Imagine a messier life?
Imagine you were given the gift of four days to tune out all other distractions and focus on your passions, your hopes and dreams.
Suppose you were supported by a group of strangers who are now dear friends. These people helped identify roadblocks to your dreams AND ways to bust through them.
Picture sitting in a beach community being encouraged to chase your dreams and live your life on your terms and by your personal priority list.
Between the sounds of seagulls and waves crashing you hear people saying ‘go for it’, ‘you can do it’ and ‘you deserve it’.
No, I did not have a wonderful dream, sustain a head injury or consume too many cocktails at book club. (That was all the week before! 😉
Last weekend, I lived this experience. I spent four days in Santa Barbara, attending the Life Launch program I told you about. This program gave to me what I hope to give to others; a sense that you’re not alone, that people are in your corner, that anything is possible. It focused on the good in each person and supported each person’s life journey. I was reminded this weekend that everyone is slightly off-balance; that we all have fears and obstacles, but with the right support, we can do great things. This weekend was a prelude to a coaching certification I hope to obtain, when the time in my life is right.
That time for that certification maybe now, if I can figure out how to juggle work, family and an intense 8 months program that requires 10-12 hours per week. Stop laughing! Or at least bring it down to a giggle. I know, ‘where I am going to find the time’? If I do this, will I miss more soccer practices, ballet or my own yoga classes? Will my husband forget that I even knew how to cook dinner? (Hmm… this might be a benefit). Will I completely disappear from this blog – I have already been delinquent as of late. Will people think I am selfish for adding something else that is about me? Will the mold in my showers run rampant? Will I start to wear dirty clothes and stop washing my hair? Okay, I already don’t wash my hair that often… Life would certainly get messier. But maybe a messier life is a fuller life. Maybe, messy is good. You can’t argue with the fact that an empty room may be clean, but is empty, whereas a messy room is full of living; mementos of life’s adventures. (Do you think my husband will buy any of this?)
These are all questions I have to answer, but my gut is telling me to give it a shot. I have a little more research to do and I’ll keep you posted. But I’ll make you a promise, I may have less time to blog, but I’ll try to post the messy pictures! 😉
Leave a Reply to julie gardner Cancel reply
Pay It Forward
Slightly Off-Balance 
You have never been one to back down from a challenge. I KNOW you can do it!! And if you need to vent about the pressure on your shoulders, call me!! Love you!!
What would I do without you Keri?! Thanks for being my duct tape and holding me together!
You were in my neck of the woods! I say if you think you want to do it, you should. You can always quit, but you can’t start again!
Welcome back, I have missed you!
Jamie – It’s interesting, I have been thinking about you so much. You are scaling back and I am potentially getting in over my head, but you’re right. I can’t start again!
I constantly find myself saying: We make time for what we value (evidently I don’t value exercise…).
You will do it. I know it.
Keep us posted!
Leanne, It is possible I am considering this program to have a better excuse as to why I won’t be able to exercise. Freshman 15 here I come… again!
As I type, there is a load of laundry in the dryer (not folded) and a sink full of dishes (unwashed) in my kitchen.
I can’t speak for the mold in the shower because I, too, don’t wash my hair often (ha!) and I try not to look…because…well…
Yes. A messy life is a full life.
As long as everyone is happy and healthy, everything else can wait. Really. My mother-in-law has a sign in her home that reads this:
“A boring woman keeps an immaculate house.”
I have to say, once I got a load of that? I was so grateful that she’s the mother of my husband. No judgment coming from her at all. Hooray!
I’m not saying I want to be worthy of an episode of Hoarders or anything. But letting go of the little things that don’t matter IN THE MOMENT can go along way toward making us happier in the long run.
I myself have to have certain things accomplished/organized to be productive. It may sound weird, but the laundry in the dryer? I can’t see it. The dishes stacked in the sink? I can’t see them (unless I’m actually standing over it). So when I scan my environment, things look neat and decent (not perfect, just not chaotic). I need a certain level of peace around me – but beyond that, I try not to freak out about the to-do list.
I wish you SO much luck in the new pursuit of something that makes you happy. And we’ll be here to support you. NO matter what or when or how.
You go, girl. Get your Life Launch(ed). Or something like that 😉
I love this! “A boring woman keeps an immaculate house.”
Funny enough, I am very happy, but think I could be happier…
Thank you for your kind words, I am sorry we didn’t get to connect on m last trip, the schedule was insane. If I do the program, I will plan my travel schedule better now understading the cadence of the program, because I would still love to get together! I will email you too in case you don’t see this.
Um yeah. What Julie said because my 4.5 year old wants my attention and my 2 year old just woke up and I realized I have to feed my son because he has a swim school make up in an hour.
So uh yeah. I get it the time thing.
There’s a reason why I pay someone to clean my house twice a week – it was the only way to have clean floors (for at least two hours) and non-moldy showers (and Texas loves mold).
I know you’ll find a way to make it work, as Tim Gunn would say…
I have been enviously dreaming of your floors since I read this. A house keeper twice per week is my new goal!
Um.. Ooops. I meant twice a month. Every other week, actually.
That’s what I get for typing when my children are plowing into my legs.
I don’t think I could handle twice a week. I have to do laundry some time.
Every week would be nice, but twice a week is still heaven.