“Besides the noble art of getting things done, there is the noble art of leaving things undone. The wisdom of life consists in the elimination of non-essentials.” –Lin Yutang
Life is full this summer.
- The garden is bursting with kale, tomatoes, herbs and green beans; it needs weeding.
- I’m working full-time. So is my spouse.
- With our college-aged daughter home, we’re cooking for four adults most nights and making enough extra to pack lunches. With vegan, dairy-free and gluten-free diets, food planning and preparation is labor intensive.
- It’s time to shop – for supplies my daughter needs for her college townhouse and school supplies, and clothes for our high school-aged son.
- Neighbors stop to visit and we love getting together with friends.
- Laundry, cleaning, grocery shopping, car maintenance, etc. are ongoing tasks.
All of what makes summer so ripe with good things also means that I’ve not blogged like I planned. For awhile guilt nagged at me, a sense of not meeting my own expectations.
Then I remembered this quote by Lin Yutang and what I often tell harried, overworked, over-busy clients: You gotta learn to slow down, say no to some things, prioritize and find ways to sit with the unease of not doing everything you previously thought or assumed was so important.
Bere, the owner of Work You Love Coach, has a five-minute meditation for stress relief. She gently reminds listeners to let things be undone, and to ask, “Who do I need to say ‘no’ to?” Here’s the link: https://www.workyoulovecoach.com/meditation1
So, if your season of life is full, let it be, take a few minutes to sit quietly and ask yourself: What is really important? And what needs to be left undone for now? See how that resonates with you. If it’s hard, what makes it hard? What beliefs might you have about being productive, crossing items off your to-do list or not disappointing others? See if you can find some ease and energy to enjoy how you do choose to fill your time.
Until I have time for the next post…..
Brenda Hartman-Souder, August 2018