York. Since I teach, I am able to use summer for travel, research and "recharging". In September, it's back to school.
Each of us has organized our life around a school calendar; many still do. School calendars are tricky: they acknowledge and make accommodations for seasons and holidays, yet they impart their own spin and urgency to our daily lives by introducing artificial seasons. Instead of spring, summer, autumn and winter we have gathering, learning, testing and commencement...and it starts when the year is 2/3 done! Talk about planting late and harvesting early! Confusing? Yes...but easier to handle if we remember that it is an artificial construct, one of many we face daily, and one we can prioritize. How, you say? By making sure that what we value, whether it is making our own art, exploring nature, supporting family/friends, or whatever secret pleasures we hang on to, gets orchestra box, center row attention. It's not selfish, it's necessary...because we do our best when our spirits are fresh, our reserves full, and we are not emptied out by exhaustion! If it's a journey worth taking, make sure you leave with a full tank!
Tank Tip #2
Try this: when stressed or tired, give yourself permission to get up and walk around a bit. Whether you tell yourself that you need a stretch, or will benefit from another vantage point, it will energize you! And, just maybe the answer which had been eluding your sluggish mind will pop into clarity and give you a second boost. Finally, if you find you need more ways to find balance and reward in your life, consider getting a personal coach. Learn more about my favorite coach at Transformingwork.com.
Each of us has organized our life around a school calendar; many still do. School calendars are tricky: they acknowledge and make accommodations for seasons and holidays, yet they impart their own spin and urgency to our daily lives by introducing artificial seasons. Instead of spring, summer, autumn and winter we have gathering, learning, testing and commencement...and it starts when the year is 2/3 done! Talk about planting late and harvesting early! Confusing? Yes...but easier to handle if we remember that it is an artificial construct, one of many we face daily, and one we can prioritize. How, you say? By making sure that what we value, whether it is making our own art, exploring nature, supporting family/friends, or whatever secret pleasures we hang on to, gets orchestra box, center row attention. It's not selfish, it's necessary...because we do our best when our spirits are fresh, our reserves full, and we are not emptied out by exhaustion! If it's a journey worth taking, make sure you leave with a full tank!
Tank Tip #2
Try this: when stressed or tired, give yourself permission to get up and walk around a bit. Whether you tell yourself that you need a stretch, or will benefit from another vantage point, it will energize you! And, just maybe the answer which had been eluding your sluggish mind will pop into clarity and give you a second boost. Finally, if you find you need more ways to find balance and reward in your life, consider getting a personal coach. Learn more about my favorite coach at Transformingwork.com.
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