Soul Languages: AQ: Pioneer, AT: Huntress, Tone: Conductor
Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.
~Aristotle
WOW – Life has been a whirlwind lately! There are so many exciting shifts, evolutions, transitions, and hard-but rewarding work occurring in my life at the moment. I’m heartened to know that I’m certainly not alone as most people I speak to are experiencing very similar in their own lives. Still, with all of my many blessings – at times I must admit to being so “on the go” that I’m not even remotely “in the NOW!” I’m fundamentally not present to each moment and as a result disconnected from my body, thoughts, feelings and most of all my spirit and intuition.
Between the holiday season with all the many delights-but also the demands on time and budget, being on the go-go all the time, the personal and professional “to do’s” that just never seem to get “done,” it’s a wonder I’m present enough to know I’m not present. J I continue to maintain that being an entrepreneur is the hardest j-o-b in the world. Sometimes I find myself thinking I need a break — so I’ll just go get a “regular” job for a while to relax. Seriously, the thought of arriving at 9:00 am, spend at least 1-2 hours in process loss and water-cooler time, then leave it ALL at the door around 5:30 pm sounds like a delight…for about one minute and then I get hives. As I’ve shared in this sacred space previously, being an entrepreneur—a Pioneer (one of my soul languages in fact)—is in my DNA. So, the answer is NOT to go get a regular job as a time-out – but rather to be thankful for the awareness of not “being present” and then to make changes in order to live life more fully in the moment and in alignment with body-mind-spirit each day. Ahhh – easier said than done right? Absolutely! Still, nothing worth anything is ever easy…the rewards, however, are exponential.
As a result, in the last few week’s I’ve made it a priority to stop every hour for at least10 minutes and just step away from all the noise of the day. I step away from my cozy home-office, laptop, “to-do” list(s), emails, calls, text messages, etc. I just take a step outside, even when it’s freezing cold (and FYI the Tahoe area in December is NOT warm), and I take a moment to REALLY look at my surroundings-at nature-at the vast Sierra Mountains. I’m on a golf course and literally completely surrounded by the massive Sierra Mountain range. Most of the time, I don’t even notice them anymore. Now, as I practice being present in these 10-minute intervals I have taken to calling my “adult time-outs,” I’m astounded that I miss them most of the time in the whirl of the day. They’re breathtaking and massive. At night, the sky is so remarkably clear and brilliant that it just brings me back to how much larger the universe and Source/the Divine/G-d (whatever resonates for you) truly is. Interestingly, I never feel “small” in these moments juxtaposed next to the enormity of nature, but rather, I feel a deep sense of calm. In these moments, I feel part of something so profound, so infinite, and so powerful that it renders me speechless (and trust me that is a very rare occurrenceJ).
When I set out to write this today, I honestly wasn’t sure where it was headed and then I took my 10-minute “time out,” came back inside and started to type. Ultimately, I’m thrilled that I didn’t have a clue what to write. Why? Well, it allowed me to just share from my heart to yours about my new found practice and “gift to self: being present to the present moment.” It’s not always easy or natural, still as always, I remain a work in progress and proud of it. I encourage you to step away from it all in this very moment to start this practice… Enjoy!
Blessings & Live Out Loud
~ M xo
**Mandy Bobolia is the Founder of Pioneering Business by Design Consulting (PBDC}-www.pioneeringbusinessbydesign.com. She is a Master Business & Visibility Designer/Strategist, working with vanguard entrepreneurs and small businesses to build rock solid organizational business foundations including; systems, team, operations and spotlight strategies. With PBDC, Mandy designs blueprints to streamline, optimize and co-create the thriving, fun & profitable businesses of her clients’ dreams.
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