When we left our work/life roles, I thought the hardest part would be the logistics. I quickly learned that the true challenge is the unravelling of the "doing" mind. Here are ten practices I’ve gathered from the road that you can do anywhere.
- Audit Your "Hell Yes" List: Before starting a task, ask whether it truly aligns with your path or is it just another "box" you’re trying to fit into.
- Practice "Just Being" in the In-Between: In a commute or a queue, resist the urge to negotiate with your schedule. Try to simply exist without the need to be productive.
- Find Your "Body’s Edges": Take a moment to feel where your body meets the world. Notice where you are holding tension and where you need integration to heal.
- Listen for the Gentle Voice: Quiet the mental noise of expectations. Take three breaths and listen for the "gentle voice way in the back" nudging you toward your truth.
- The Stranger’s Story: Move beyond transactions. Ask a contractor or a clerk a question that invites their story; deep connection can happen in ordinary moments.
- Release the "Beginner’s Panic": When a new challenge feels like the world is against you, acknowledge it as the discomfort of learning from scratch. Your self-worth is not tied to mastery.
- The Material Scan: Look at an object near you. Does it provide beauty, or is it just "excess"? Practice valuing the connection over the collection.
- Offer "Energy Generosity": Practice being generous with your undivided time and presence during a conversation.
- Acknowledge the Yin and Yang: When you see "poverty" or "hatred," look for the equal measure of "riches" and "love" that exists alongside it.
- Step Out of the Box: If you feel squeezed by a role, visualise yourself "floating" free. Remind yourself: "I am not the sum of my roles".
An Invitation to Edit Your Story
Throughout this year, our focus shifted from "sights" to wellness and integration. By quieting the noise of "shoulds," I finally began to hear the path meant for me.
I invite you to take a moment today to audit your own story. Look at the "boxes" you inhabit—your job, your belongings, your daily habits.
- Which of these boxes provides structure, and which ones are squeezing the life out of you?
- If you had to pack your life into a 3x3 storage cage today, what are the "hell yes’s" you would keep, and what is the "excess" you are finally ready to leave behind?,
The Actionable Step: Write down three things you do daily solely to meet "expectations" or "goals". For one week, try to replace just one of those with an act of generosity of time or a moment of just being. See how the story of your day changes when you stop striving and start connecting.
