A practice to slow down your life

“…January resolutions are about will: September aspirations are about authentic wants. What do you want more or less in your life, so that you can love the life you’re leading?

Autumnal resolutions don’t require horns, confetti, and champagne. September asks only that we be open to positive change.”

— Simple Abundance, by Sarah Ban Breathnach

Happy Sacred Sunday!

Is it weird that I felt a little spark of bliss when I realized September 1st landed on a Sacred Sunday?

Yea, maybe it is a little weird, but I still want to share it with you.

There’s something about September that warms my soul. I love that the beginning of this month is met by Labor Day weekend (a.k.a summer’s last hoorah), a long weekend offering us the opportunity to say our goodbyes to the energy of summer and get ready for the coziness of fall.

Interestingly, it wasn’t until I began the practice of living with intentions that I noticed nuances like the Labor Day Holiday transition.

Before that, the days, months, and years folded into each other, only becoming relevant on particularly noteworthy events like birthdays or Christmas.

When I was a kid, this didn’t matter because time passed slowly. But as I got older, and the years began playing at 1.5 or 2.0 speed, those milestone moments would creep up on me and rarely was I ready for any of it.

Although it’s still hard to fathom the speed at which our kids are growing, the years are passing, and the world is changing — I have discovered a practice that helps me catch my breath in between the sprints.

This is the practice of noticing, naming, and nurturing seasons and rhythms.

The practice is simple:

It was a spark of bliss — and I felt it in my bones.
The next day I sat at my computer to write. I had my weekly planner open in front of me, but I was too busy staring at my computer. Until I looked down and noticed the only words on the page:

1. NOTICE – Where are you and where do you want to go?

At the end of the month, reflect on the month that has passed and the one that’s coming.

What did you celebrate and enjoy, or grieve and endure?
What were the successes of the month? What were the disappointments?
What energy and flavor did the month produce?
Are you entering a new season, a new year, or a new phase of your life?
What do you want to let go of, hold on to, or create in the upcoming month?

2. NAME – Set your intentions and your North Star to keep you on path.

Come up with a theme/label/name for the month. You may already have a word of the year, so this name is complimentary to that word of the year.
If everything went your way, what energy and flavor would you enjoy this month? This is your time to be optimistic and hopeful.

3. NURTURE – Put your intentions to practice

What habits or rituals will you adopt, continue, stack on, or resume this season?
Think about your environment, community, support system, schedule, and routines. What changes/shifts can you make that will support you? What can you delete, delegate, or complete?

This exercise has allowed me to slow down and savor the seasons and rhythms of my life. It’s not perfect and sometimes life takes a completely different turn than what you expected. That’s why you must leave room for the surprises and focus more on progress than perfection.
And that’s what we’re talking about in today’s podcast episode.

Tune into this week’s episode to learn more about this practice and discover my theme for September.

Will you adopt mine or create your own?

Hit reply to this email and let me know .