We bring who we are to what we do. When we bring the best of who we are, we do great things. We work from the inside out; we know ourselves, we have rich internal resources, we come from an authentic place, we are connected to what we do in a passionate and engaged manner.
But when we run around doing and doing and only focus on the outside, we lose the connection with ourselves, we start to run on empty, burn out and have the life sucked out of us. We lose our footing and things start to run amuck.
Connecting to ourselves is the antithesis of selfishness. It is self-care which helps fill our bucket and we therefore have that much more of ourselves to give. Being in touch with ourselves helps us live our lives with balance, focus and clarity. It helps build our resiliency muscles for those tough times when we need to call upon our strong biceps to carry our heavy weight of pain. So it’s great for the present and is {some} insurance for the future.
So how do we set our stage so we can get out there and perform at our best? How can we start our day in preparation for our ‘doing’?
By going inward we prepare ourselves for our outward tasks. There are many variations of routines that can gently guide us into our busy day. Here are some basics to get started:
Just as we prepare ourselves externally by showering and brushing our teeth before we go out, we need to take some time preparing ourselves internally – our mind, soul and spirit need tending to as well. For that is where our seeds of greatness lie.
Thanks for stopping by. How do you connect with yourself? How do you fill yourself?
Lovely post Harriet,
Great reading. Ripe for sharing. Thank You.
be good to yourself
David
Hi David,
Thanks for popping over. So glad you like it. Thanks for sharing it on your media sites.
Wonderful post, Harriet — inspirational and thought-provoking. Now, to answer your question. 🙂 In the past, mornings were rushed — I hate to get up, so I’d sleep until the last possible moment. About a year ago, I changed my routine. I get up at 6 during the school year and 7 during the summer and have a pretty set routine: Bible study and breakfast, quiet time (prayer), 30 minutes of exercise, and shower, etc. This summer I’ve been participating in a 13-week online morning challenge, and it has been a fantastic experience.
Hi Patti,
Glad you like this. For someone who doesn’t like getting up, what a big change you made in your morning life – getting up early and putting in some meaningful things. You created a great routine for yourself. And now this 13 week challenge – wow. I’d love to hear about this morning challenge sometime.
I couldn’t agree with you more. For the past 11 weeks, I’ve been part of a group of ladies focusing on starting each day “right” by developing a morning routine. I’ve been amazed at the differences between the (fortunately, many) days I’ve done the morning routine I settled on and the days I haven’t.