Want to feel more well-rested? Spend more time awake!

When I decided to write a book I was really confused about what I could do to prepare for this creative process to happen.

Although I have written lots of content, training programs, policies, letters, processes – blah, blah, blah… writing a book was definitely something different.  I felt that I needed to create a space for “creativity” to flow through me.  I am much more used to welcoming “analysis” to come through me.

I decided I would invite meditation into my life to quiet my mind in a way that would allow for inspiration and messages to come through me.  I knew that meditation was a process that would have to evolve organically for me – I could never pressure myself into a process of quieting my mind – not easy for me!  So I decided that I was going to allow my meditation process to unfold in its own way.

I knew that in making a big decision – like to write a book – I would needed to examine the incongruencies I had in my life – the kind that would work counter-productively to writing a book.  Of course, there would be habits I could give up in order to make the book happen more easily.  For one thing, I committed to giving up my love for completing one thing before starting another.  

I did this to allow inspirational disruptions throughout my day which I would stop what I was doing to capture any thoughts that came to me – I would record messages on my phone while shampoo was in my hair, I would pull the car over to write things down on a napkin or piece of paper – whatever it took.  I decided that the book was really about what I would get from these moments of inspiration vs. a message that I wanted to get out there.  I would allow what I want to say to be shared in my blog series and what I got from my meditations and inspiration received during daily mundane events in life to be shared in my book.

For my very first meditation, I decided I would start simple – I would focus on something about myself that I was not feeling a connection to a sense of purpose.  We lose a connection to a sense of purpose when we don’t see a usefulness for something. When that happens, we see it as “clutter” or something we need to get rid of.  So I decided that I was going to take something about myself that I was struggling to embrace and I was going to ask it what purpose it was serving to me or others.  That thing was my “muffin top”.  You know, that layer of excess fat over the top of your pants.

I had gained my “muffin top” from 3 months of chronic writing for my Success Readiness Bootcamp and Powerful Connections Made Easy (a training program for helping introverts feel comfortable networking).  I did them simultaneously from September through December of 2011 and during that time I practically lived every second I had while my young children were asleep or at school in writing.  So I quieted my mind and I focused on my midsection and my “muffin top” and I asked it “Why are you here? What benefit are you here to serve me or others?  What is it that I need to know about you?  Why are you with me?” I trusted that it was here for a beneficial purpose – I just wanted to know it better and understand it better.  The answer that I received back was amazing…

It was here to remind me that I don’t need to shove food in my mouth to justify taking breaks – moments to myself.  In that moment I realized how much I was denying myself breaks.   I was working so hard building my business and taking care of my family that I allowed no time to productively rejuvinate.  I denied myself chats with a girlfriend, neighbor or my husband or time to sit outside on my deck and enjoy a nice day or have un-pressured fun time with my kids.  I didn’t realize that the way that I would justify any moments of doing “nothing” would be to shove food in my mouth.  Think about how easy it is to justify eating.  How many times do others say “Oh, you’re eating – sit and I go do __________.” I just became so sad that I would deny myself any kind of moment to just be – to just do what I want to do – in addition to pursuing my lofty ambitions.

I then knew the exact approach to take if I was going to write a book – be sure to schedule a lot of breaks throughout my day  and not just at mealtimes.  I wanted to allow for quiet time so that I could rejuvinate my mind and allow inspiration and messages to come through to me.

I also then realized that I have never been a person who preferred to get up every morning and immediately spring into action and the sad part is – I did it for 20 something years.   Every night before I go to sleep I have always thanked the Universe for my day and for all the things I am so thankful for but I never allowed time for the Universe to steer my day – how short-sighted and rude of me – thinking that I was smarter about how my time should be spent than what the Universe would have in store for me!  Obviously – I am not smarter than the Universe – none of us are!  I still thank the Universe for the quiet moments I give to myself each day to allow inspiration to come to me and I thank the Universe for providing that inspiration but I don’t wait until the end of the day to do it.

It has made such a difference in my sleep pattern – I am so much more well reseted.  Who knew that the key to feeling well-rested was to be awake more – awake to quiet moments and messages from the Universe – not from tasks on my schedule.