I’ll be honest with you.
I didn’t feel like writing this morning. The words wouldn’t come to me and I just couldn’t get my hands to type. But here I am, doing it anyway because I know how important this message is to share.
The lessons that I learned last week are something that I just need to share with you.
Fear of being alone.
Fear of being bored.
Fear of not knowing what will happen.
Do these sound familiar to you?
These fears are a reality for most of us, myself included.
Last week I decided to break through my own fears around this and head out into the wilderness on my own. No phone. No laptop. No book to read. No crossword puzzle. No distractions. No photos as proof (#sorrynotsorry).
Just me, my tent, good food, a bottle of wine, and a journal or two.
As I sat with my toes in the river, I realized that this could be the very real and lasting solution to the stress epidemic in our culture. We are so disconnected from ourselves as beings that it’s no wonder we are constantly running around being stressed all the time.
What if you could take a time out? What if you could hit pause, breathe, and really enjoy spending time with yourself?
You would be better able to manage your emotions. You would feel calm. You would understand yourself better. You would open up the mental space to discover solutions to all of your problems. You would be more patient with your kids. You would remember how lucky you are to be on this planet.
By truly connecting with yourself in this undistracted and real way, you can finally start to open up and live a purposeful and joyful life.
After all, isn’t that what you really want?
One thing that really hit me during my 24 hour “adult time out” was how we view and manage our emotions and stress these days. We’re all learning to meditate, do more yoga, take a hot bath, exercise, buy essential oils, and get a massage. And although these activities are really amazing for relieving temporary stress, they all still involve the act of doing something.
When we are constantly doing, we aren’t really being.
As a very wise friend once told me that we must first learn to be and it’s from this place that we can begin to do.
So, why are we so scared of being bored or alone with ourselves? I challenge you to ask yourself this very question right now.
When was the last time you went for a walk without your iPod?
When was the last time you sat at the beach without a book?
When was the last time you did absolutely nothing and enjoyed it?
You probably can’t even remember.
After taking this time for myself, and being so amazed at what came from it, I need to spread this message to you today.
Take time for yourself to just be. Make it a ritual. Make it a weekly, monthly, or quarterly thing. Make a date with yourself and leave the house. Plan to do N.O.T.H.I.N.G. Bring only a journal. See what happens. I promise you’ll be surprised…. And refreshed.
The longer the better. If you can take a whole day or 2 days, you’ll be able to connect with yourself all that much more. But if this sounds too difficult, I want you to commit to a few hours just for you.
Go for breakfast with yourself. Have a solo picnic in the park. Go solo camping. Book yourself into a B&B. Do whatever feels fun and nourishing to you.
Open up to the possibility of reconnecting with yourself, with being so undistracted that your mind has no choice but to find solutions to your problems and tune into what your body really needs. To start listening.
I hope this inspires you to try it. To get uncomfortable and find the joy in what lays on the other side.
Action time!
I want to know when you’ve booked your solo retreat. Post in the COMMENTS below and let me know when you’re doing it!
I can’t wait to hear!
Love & True Connection
Dani