Ringing in 2013: Turn Down the White Noise, Make Room for Whimsy!

Happy New Year!!!

Earth! From Air...somewhere between Baltimore, MD and Lexington, KY.

Well, 2013 is only hours away. It is hard to believe...only a few years ago I  felt a little panicked...time seemed to be running out. Running out of what? I am not sure...

I scheduled my last day of work for December 21, 2012, the Friday before the Christmas holiday.

Coincidentally, the date of my last day of work coincided with a date for "the end of the world" according to some interpretations of the Mayan calendar...

A running joke passed through my office from clients about how the coincidental date for the end of the world was, in fact, the end of the world {as I knew it}. It was cute, and also very funny to me that I had not connected those dots on my own. But, alas, we haven't been taken over by angels, demons, or aliens.



Sigh...and, thank goodness.

 However, since then, my life has been taken over by the Harry Potter series, organizing my house, and attempting to pack a few-too-many belongings to take with me for my year in herb school up North.

Yes, thank goodness we have time to live. We have too much to do {and learn not to do!} while we are still here on earth...

What does "busy" really mean anyhow? I don't know!!!

That is it!  I just now decided that  my new years resolution for this year is to retrain and define my concept of what it means to be "busy". I have grown to be so busy that I have had a hard time learning to relax. I mean, really, really relax without my brain scanning my never ending"to do" list and without the aid of a trained professional. I take time to read, spend time with friends and family, and time for self-care,. but, more often than not, this really isn't enough. We need time to simply be without.

How many of us have the habit of  filling our free time with 'catch up on anything time',  instead of starting off our days with rest?

When we start out by "doing" we only have so much time left over for relaxation. I used to think this was good enough...that my peace of mind was well worth the lack of "nothingness". I am starting to realize that it is not only important to schedule in time for self-care and "dates with self"*, but, also really important to make space for magic, whimsy, and synchronicity to occur in our lives.

*Quick side note: Here is a link to some wonderful local practitioners I've had the joy of receiving healing work from over the past few years. Please keep up with your self-care while I am away! 

Making Space for Whimsy.

Mossy Lichen things...you are so bad ass! 

See that picture? What do you see? Human made brick and mortar that are neatly lined in a row? Or do you see mother nature being like, "Ughh, well, that just won't do...Hey! Moss! Lichens! Do that beautiful, whimsical, free form, colorful, blotchy thing again!". Moss and Lichens rebel against time... And I just love them.

We live in a pretty straight laced world that makes us believe that we have very few choices in life but to follow the path that is straight and narrow...but, this truly, and simply, is NOT true! See diagram, "Mossy", for inspiration.

Since when is it written in stone that we must live our lives on a rigid schedule so that we can always be most industrious?

 I mean, really. You might immediately like to think, "no, it's true! We have little choice!". But, really... Really...there are tons of people out there who have written books on how to change our lives and make space for the sweet goodness of nothingness.

And, what we read often, is that we must first recognize we have a choice, then believe we have a choice, and then make that choice. This included the "good" and "bad" sides of it all.  We may have to minimize our expenses, and find new work...but, it can be done. You just have to weigh out the benefits and seeming losses with a keen eye and an open mind.

You may find that it truly makes more sense to step out of those lines we have grown up to believe contain reality, and make space for whimsy, quiet time, and room for nothingness.

When I do nothing I want to look like this owl below. I found it in a book while slightly nervously attempting to do nothing on my first day off of work.

 See, when I do nothing, I tend to take pictures....so I may do something.

Okay...back to the resolution for nothing. How much can we really lose simply by creating space for nothingness?

 I used to watch my partner in disbelief. He would sit and read a book while we had a whole list of projects looming over our heads (or maybe just mine).

 I would silently mutter in my head, 'Oh my gosh! How can he just sit there?!'...I would waste about thirty minutes...I would turn precious"nothing" time into "worry" time as I bounced around in circles in search of things to do while I waited. Oy vey! What an inspiration he has become...

 The Past...A Path of Busy Buzzing 

 My family is made up of many busy bees...we move fast, work fast, and stay focused.

We work hard, and we rest hard.

We can often be found working until we drop and then thoroughly enjoying our recovery time.

Just a little picture window into the life of Higgins-Sandhu women...

Rosie, {the Riveter}, is an avid gardener and 30+ year metal smith worker at Ford motor company in Louisville, KY. She was one of the first women to ever work at Ford! When she is not working a 60 hour work week, she is revamping her magical, three-tiered secret garden in her backyard.

My mother, {The Chef}, is either working as a teacher or traveling...always doing both back to back, I mean totally to the last minute.

My sister is a full-time mother, part-time dental hygienist  magical crafts woman and small business owner at Swanky Princess.  With all that, she still manages to make time for fresh squeezed orange juice, heart shaped pancakes, and a time to laugh with me over the phone for hours. Oh, and she is totally down to earth, an amazing cook, decorator, and super smart. She gets those things from my mom, who while I was growing up, was similar. We pretty much only ate meals from scratch with the exception of boxed spaghetti and cereal. Granted she would make those from scratch sometimes too. She always found a reason to celebrate with surprises, food, and often hand made little gifts.

Shew!

Though, I have only mentioned a few in the entire bunch of Higgins-Sandhu power houses, they are all amazing women. They all make life so special because of their abilities to do so much out of love.

