Do you ever get to the end of the day and feel empty?
It’s a gnawing feeling.
Faint.
A whisper.
You have been busy and you have done all the things that society and family demands.
Kept your end of the bargain.
Been responsible.
Looked after the essentials.
Done the paperwork.
Gone to work.
It should be enough.
But deep down the happiness and joy is hiding.
But the reality?
You haven’t taken a step towards what fulfills you deep down.
And on reflection it means that if you keep driving into a life full of meaningless busyness you will have been dragged into trivia.
The superficial.
Some people call that life.
It’s existence.
Surviving.
Urgent but not important.
Obligatory.
Demanded and responsible.
So what nourishes you?
It is a simple question but it has some big answers that will change your life.
Forever.
If you take the time to reflect.
And manic busyness can block and stop that vital time of stillness.
But if you give yourself the permission to stop.
You will discover that the powerful human creator that sits in the corner of all our souls needs space and time to be.
You.
Without feeling guilty.
Family, friends and partners will get in the way.
They mean well.
But your responsibility?
If you want to grow and change your place in the world and make a difference.
Is to to make sure that you don’t die inside while everyone else demands your attention.
While not leaving the people and things that matter behind.
What works for me?
It is sacred space and place.
A home.
Safe and secure.
A corner that is yours and a dedicated time that is not up for negotiation.
It could be late.
Early.
From the outside it looks selfish.
But if you don’t put a stake in the ground for “you”.
Create habits that serve your soul.
You will lose your soul to other people’s demands.
You will be a hostage to meeting other people’s goals.
You will feel lost.
And at the end of your life you will be angry.
You will feel regret.
Bitter.
What do I need?
It’s not complex.
But it has taken a lifetime to discover.
It is about making time to be the master of my own destiny.
I need time to exercise. Leap on a bike and make the heart pump and the lungs scream.
I need time to read. To be inspired by the geniuses and makers that have gone before.
I need time to create. Writing, reflection and digging deep into the feelings and words that communicate what it means to be fully human.
I need time to be still. To pause and stop the minds endless chatter. Feel my breath. Hear my heart. Meditate.
I need time with special friends. Listen to their stories and life experiences. Hear their pain. Listen to their challenges. Feel their joy. Love them.
I need time to watch a sunset. Watch the breeze ripple over the water. The cockatoos raucous call. Smell spring in the passing gardens.
I need time to make the morning coffee. Inhale the smell and essence of the coffee as I sit at my desk or nestle in the corner of a cafe.
The result?
Joy rises.
Wraps me in comfort.
Touches my heart and makes me sing.
How do you achieve this?
Give yourself permission.
Love yourself.
Then it comes down to routine and self mastery.
But the price of personal freedom is a paradox and enigma.
“The truly free individual is free only to the extent of his own self mastery. While those who will not govern themselves are condemned to find masters to govern over them” – Socrates
And then there is the strength to say “No”.
To other people’s demands on your time.
Are you ready for that?
To be the true and extraordinary human that we all want and can be.
It’s time to realise your greatness.
Time to fly.
