Fall Intentions
Whether you’ve got little ones in your life or grown-up kiddos pursuing Masters Degrees - school is kicking into gear. There is always a tangible shift around this time of year, as the slower pace of summer starts giving way to a bounty of fall activities and obligations. I found myself thinking this week that Autumn often feels more like a new start than the traditional January relaunch...
So here’s the question: How do you want to approach this new season? What are your intentions? How do you want to spend your time and where do you want to focus your energy? These are big things to ponder, sure. But these are the questions that remind us to LIVE, am I right? They keep us awake, and ask us to remember not to fall into the demands, routines and lazy habits of the everyday.
Grab a pen, spend a few minutes with your thoughts and try to whittle these big questions down to just one - one that really speaks to where you’re at in your life right now in this moment/day/month or season. For me, the question goes a little like this: How can I stay both energized and balanced moving into Fall? I want to stay engaged and creative while fulfilling all those obligations and commitments! (You know the ones - they start piling up as soon as summer vacation is over…)
This fall, I want to strike a balance. I want things to look forward to (September retreat, I’m looking at you!), to set goals, to make room for meaningful service and creativity. On the flip side, I want to stay engaged and follow through in my commitments, not become overburdened or resentful of a busy schedule. How am I going to do this? Practice makes perfect, darlings!
The balance I pursue is the kind of ever-moving, chaotic balance many of us are familiar with - one of constant re-adjustment, for sure. Because, really, I’ve come to realize that having it figured out is overrated. Afterall, isn’t the challenge, the actual figuring part where you grow the most?
Our September retreat is so close we can almost see it! I know it will be a spectacular five days. My commitment to this retreat, to making it happen for all the amazing women who are coming, falls into my intention for myself as the seasons change. Planning something extraordinary for yourself (whether it’s this upcoming Dare event, or one in the future) is empowering! It is setting an intention. It’s creating space for yourself that you know will be there when the time comes. For me, this is part of the balancing act, and a way to stay engaged as the days and weeks roll on because I know that I’ve made the commitment to myself already! It’s on the horizon…
My advice to you in these last weeks of August? Set that intention. Re-evaluate where you want that energy to flow. And think about setting something aside for yourself (time, space, something to look forward to) so that you know it’s going to be there when you need it!
“I’m stricken by the ricochet wonder of it all: the plain everythingness of everything, in cahoots with the everythingness of everything else.”
- Diane Ackerman