They, like our modern day culture in America, have inspired me to lovingly use every ounce of energy I have.


They are inspiring and also a big reason I do what I do. Everyday, I am reminded that it is okay to remind others and myself to take a break from life. I choose to do what I do as a balance of my instinctual nature.

Step One: Don't Just do Something. Sit There

But, this year, I've decided to throw in the towel...to embrace a little bit of nothing...and I invite you to join me...

 OR, maybe you can offer us some helpful tips on how you make space for nothing!

This is Francis, our beloved elfin cat. Or I supposed we are her beloved elfin humans. I imagine she sees us as ogres, but, the idea of being a tall elf makes me feel better about myself.

Francis looks like she is helping me pack, but, really, she is doing nothing. She is wondering if she can sleep in that empty space for the next few hours.

Don't Just Do Something, Sit There by Sylvia Boorstein, is a book that I have wanted to read for some time. To be honest, at first I did not know it was a book.

 I simply thought the title of the book was an ingenious twist of words whose passivity held as much attention-catching meaning as its active counter-saying, "don't just sit there, do something!".

I saw those words on a bumper sticker while day dreaming out my car window at a stop light a few years back and it made me chuckle.

See...stop lights make space for nothing which makes space for good things to sneak in!

 If only we could expand that space from two minute stop lights to two hours...or two days...of making space for whimsical life and insight. Okay, step one: Read this book.

In Reality...You Can Create It.

Of course, most of us have to work, some of us a lot, whether we enjoy our work or not.

My goal isn't to throw out some lofty notion...but, to inspire ways to not fill every waking moment with "doing". My goal for this year is to set a specific amount of time aside...to re-calibrate my concept of time...so that I may minimize my concept of what "busy" means and maximize my space for whimsical living.

Do you have any ideas that you would like to share on how you make space for nothingness?

If so, I would love your help!

Step Two: Create Healthy Boundaries with People and Technology...

Make disclaimers stating when you will or will not be available for contact. For example, I thought it was ingenious when a fellow student, and body-worker left a disclaimer on her email stating she only checks her messages once a week... And as far as I know, she sticks to it! 

If you have a note to people on outgoing emails, you take the stress off yourself of having to respond quickly. If it is a weekday work emergency, we still have voice phones that work.

 In fact, they are very smart ones, that work so well, they are practically taking over our need for storing information inside of our heads. 

Step Two and a Quarter: Cell-Free Sundays

Now, I know the weekend for many is a free cell phone day. But, I would like to help you declare Sunday as a day to  be cell phone free. So, quick, get all those important calls done on Saturday!

 While you are at it, turn that dang on computer off too...and the DVD's. I like technology, but, dang, it's taking over our brains...

It seems like with the invention of so much incredibly helpful and portable technology, all of our gaps for simplicity {breathing, walking, thinking, daydreaming}, have been filled with flashing lights, messages, dinging, and even faster methods of doing "something".

These quick and handy means of reaching our "destinations of knowing" often take away from the full experience of our shortened journeys. Not to mention a strange compulsive need to use them when we don't have a real reason to. It truly is like an addiction, and I totally find myself partaking in an obsession with the Celf.

Step Three: Get To Know and Un-Know Your Celf. 

Though, I am sure someone else has already thought of this word-smashing word,for now, I will go on as if I made it up.

 Below I define "Celf" with the aid of my search on "Self" via google:

Celf   

/celf/

Noun A melding of  a person's essential being with their cell phone and apps that distinguishes them from others, esp. Considered as the object of introspection or reflexive action on the interweb.

Pronoun Onecelf, in particular.

Verb Celf Importance: The bizarre emotional bond of completeness that you create between your cell phone and your self.

C'mon, You can Do It! Why not turn it off for just one day? 

Do you find yourself reaching for your interweb-ify-ing unit meaninglessly...kind of like those moments when you click from email, to Facebook, to horoscope land, to Facebook, to email? And then you are like, 'wait, how did twenty minutes just pass by...I didn't do anything!"?

Okay...that's maybe a bad nothing. What do you think? I mean, because if you don't think it is bad then don't worry! If you do think it is bay, maybe that time would have been better spent staring at a wall day dreaming about floating on a boat somewhere off the coast of Italy? Or, maybe drag racing in the streets of some other far away city?

Take back a day of rest!

 If turning your phone and computer off for a full day sounds scary, reach out for back up. Ask two neighbors who are willing to be a contact for you on Sundays. Give your family and closest friends their numbers... Just in case there is an emergency while your cell phone is off.

Then, make a plan with a friend for a walk a few days in advance so they can just show up at your doorstep within a certain time frame. Reclaim your space to slow down and enjoy life without the use of technology.

Remember those magical days when we didn't text people seconds before we left the house so that they knew we would arrive within ten minutes? Wow! A little bit of mystery and excitement, eh? No, really. I mean that, I am not being sarcastic...it's the little things in life.

Step Four, Aside from Technology....

Schedule in time for yourself as written in the latter part of my post, creating space for the things we love. 

I hear fireworks outside my window. Sounds like it is time for me to open a bottle of cheap champagne and ring in the new year.... now only one minute to go! Dang, I also meant to finish Harry Potter before the clock struck 12...looks like it will be a long night. 

Wishing you all a very beautiful, magical whimsical, and joyful 2013! 

Yay!!!