Did this ever happen to you? That feeling that you just let everything go…as if you dropped off the face of the earth…? Or the Fear Of Missing Out? Because you are somewhere else (hence the picture flying below and above the clouds at the same time!).
Well, it happened to me. These past 10 weeks or so, I was simply not there…not on social media, not communicating with my friends as I used to, not sending emails like this one, not calling or reaching out to brand new ventures opportunities.
It was in some regards very surreal (like the picture I took), as I am usually quite the opposite for those who know me; I hustle for new projects, I do webinars, I reach out to clients regularly. I usually have my feet rooted to the ground (unlike the picture!)
So, what was going on? Where have I been? What did I miss??
Not on vacation- that’s for sure!
But rather on a discovery path. A journey that was so new to me that I needed to stop everything I was doing–and I mean EVERYTHING–so I can focus on this one discovery.
And that discovery was my little granddaughter. I became a grandmother!
Now, that discovery by itself is not that earth-shattering, right? I am not the first one to become a grandmother. I realize that.
The discovery journey I took was a decision to be present and live, savor, enjoy and help in the present as much as I can. And that is what I did as I moved across the country to be with my daughter and my son-in-law for the last 11 weeks.
I was the type of grandmother I always wanted to be: hands-on! And oh my, was I hands on; changing diapers, rocking to sleep, feeding with a bottle, holding the baby when she cries and also when she sleeps.
And then my discovery phase extended to my daughter as she navigates first-time parenthood. Did she sleep enough? Eat enough? How can I help her with her adjustments? What can I cook for her? What should I clean next?
And let’s not forget the brand new dad…my son-in-law, who is also sleep deprived..how can I be helpful to him?
How can I serve them all while knowing that at some point I will be going back to my own home?
That is the discovery I have been on….
And here is what I discovered, and I invite you to ponder these lessons and see if they apply or be helpful to your life discovery path and mental state:
- Everything in life is temporary. Nothing last forever. Baby’s screaming will stop, tiredness will go away, anger, frustration and crying will subside. Life will keep on going. Internalizing how temporary it all is makes the experience more treasured.
- Prioritizing is part of living life, and it must happen, otherwise nothing can succeed. I chose to be here, with my daughter and her family as they navigate this new phase in their lives. Making peace with this priority enables me to succeed, be happy and accept that all else will happen in its due time.
- You CAN pick up where you left off. The emails will return, the live facebooks will happen again, richer than ever; conversing with speaker platforms will resume. The “Never again” mindset does not work when we make the choice.
- Give grace and gratitude. Even in the sleepless nights, even when we are all tired, and red-eyed, there is so much to be thankful for, so many blessings we have in our lives. And if somethings are not as perfect as we want them now, find the grace within to know that too is alright.
- Being present is relative. While I was not present to the world at large, I was very much present to my family, my values, and my own self development. I kept on reading, working on my future blogs, my second book, and most importantly- I was present in my new role as grandmother.
These are just a few of my thoughts that I wanted to share with the intent that it can inspire you, in whatever comes your way.
As a side note- be on the lookout for the next free webinar I am putting together called “The Lies Our Brains Tell Us.”
June 22 5pm Pacific Day time
You see, I told you I will be coming back stronger than ever! Here we go!
To Positivity! Dorice
