Like most people, I love when I'm at 100% I love that feeling when I have full energy, awareness, ability, and zest for life. Earlier this week I reached that 100% mark which translated into some good gardening, a nice visit with a friend, and positive assistance to family members. Times like these make me feel so good. On the other hand, as energy, awareness, and zest wane due to tiredness or poor choices, I don't feel quite as good. I long for that 100% experience well-knowing that the longing is an example of the perfect that gets in the way of good. At these lower energy, zest, and positivity times, I have to coach myself with words like do your best, good enough, and keep the priorities upfront.
The challenge is to make a schedule, decisions, and stage for best possible living most of the time. What does this require?
Schedule
My empty drawer philosophy is mostly perfect for making a schedule that allows you to live your best possible life. The empty drawer philosophy maintains that you leave a drawer empty for the unexpected. As a teacher, that philosophy included leaving an empty chair in the morning circle in case someone new came by to join the morning circle. This philosophy is an example of inclusiveness, openness, friendliness, and warmth.
So if you apply the empty drawer philosophy to your schedule, it means that you don't make a too-tight schedule, but instead you create a more open schedule that leaves time for the unexpected.
When scheduling, it's also important to embed a weekly routine of completing essential tasks so that you're ready for the unexpected. Tasks such as housekeeping, laundry, cooking, good rest, and the other essentials that leave you ready to live your best life need to be apart of the schedule in order to stay on track.
Priorities
It's important to make time in the schedule to revisit your priorities daily or weekly. Knowing what's important to you definitely helps you to stay on track and live a good life. When you know what's important to you, it's easier to respond to invitations/questions, make decisions, and stay on track.
Patience
Meeting the unexpected with patience is also very important. Simply taking a time out to respectfully wait out a trying situation, conversation, or decision truly helps you to meet the unexpected event with greater respect and care.
Long term dreams and vision
Also making time to dream and detail your visions for the future and then moving towards that vision with a loose-tight effort helps you to create a less cumbersome, troubling life. This kind of vision work also provides you with the courage you need to endure and sustain the challenging efforts that sometimes come with long-term vision and dreams. Most dreams require some heavy lifting and grueling work. For example if your dream is to become a doctor, the study involved is typically grueling and time consuming. Know what you want and move towards that vision with a loose-tight effort which means move towards that dream with flexibility and regular analysis. Then revise the dream accordingly. As time and events change, so will your vision and dreams.
More to come. . . .
