“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.”
Henry David Thoreau
2020 is arriving in several hours and here I sit, after declaring I would write this HOURS ago.
It is still 2019, I still have latitude between declaration and execution, right?
My lack of remembering was valid: there was the clogged toilet incident I was solving. After that, I was assisting my long term friend who fixed my roof right before I left for my cross country trip and prevented havoc during wild weather while I was gone. Who knew four hours to help trimming dog’s nails and getting pictures developed was going to turn into accompanying him to the dentist office and securing meds? I knew if I didn’t push the pharmacy pick up it might not happen until tomorrow afternoon and being the responsible, deliberate person I… realized how unintentionally I almost forgot Thoreau.
My actions today reflected my forgetting.
I was not living deliberately. I was living reactively, as has become my habit.
Being reactive rather than responsive is one of those unconscious habits I aim to shift as this new year and season and decade of my life begins.
The cost of this habit brought about a rather unremarkable life ruled primarily by fear with spurts of passionate living. The person I was I was twelve years or so ago, lived a very passionate life with only occasional spurts of fear.
As 2019 came to a close, clarity spoke to my heart and my mind loud and clear.
I aim to live deliberately – with passion, purpose and intention, every day.
This doesn’t mean building a small cabin in the forest like Thoreau did, this means I don’t miss the individual trees. This means I submit to delicious daily practices to feed my overall intentions.
I started this by asking, “Back when I was at my happiest and most productive, what consistent practices was I engaging in to help me feel so good?”
I was writing daily haiku and taking photos of everyday activities and actions, every single day without missing a day. If I did miss a day, I offered myself grace.
I want more of that, again.
Eleven days ago I started writing a morning haiku (though any form of short poetry or micro-poetry will do.)
I snap an accompanying photo and post on one of my social media accounts where I once had a regular audience cheering on my short poetry.
How do I feel, eleven days in?
Accomplished, satisfied, and delighted to have something daily an audience is waiting to read.
- Choose a practice that won’t take too much time or effort so success will come easily to you.
- Scan your past successes and use those as a compass for what is likely to work now.
- Share your intention with others who are supportive of you rather than the naysayers in your life who stare down their noses at your ideas.
- Start your practice and if it helps you to continue, share publically and ask people to respond.
Here is what you don’t know yet.
Three months ago, I came face-to-face with death. I stood on the edge and decided I had life yet to live, there were connections left for me to make.
When I come to those crossroads again, I want to be able to recognize that from now on I am choosing deliberately to create a life that reflects my beliefs and my vision, my passion and purpose.
What choice will you make the next time you arrive at a significant crossroad in your life?
Let’s talk about this in the comments.
If you would benefit from going deeper, let’s have a conversation. Here is a link to request a transformational coaching conversation session, please visit here.. My gift to you.
Julie JordanScott, the Creative Life Midwife, is a writer, a poet performer, a Creativity Coach, A Social Media Whiz and a Mother of three. One of her greatest joys include loving people into their greatness they just aren’t quite able to realize yet.
