Dear One…

But then it got me thinking about how the number of literal browser tabs I have open on my computer and phone at any given time is usually a pretty accurate reflection of how unruly my mind and life have become.

I’m a little embarrassed to admit this, but at one time a few years ago, I counted 217 tabs open on my laptop. If you’ve got me beat in the open tab category, I dare you to share your number HERE on my Facebook page (we’ll start a recovery group together).

I come by my tab hoarding tendencies honestly… You see, I’ve always been someone who’s wanted to do a lot in this life and this world, and that kind drive often leads to the pattern of taking on way too much (I’ve had a daytimer since I was 10 years old :p). In my mind, the 217 tabs held in them a plethora of information and potential action so very important to my work, my clients, my well-being, my activism, my friends, my worldview…well, you get the idea.

Not surprisingly, that rainy day when I could go through all those tabs never came. What happened instead was:

1. I felt completely overwhelmed everytime I went on my browser.
2. With all those tabs open, the TRULY important ones got completely lost in my Firefox holy mess.

I eventually had to come to terms with the fact that I couldn’t take in the entire online universe and trying to do so was threatening my sanity. With shaking hands, I closed down great swaths of tabs, moved to a new and pledged to this rule of thumb: if I haven’t read something within the week, it’s probably never going to happen…CLOSE!

And because you’re a smart cookie, you probably get that the tab situation was only the tip of the iceberg for me. Also obscuring what was really important to me was answering too many calls for help, saying yes to too many social outings, staying plugged in far too much, and trying to bite off too many ambitious work projects at once.

These are still areas I constantly have to reign myself in around, but starting to say no to packing my days and spaces to the brim resuscitated my life and mission. It’s cleared the space needed to know myself (and nurture myself) better. That, in turn, has allowed me to tap into a more powerful part of me and get clearer on my true priorities…which, in a tasty irony, has resulted in me being able to impact the world more deeply.

So what are the open tabs in YOUR life?

And remember that even the “good stuff” can be super-draining if there’s too much of it…

Time with friends or family you love…awesome right? UNLESS you’ve got the social calendar of a Kardashian. Then chances are you’re run so ragged that you’re calling it in even with your fave peeps.

Or how about all those self-help books you’ve bought that are crammed into your bookcase (I heard somebody refer to this the other day as “shelf-help”…teehee)

And on the work front… Do you have a “to do” list that makes you want to curl up in the fetal position everytime you look at it?

Martial Arts Legend Bruce Lee once said:

“It is not the daily increase but daily decrease. Hack away at the unessential”.

So, I want you to make a list today of all the things that are overwhelming you.

Next, circle all the things on your list that could be dropped if you were really honest with yourself. Keep an especially close eye on stuff you’re doing from a deficit – to be liked or needed, to solidify your identity, or to prove your worth.

Then, I want you to choose ONE thing off that list you can IMMEDIATELY get rid of.

I mean do you really have to be on six social media platforms? Could you pull out of that potluck on Sunday so you could have some uninterrupted downtime? How about saying no to taking on that extra committee at work?

Whatever you can drop, DO IT. Your quality of life depends on it.

And just a warning…this is not going to feel easy. In fact, every fiber in your body might rail against it. That’s because even though the drive to take on too much can indeed spring from a deep curiousity and enthusiasm for life, it also often partially comes from a fear of *not being enough*. That’s a whole other piece of business to explore, but for now let me just remind you…

You don’t always have to be hustling to earn your spot here in this life. You are universal nature…you always have been, you always will be…. You inherently BELONG.

So, how about you give yourself a bloody break and shut some damn tabs?

P.S. You’re more likely to stick with this important action of dropping something if you declare it to others. So hop on over to my Facebook Page and share! We’ll start a Dropping Shit REVOLUTION!

WHAT I’VE GOT COMING UP…