Hi,
I'm Esther Boykin and today's meditation is going to explore boundaries and how we manage our time.
For many of us boundaries can feel really challenging.
They can feel rigid or like we're cutting people off or harsh,
But the truth is that boundaries are meant to be an invitation,
A way for us to honor our own time and energy as well as the time and energy of the people who are around us that we care about.
Often one of the most challenging boundaries is managing our own self boundaries.
Those are the sort of rules and guidelines that we give for ourselves about how we use our time and our energy day to day.
So often it can feel like time is slipping away or so many things are eating up our energy.
Take a moment and just think about some of the ways in which you mindlessly give away your time and energy throughout the day.
Whether it's saying yes to meetings that you don't need to be part of or not saying no to things that don't actually fulfill you or provide you with resources or any number of other ways that we give away time and energy without conscious consideration.
As you consider that I want you to get comfortable.
Settle in,
You can sit or lay down,
Keep it a pillow or a blanket to sort of get a little get your body in a space that feels more comfortable.
Go ahead and do that and then begin to notice your breath.
It's no need to control it or shape how you breathe in and breathe out.
Just notice your body's own natural rhythm.
Notice how your breath can guide you.
If you're comfortable close your eyes and continue to follow your breath.
As you allow your body to settle and become comfortable continuing to breathe,
I want you to visualize a large basket or a bowl.
It could be a box,
A container of some sort.
Imagine it and it should be full.
Inside of this basket or this bowl are all of the things,
The people that you give time and energy to.
As you begin to notice all the things I want you to really notice how full,
Almost overflowing your basket of things actually is.
You can hold it.
You may find that it's too heavy so imagine putting this basket on a table.
Maybe you need extra space to hold all of the things.
Notice the weight.
Notice how it feels to try to contain all of these people and activities and emotional experiences that require something of you.
Continue to breathe.
Now slowly begin to take things out and set them aside.
One by one begin to notice.
Name them.
Maybe it's family.
Maybe it's co-workers.
Maybe it's a home project.
Maybe it is work.
Each thing as you take it out of the basket,
Notice it.
Notice how you feel about it and set it aside.
Continue taking each item out of your basket until it is empty.
You can set them down gently.
I want you to just breathe.
Notice what it feels like to see this empty basket,
To feel the expanse of not having your time and energy accounted for,
Filled up by external things.
Notice how much lighter it feels.
Continue to breathe.
Now slowly begin to pick up only the things that you absolutely must put back in your basket.
The things that you are responsible for.
The things that nurture you,
That sustain you,
That bring you joy or peace or rest.
Pick up the people and the things that you need to do that nurture your relationships.
Further important projects propel you towards your purpose.
You'll notice that there are things that are still left on the table.
Some things that you don't want to do,
Some things that drain you,
Some things that you like but aren't absolutely necessary.
If you felt that you put all of your things back in the basket,
That's okay.
Take a breath and reconsider if there's even one thing that you can remove just for a day,
Just for a moment to see what it's like to have a new boundary around your time and energy.
To create more space for yourself.
To lighten the weight of all of the things that you carry.
As you continue to breathe,
Know that you can come back to this space and pick up anything that you're choosing to leave behind today and put it back in your basket at a later date.
Anything that you leave out of your basket today will be here,
Safe,
Waiting for you when and if you are ready to pick it up again.
As you move back into your day,
Back to the present moment,
I want you to remember this feeling,
The lightness that comes with letting things go and being mindful about your time and your energy.
When you're ready,
Begin to wiggle your toes,
Adjust your body,
Slowly open your eyes and come back to the present moment.
As you go forward with the rest of your day and your week,
I invite you to be mindful of how you use your time and energy.
To create moments for you to pause and evaluate what things you want to continue to carry and say yes to,
And how you can honor your own self boundaries around time.
It is okay for you to say no and remember that in saying no is an opportunity for you to say yes to more rest,
To more presence,
To more joy in your day.
