Doing Less, Being More

This is a talk about what many of us are feeling right now: a collapsing of old structures, old paradigms, and old ways of being that no longer work. This is happening on a personal and collective level. It's happening in our lives and in the structures around us that have existed in the same way for so long and have reached their expiration date. There is an awareness that a new way must be built. I share stories about how I'm navigating this in my own life and what you can do to help yourself right now.

Transcript

I watched a woman walking her dog today as I was walking mine.

Walks with my dog feel like a really nice intentional way to slow down and just be in nature.

I prioritize this time and I've really come to value and look forward to it.

But what I noticed about this woman was that she was talking on her cell phone and mindlessly pulling her dog behind her.

And I just wish she knew that it was okay to slow down.

Like really okay and so needed.

I'm pretty sure I even heard her say to the person on the phone,

I just have so much to do.

The truth is we don't have so much to do.

We create so much to do.

What you really have is a blank slate in front of you.

You can pick and choose what goes where and when and for how long.

But don't worry I know what you're thinking.

What about work?

I have to pay the bills.

I can't just wake up and do whatever I want.

And that's true.

In our current societal structure we do have to pay the bills somehow.

But what about all the other hours of your day?

What about your time off?

Are you filling that to the brim with things you don't actually want to do?

If we are really really honest with ourselves you can ask the question,

What am I doing it all for?

If your answer doesn't feel worthwhile then make some changes.

If you are moving so fast and doing so much that you can't enjoy a simple walk with your dog outside,

To me that's a sign that something has to give.

And that something might be you.

Where can you give to yourself?

Where can you nurture and nourish yourself?

Where can you slow down?

How can you fill the time you do have with things that feel good,

That feel fulfilling,

That feel peaceful,

That feel joyous?

If these things aren't happening,

Again,

What's it all for?

And where exactly are you going so quickly?

We have to stop with the old ways.

They don't work anymore.

And we know this.

But we get sucked into these old ways again and again.

Because it's what we're used to.

And it's been the way for a very very long time.

But it's up to us to create a new normal,

A new way of being in the world that values things like peace and contentment,

Connection,

Simplicity,

Love,

Grace,

And beauty.

It's what we really want.

In fact,

I would even go so far to say is that it's why we run around.

Because we think eventually there will be a finish line.

And the race we're running every day will end.

And we're hoping at the end,

We receive peace and happiness.

But it never actually ends until you stop running.

So this is when the ego may chime in and tell you not to listen to me.

And I know this because my ego did the same thing to me.

It really did not want me to slow down and just be.

It really didn't want me to believe that being was enough.

It put up a huge fight.

It kept pulling me back and telling me I had to do this and accomplish that and make that thing and be somebody and prove myself.

But once I got a taste of living in this more peaceful way,

Where I recognized that I was already whole,

And there was in fact nowhere to get,

I couldn't ignore it.

It was elusive.

And the ego is strong.

But I just kept looking for it,

Feeling for it,

Asking for it,

Focusing on it.

And eventually,

My inner peace won.

Because it felt more real to me than the lies of the ego and the race and the lies of the world.

And not only did it feel more real,

But it also felt like this huge weight off of my shoulders and off of my whole life.

And I felt more alive and present than I ever had.

This was the best feeling I've experienced in over nine years of looking for it.

Here it was.

I know that we are enough simply because we exist.

It's okay to just be.

It's okay to move slowly.

It's okay to fill an entire Sunday with just resting,

If that's what you want.

I'm also learning to connect more with my heart and my soul.

I realize more and more that I just have very little interest in what the mind thinks I should do.

Very little interest in that.

The mind has proven time and time again that it is a very nice tool,

And I'm very grateful for it.

But it cannot come to a decision to save its life,

And it's not meant to.

Contemplation?

Yes.

Manifesting?

Yes.

Solving math equations or logistical things?

Yes.

But it should not be the one in charge of deciding what happens in my life,

Because left to its own devices,

The mind is just crazy banana pants.

It just is.

So where does that leave us?

If we can't trust the mind,

What do we trust?

The art of living from heart and soul is not a new concept.

It's just been lost like many other sacred practices from long ago,

Before technology and the hustle and bustle took over.

Consumerism,

Materialism,

On and on.

But we can remember who we really are and where we come from.

We can remember that we are soulful,

Living beings with so much more inside of us,

So much power,

Wisdom,

Beauty,

And grace within us.

So many untapped resources within us and all around us.

We are of the earth and of the stars.

Our existence is a miracle.

We are the universe.

So to me,

It's really about connecting to those ideas on a daily basis,

And just setting the intention to see life in this way,

To see ourselves in this way.

Setting the intention to remember and feel this and know this.

And it's not easy.

It really does take daily reminders and a real desire to live this way,

Because it isn't the norm.

I hope that one day it will be the norm,

But it just isn't right now.

But more and more of us are becoming aware,

And that's a really beautiful thing to watch.

So I would recommend just starting to ask your heart and soul to come forward.

Ask them to be a part of your daily life.

Ask them to speak to you.

And then every day,

Return to that intention and try to rest your awareness on it as often as you can.

With regular practice,

Your intuition and your inner being will become stronger,

And you will build this relationship.

This is how you can develop a connection with your soul and begin trusting what it says when it comes to living your life.

And it's bound to be different than what the mind thinks.

It's helpful to remember,

The mind is a tool that you can use,

But the heart and the soul hold your truth,

The truth of what you really want,

What you're here to do.

And I see this as a path of joy,

Inspiration,

Ease,

And peace.

So just start asking yourself,

Where are you at?

Where are you at with all of this?

What comes up for you when you hear this?

Do you feel those little pulls,

That energy rising up,

That feeling of resonation,

That you feel truth in this,

And that you,

You want it?

Notice what you're feeling.

Are you feeling called to have more of this in your life?

Are you feeling called to slow down or make some big changes,

Or even some little changes?

But just really honoring where you are,

And what you need,

And what you can do from where you are,

And just not denying the part of yourself that's asking for something else,

Or for something different,

For a different way.

I think most of us are really,

Really starved for a different way.

We know that the old way isn't working.

And I think we long for peace,

And simplicity,

And slowing down.

We long for this.

So if you're feeling this,

This is par for the course.

This is where we are at in our evolution on this planet.

We're moving in this direction.

So I really encourage you to look at ways that you can implement this in your own life.

It doesn't have to be drastic changes.

It could be little things,

Little things that make a big impact.

But if you start bringing this energy into your life,

And to the people around you,

This is how we build a new Earth.

This is how we make something better,

More sustainable,

That just feels like what it's supposed to feel like,

You know?

What we have right now,

We're all recognizing that it isn't okay.

And we don't just want to keep going along with it.

It has to change.

And the change starts with each of us.

We know this.

So let's do it.

Let's make it happen.

Okay friend,

Thanks for listening.

Reviews

So true and on point and what I have been slowly moving into in the last two years. It’s not easy because you get caught up in the doing not the being thank you for this. Ps I love your voice it’s very soothing.

thank you for bringing this message into the world 💗resonates so deep!!

Oh wow this track is just medicine for my soul. I just gave myself permission to just rest tomorrow (a Sunday) thanks to this very needed to reminder that I do not really have too much to do. Thank you!!!