Last year was crazy. Crazy in a not so good way either.
I worked more than I ever had, worried over unnecessary stresses, more distant from myself (silly, curious, lively) than I’ve ever have, and met the end of 2018 with the question of why. Why have I been living so overworked and stressed? What am I really doing this for?
I knew I wasn’t happy during the year, but it wasn’t until I had a moment of stillness later in the year that I realized how stressful my life had become.
It’s hard to notice how fast your moving until you stop and feel the whiplash. These are inflection points in our lives. Your half way up a flight of stairs and your winded and notice. You put 100+ hours in a game you don’t even love and wake up to a life that hasn’t changed. It’s 8AM, your stuck in traffic, late to work and wonder how you got here. You just bought your 5th pair of shoes this month, and haven’t even worn the new ones sitting in your closet.
A chance encounter. A moment of potential change.
I don’t want to live my life running around like mad, flailing my arms around like the worlds on fire.
My theme of 2019 is: CALM
Less activity, more intention. Less distractions, more refinement,
A focus on rest, space and observation.
I want to focus on doing what resonates with me and saying no to everything else.
But this won’t be easy. (The best, worthwhile things never are)
I’m facing a steep incline, for reasons I can’t go into right now (so vague), and reasons I feel like I should already be good at, but clearly am not. (Money for example.) But the up hill battles won’t change the goal.
CALM comes from inside out. While everything is going to sh*t, I can still practice inner calm. There are opportunities in every steep climb, after all. It’s just a matter of looking up past your shoes and seeing your surroundings for what they are: possibilities.
What is you’re them of 2019? Email me: josh@renaissancelife.com
STAY BOLD, Keep Pursuing,
— Josh W.
