Luxury of Time
“Never get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.”
Quote from a wall of the antique shop that I visited today.
Have you been feeling the pull of life lately? Movement into action. Going, going, going. Overwhelmed. Tired. Maybe even exhausted from the pace that we’re entering back into after two years of solitude. I’ve felt it. It’s the energy that’s all around us right now, and that makes me wonder: how are you doing with that momentum? Are you riding it like a world-champion surfer in the curving vortex of a wave, or are you feeling like you’re riding a sled in an avalanche? I believe I’ve felt both in the last two years and I certainly know which one I prefer, and I don’t even surf.
There are two things that money and time have in common:
We spend them both. The only difference is one is finite and one is infinite. This year I’ve had to challenge my thoughts on my finances, and specifically re-write my narrative of abundance. I may not currently be in a prosperous season financially, but I am enjoying the hell out of my life lately! You see, I’ve come to realize that the only thing between me and my financial well-being is my mind set. Do I have a roof over my head? Yes. Do I have food in my pantry? Yes. Do I have clothes to cover and warm me? Yes. Do I have my most basic needs met? Yes. Do I have a large home with a housekeeper and a gardner and the luxury of travel whenever and wherever I’d like? No. But do I want that? No…ok, except for the last part. Travel is awesome and Michael Franti, if you’re listening, please clear a path for me to come to a yoga retreat at your retreat center in Bali! Thank you. I knew you had my back.
What I’ve come to realize is that I have the luxury of time. Two years ago when my kids were first split between the my home and that of my ex, I was devastated. My kids were my everything. I love them fiercely and dedicated 13 years of my life to being a full-time mother and wife (or as my Mom calls it, being a Domestic Goddess). But when I had to navigate parenting as a single parent, I found the work to be incredibly exhausting, both physically and mentally. I started to look forward to the rest when the kids were with their dad. I could take a breath, gather myself on my yoga mat, and cry and think and dream.
This new rhythm, I began to notice, was essential for my well-being. It was in those heart-wrenching periods away from my kids where I learned to love myself, bit by bit. One day at a time. I started to indulge in simple pleasures, like a walk along the creek with my music speaking to my soul (hello Alanis), or a mason jar full of wild flowers next to my kitchen sink, or a good cry on my yoga mat, or a dance party for one in that studio apartment above the Merc, or a phone call with a dear friend, or watching the sunset from the rocking chair on the front porch. And you know what? None of these soul care moments cost me a dime. I was indulging in the luxury of time. And that’s abundance that we can all tap into.
Fast forward one year later.
Thursday night was my inaugural Sisterhood of the Moon New Moon Ceremony, which was followed by a birthday celebration at my dear friend’s home on the evening of the New Moon. To say that it’s been a magical few days would be an understatement. I met women who are tapping in to their lives in incredibly beautiful and fearlessly authentic ways: musicians, artists, healers, dreamers. All of these women are rich because they are living a life that comes from following their intuition and listening to their heart’s calling. They may not be rich by American society’s standards, but they’re rich in my eyes because they spend their time doing the things they love and offering the gifts that they have. And that is inspiring.
From Week 6 of the Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron (Recovering a Sense of Abundance)
“I’d rather have roses on my table than diamonds on my neck.” – Emma Goldmans
As I’m learning to understand my finances (after a lifetime of giving my financial power over to a man that I trusted), I am learning that abundance is a mind-set. I don’t have to have diamonds on my neck or even on my ring finger. Those wildflowers in a mason jar on my counter are enough. I am enough.
This week, as the moon begins to grow into her full abundance on April 16, consider how you spend your time. Is their a simple luxury that you can indulge in this week? Maybe you want to venture into an antique shop that’s always caught your eye like the one where I visually shopped today. Or maybe you want to take a walk along the river front, while savoring the sweet flavor of a giant spiral lollipop. Or maybe you want to stop at a park or a local nursery on your way to the grocery store and purchase a new flower pot for your front porch. Or maybe you want to take a gorgeously indulgent nap in the middle of the day even though there are chores to be done and errands to be run. The question is, how are you spending your time? Are you riding the wave of momentum or being pulled under in an avalanche of overwhelm? We all have the same finite 24 hours in a day. How you choose to spend it is entirely up to you.
Upcoming Sisterhood of the Moon dates for April
If you’ve been craving community and meaningful connection, I invite you to carve out an hour on Thursday evenings to join me and the Sisterhood of the Moon from the comfort of your own home as a gift to your tired soul. This week’s song by Alicia Keys “We Are Here” embodies the Sisterhood’s spirit: “We are here, we are here for all of us.” We are here to support, encourage and love on each other as we step into life on the other side of the pandemic. Listen to Alicia’s song and if it resonates, please join us for our next virtual Full Moon event; if you’re local, come out and play with us on the night of the full moon! Your first moon circle is free, and afterwards there’s a suggested love offering of $15, as you are able. We will never turn somebody away if you’re on hard financial times.
Full Moon Ceremony: Thursday, April 14th @ 8pm MST from the comfort of your home
Full Moon Celebration: Saturday, April 16th: downtown Boise. Festivities kick off at the Voice Box at 7pm, followed by a night of frivolous dancing at the Balcony
New Moon Ceremony: Thursday, April 28th @ 8pm MST from the comfort of your home
May your heart know peace. May your spirit feel joy. May love surround you everywhere you go. Namaste.
