This month has been the month of birthdays. Mine first, Sol's second and Ben's last.
Birthdays are funny ones. They are seen as milestone, a celebration, another year survived. Some dread it some welcome it but the point is it's the time you came into being on this planet. It's your first step, your first imprint. To have witnessed my son's birth makes that so much more apparent and I am starting to understand this complicated thing we call life.
Over the last few weeks and in the lead up to my birthday I signed up to a 21 day Effortless Living Program on Facebook designed for women, especially mama's who are in business and work for themselves. Over the course of the 21 days Marina, the facilitator posts videos on subjects like' Setting Toxic Goals, 'Myth of Financial Security, 'How to Attract the Right Client's' etc etc.
The aim of the program is to give you the tools you need to live an 'Effortless Life'. To be able to juggle motherhood, family life and business in one flawless motion. It's been an eye opener and it's really made me realise how much stress and anxiety I attribute to situations that are completely out of my control or situations that haven't happened yet which is something that many of us are guilty of!
Instead of attributing emotions to situations the program teaches you in a way to be indifferent and practice non-attachment to the outcome. I am no longer saying 'I'll be less stressed when...' or 'When we finally decide where we will live well be happier...' instead I am practicing non-attachment and you know what... it works.
By not being attached to the outcome I feel liberated because I don't have to worry about it happening any more. Regardless of what happens it''s not my problem. I can't tell you how freeing that is especially for someone like me who worries (or used to worry about everything!). Incidentally I won a place on the nine month Effortless Living Program which is something that I so desperately needed as it will provide me with the support I need to make the right business decisions and also to just chat to other women who are like me. It's so easy to become isolated and not reach out for fear of being seen as weak or some people may feel threatened but the point is we are all in this together and we should support and love each other no matter what.
I mentioned in my last blog post that we were thinking of heading to Bali in March. I want to go the BaliSpirit Festival, but what I failed to mention was that we don't have the means to afford tickets or really the time to go, but instead of writing it off as a no go instead I am practicing my non-attachment again and also releasing some fears about money and stability. If everything is just a thought, than surely I can think we are going and I can think we can afford it and who knows it might just happen, but if it doesn't I'm totally OK with that.
So as another year begins, I am leaving the canvas blank. I've got some ideas as to what I want to paint but mainly I want to be. I want to see,experience and FEEL the good, the bad AND the ugly.