Are you waiting for the other shoe to drop? đ¨
Plus: 5 ways you can stay rooted in the present đą
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It feels like almost every day that I hear someone say, âThere is a lot happening in the world right now. [Insert advice: Be kind to yourself. Donât focus on what you canât control. Itâs OK not to be OK.]â I take this advice to heart but also think: Is there ever a time where there isnât a lot happening in the world?
Right now weâre living in a fogâliterally. The beautiful town of Banff, arguably one of the most scenic in the nation, is dulled by a wall of smoke that is obscuring our views and filling our lungs. It sometimes feels like a metaphor for how I feel about the world. How do you navigate when you have none of your familiar reference points? This isnât a new conversation for Field Notes, but if itâs coming up again I suppose that means itâs still relevant.
I look at my daughters and they look at me with their big, beautiful brown eyes and I wonder what world they will grow up in. đ
Youâve probably heard the proverb attributed to Chief Seattle:
âWe do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.â
I can make eco-friendly choices. I can write to my member of parliament and express my thoughts on important matters. I can teach my children to love the earth and take care of her. To love others without judgement or conditions. I can use my platforms to raise awareness, donate money to causes that will have a long-term impact on the planet.
I can do all that, but I know itâs not enough.
So, where does that leave me?
The way I see it, at this moment, is that Iâm here. Iâm already here, on this planet. My life can either help make it a better place or take away from it. All I can do is care about my contributionâto make small choices every day to do my best in the face of it all.
Hardship isnât permanent; I know that because when the smoke clears, I see the blue sky, the mountains, the sun. âď¸ But the reality is, there is always something else coming. Itâs an idea captured in another proverb, apparently a Haitian one:
âBeyond mountains, there are mountains.â
Weâll climb one and then there will be another. Thatâs life. And if weâre always waiting for the other shoe to drop we arenât living it.
Easier said than done, right?
5 Ways to Stay Rooted in the Present
I am no expert on âliving in the present.â Itâs a lesson I seem to need to relearn every day, sometimes many times a day. But here are a few of the mechanisms Iâve put into place to help keep me rooted:
Create your own rituals to help you check in with yourself and seek some quiet. Of course, meditation is a good option, even just for a minute at a time. But can you be more present to your thoughts as you make your coffee in the morning or when youâre waiting in line somewhere?
When youâre feeling restless, resist the urge to check your social media (or the news). My experience is that youâll feel worse. Checking our feeds exposes us to information we would not have seen otherwise. Unless your feed is highly curated to only positive influences that make you feel good, donât hop on when youâre feeling low. On that note: curate your feeds!
One step further, go on a media fast. Pick a day of the week and donât go online, donât check your emails, donât read a newspaper, and donât check social media. I found these very hard at first but now look forward to my chosen day.
Put your energy into something positive and life-giving. Think: random (anonymous) acts of kindness, a care package to a friend, a spontaneous phone call. Youâll make someone elseâs day better and I think that can start a chain effect.
Create a Joy and Meaning list. (This one comes from BrenĂŠ Brown.) Ask yourself what will bring you more joy and meaning in your life as it stands right now. Find ways of tapping into that and make them non-negotiables. Get your family involved in the activity. This might mean putting your âBucket Listâ aside in lieu of cultivating more joy and meaning NOW. đˇ
With that, I wish you peace, calm and clarity. Feel free to reply letting me know if you have other mechanisms youâd add to this list! Iâd love to hear them.
Whatâs caught my attention lately⌠â¨
How to Declutter Your Digital World. Iâve had this article bookmarked for ages. A friend of mine wrote it (great job, Trixie!) and really hit the nail on the head. Be sure to scroll down to the Digital Declutter Checklist! Iâd like to set aside a half-day to do some cleaning.
Check these out too⌠đ
Mailing List - Memoir - Talk about laying tracks before the train! Join my list to find out more about the travelogue/memoir coming out Fall 2022.
The Wonders That I Find - My childrenâs book is now available! đż
My Email Newsletter - Yes, different from Substack. This newsletter is for specific updates about my books and various projects.
Find me: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
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