Lovely Being –

Awww September…a time of new endeavors, crisp energy, and a blank slate!

So…are you exhausted yet? :p

September can contain some awesome momentum, but it can also become relentless in its pace. If we’re not careful, we can end up falling into auto-pilot or burning out completely because we’re trying to do too much.

But if you’ve got a lot of projects or activities vying for your attention, how do you decide what to pursue and what to drop? Well, I have a powerful question to apply to every activity before committing further to it this fall… Am I being chased by this or called by it?

Being chased by an activity or goal means you’re doing it out of some kind of deficit, wound, or programming. For example, you’re on five committees at your kid’s school because you’re trying to uphold your reputation as “Super Mom/Dad”. Or you’re madly forcing the creation of a new product for your online business because you started panicking about money. Or, you’re single-handedly taking care of a family member out of guilt.

Sure, things can certainly get done when you’re being “chased”, but they often don’t get done well and they usually don’t feel all that fulfilling. This is also just not a sustainable way of working… When an activity doesn’t fuel you, you inevitably run out of gas — whether that manifests in the form of resentment, sickness, or checking out energetically — and you end up no good to anyone.

However, when you are CALLED by something there’s a feeling of being inspired, activated, and having CHOICE. So, you’re taking care of that family member but it’s coming from a deep genuine love and desire to nurture them. Or that night class makes you feel so curious and empowered. Or, you step up to lead that activism project because the mission really speaks to your soul at this point in time. If an activity is calling you, you may still experience fear, discomfort, or challenge around it, but generally it holds an expanding energy for you as opposed to a contracting energy.

At the beginning of September I was about to launch into my fall pattern of tackling a whole slate of new, busy projects until I asked myself the “Is this chasing me or calling me?” question.

You see, I had started to work this past summer on slowing down my pace and rejuvenating my energy stores figuring I’d jump double-time into these important new initiatives in the fall. But when I tuned in last week, I found space and rejuvenation were still calling strong and that the pursuing of shiny new projects was just coming from a place of “should” (AKA being chased).

So, I have instead decided to listen to my own rhythms and be gentle with myself (tough stuff for a recovering overachiever!) I will continue to bring full loving presence to my private coaching and my Life Reboot Programs, but I’m hitting the pause button on something new until the call for this is loud and clear.