Happy Sacred Sunday!
Today I’m thinking a lot about walking the fine line between living in the present and planning for the future.
Everyone’s always talking about practicing presence. The word on the street is if you can master the art of living in the present moment, you will find peace and happiness.
But is this true in modern-day society? I’m asking because I’m great at living in the present moment.
And you know what? That can be a huge problem.
When the PRESENT is too late
Often the present moment is already too late for the thing we’re trying to do.
Society is designed to live in the future. Walk into Costco in mid-October and all you see is Christmas decor. This bothers me tremendously 
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Travelling is another great example.
Let’s say you’ve been living in the moment, enjoying every day like it’s your last. Today you wake up and it’s December 20th. Kids are out of school. Christmas is around the corner. You and your family talk about how nice it would be to go on a winter vacation; Rent a little cabin somewhere where it snows;Spend a few days skiing; Find one of those parks full of Christmas lights.
Sounds delightful.
And it’s too late.
Hotels, flights, cars, and entrance passes are sold out and/or astronomically expensive. You spend hours scrambling, looking for a viable option. Your lovely idea becomes a “last-minute, grab-what-you-can” situation.
This has happened to us many times.
Don’t get me wrong. We always find a way to make things happen and have a beautiful experience. And we always chalk it up to living a spontaneous life. That’s part of the story!
But even if all works out in the end (which it always does), the last-minute scrambling is not ideal. And you do miss out on things you may have wanted to try, such as a restaurant you’d love to eat at or a hotel you’d love to stay at or an event you’d love to attend.
Is your strength also your weakness?
I’m the girl who plans her kids birthday parties the week of their birthday, who can drop everything to spend time with a friend or family member who needs her that day, and who doesn’t know what she’s going to wear to a party until she’s getting dressed for the party.
That girl is free-spirited and light-hearted. She doesn’t worry a lot or sweat the small stuff.
Some of my friends tell me this is a gift. They say they admire how present I am in life and how much I savor the moments.
But I’m also the girl who misses deadlines to rsvp for things, forgets to respond to emails and texts, and often has to scramble at the last minute when she realizes that “thing” she had to do is due tomorrow. (Um, do you know where I can find a 1920s dress, anyone?)
Some of my friends refer to this as my “fire-drills.” They get very annoyed with me when I’m scrambling at the last minute, especially if they are helping me scramble 
.
What got you here …
There’s a famous quote that says, “What got you here won’t get you there.”
Every year I choose a word to govern my year. I chose EXPAND to define 2023.
Expanding embodies the essence of growth, progress, and unlimited potential. It suggests stretching beyond your comfort zone, evolving as an individual, and reaching new horizons.
This year has felt incredibly expansive. We tackled major projects such as decluttering & remodeling our house, moving to a lake house for the summer, and putting our son in a new school (to name a few).
The process of expansion has opened paths and a desire for expansion in other areas of my life and business. And what I’ve noticed is that my laissez-faire, spur of the moment, lifestyle no longer serves me the way it used to.
What has gotten me here may not be the best way to get me to where I want to go.
Staying Present and having a Plan
Herein lies the rub.
I don’t want to lose the free-spirited and light-hearted woman who savors the present moment and embraces life as it unfolds.
AND I don’t want to be the woman who misses a Sunday email because life got in the way and she couldn’t get to it before Sunday.
How do we reconcile this dilemma?
How can you truly live in the present moment while simultaneously planning for the future?
As I contemplate my optimize theme for October, I’m pondering this conundrum. I don’t have a clear answer for you, rather this is an invitation for you to join me in searching for answers.
Reply to this email and tell me what your thoughts are about this. I’d love to know!
Sending you a lot of love today and always.
