If any of you have read my book, Eating as a Spiritual Practice, you will discover that I made two extreme life changes within the story I told. These changes were not done on purpose – they seemed to just happen within a series of circumstances that popped into my life like a magic bullet. The first one was fun, exhilarating and new. It came after casting a prayer, “Dear God, there must be more to life than this, please show me.” The second one came as everything fell apart; relationships, job, car, house, and even my body. It was not fun. It was difficult, sad and scary.
Now, several years later after another huge change in my life, which involved me moving to Maui and starting a new life, I found myself desperately needing a reset of some kind. But what? How? I did not want to move. I did not really want to change my career, and I loved my tribe. So, I set out to create a new life in the life I had. This is what I want to share with you because if you are in a rut, if you need a change, if you need a reset, then my story might give you some good ideas of how you can do it right where you are.
1. Let’s start with the body. Mine was more than physically tired. I was not that happy and I was worn out and bored with all circumstances. My doctor said I was depressed. She tried to give me a pill after asking me about 10 questions. Yes, I cried a lot. I did not have the energy and enthusiasm to create in my life like I used to. I refused the pills and kept praying for answers. First, I did a cleanse, which included a parasite cleanse. Then I got body work as much as possible, which included acupuncture. My diet, even though clean, was cleaned up even more, and I began a more stable practice of Kundalini yoga. If only for 15 minutes each morning, this moved my breath and invigorated my soul.
2. I live in a large house that provides me the opportunity for guests or a roommate. I decided that even though the people that were here were good, there needed to be a change. It took a few months, but off they went to create their own lives. This created a huge space in my house for a few months before I set out to fill the space again. It gave me time to feel into what might be right for me. What did I want?
3. Here comes the good part. The new space in my home felt so good that it launched the beginning of a move within my own home. I changed rooms and moved from where I previously slept and worked. This caused me to clean out everything. De-clutter became the name of the game. It was overwhelming and took time.
4. I had got so behind from the years taking care of my Mom before she went to heaven. I am sure it had something to do with the fatigue and overwhelm, which manifested in slight depression. I needed help. I put it out to my friends over and over, and some responded over the year here and there, which was wonderful. But, then my friend Patty flew in from California for ten days. She came to make me dinner, play, rearrange and de-clutter, scheming creatively on my behalf. God sent me a heavenly angel to do nothing but serve me, and my home transition.
5. When I came home from taking Patty to the airport, I walked into a new office, and a new bedroom, a new flow of support for the life I wanted to create. My pictures were hung, the linens refreshed, my closets clean and my soul at ease. I still lived in the same home. I still have my same career, but it all felt new and refreshed. My body felt lighter, I loved my home and I felt loved and cared for. I am revitalized with a fresh start right here within my old life. I did not have to move, change careers, or leave my wonderful friends.
My purpose in sharing this story with you is to inspire you to take responsibility for your health and home right where you are. There are so many layers to self care. Self care goes way beyond diet and exercise. We need to look closely at our lives and see what we can do to refresh them. When we lighten the load of our belongings, we lighten the load in our hearts and minds. It creates space for the soul to shine through.
Many of us know this, but it can feel overwhelming when we have so much to do. This is when we must call on our friends and ask for help. If you don’t have the funds to hire help, and even if you do, there is nothing like ponying up with a good friend and rolling up your sleeves to be of service to each other. It can be fun. If it feels out of balance, then offer a trade. A tribe works together and we need each other.
There is another aspect of this self care I want to speak to and that is time. I believe we have to be patient, and give ourselves time to make transitions. A change in your diet, for instance, needs time and consistency. It took me almost a year to fully make this transition. It came in steps and was not always easy. If you stay close to yourself, and keep asking and following your heart and inner guidance, you will find the meandering path that is the route to your soul’s health and vitality.
Of course, there is more to this year of transition for me, but I wanted to share the highlights and plant the seed of the idea for you so that you too can look at your own home and life, and find where you might want to up your game of self care. As we age, if we want to stay light and vibrant, we must look into the vast areas of self care and take responsibility for creating a life of health and vitality.
To this end, I am committed to supporting women to take responsibility for their self care, and age with purpose, vitality and natural beauty.
Are you one of these women? Schedule a complimentary consultant call - email me with your timezone and some date/time that would work for you.
Big announcement! I'll be doing my first Facebook Live next week! Be sure to like my page HERE so you'll be notified when I go live. If you miss it or don't use Facebook, no worries, I'll post it on my blog after.
Finally, the Kindle edition of Eating as a Spiritual Practice is on sale for $2.99 for a limited time! This sale will end on November 30 so get your copy today! You can buy it HERE. And please remember to leave a review. I would love to hear your thoughts.
Aloha, Susan
