“What you really have is more space in your mind, not in your schedule.”
On a recent call with my coach, Rasa DiSalvo, I was telling her how I felt like I had so much free time and that I should probably try to take on more projects. I told her that at the same time, I felt so grateful that I had the time to spend with my puppy to train him and help him adapt to his new home.
That’s when she mic dropped that wisdom on me. She told me I felt like I had so much space and time because what I really had was space in my mind.
I had been so focused on taking care of my puppy that I was constantly living in the present moment. My attention was turned to him and all the love I was emanating to him. This prevented my mind from overthinking the past or the future. It was calm and quiet. (Outdoor time and puppy snuggles definitely helped this too.)
Until she gave me this nugget of wisdom, I’d never considered the concept of feeling busy because my mind was busy. Here are some more of my thoughts on this.
Find What You Love
For me, getting a puppy/dog has been what’s absolutely changed my world and helped my mind to be clearer, more free, and more present because of the love I’m constantly focusing on him. But a puppy isn’t the answer for everyone (they are a lot of work and serious thought should be put into a decision to get a puppy. It’s not good for you or the puppy to make a rash decision. Soap box over).
However, we all have things in our lives that help us to lose track of time or “the real world”. These things might be time outdoors, playing sports, creating art, etc. These are the things we get lost in through our love of them. It’s important to distinguish that these activities are different than getting sucked into a social media hole and losing track of time that way. These activities make us feel good and light our souls up.
Brene Brown talks about this in her lecture/book The Power of Vulnerability. She discusses the importance of playtime and how this is something we frequently overlook but is so good for our overall well-being.
Embrace the Space
Similar to how most of us don’t carve out time for play, most of us are wired to feel that we constantly need to be productive. Otherwise, we fear we are being lazy or aren’t fulfilling our full potential. However, creating and embracing this space is incredibly important to actually fulfill our potential and expand our impact.
When we find things that allow us to lose track of all the noise in our head and be present in the moment, we actually create the space that sparks new creativity and allows us to have new ideas to help us level up. We are able to increase our awareness and listen to what will put us or keep us on the right track.
Reflection
I had never considered the thought that sometimes when I feel busy, I’m not actually any busier than normal; my mind is just busy.
Our minds can be busy in a variety of ways, most commonly they get stuck in the past or are churning through a variety of scenarios to prepare for problems that may or may not arise in the future. It’s important that we first recognize these thought patterns. We can’t help heal them without first being aware of them. Then when we recognize them, we can engage in our antidote to keep us in the present. I’ll admit that I still struggle with this. When I notice my overthinking though, I intentionally turn my attention to my puppy (who pretty much constantly has my attention and vigilance at this stage of his life anyway).
I invite you to reflect on the recurring thought patterns you may have and consider what makes you get lost in time that could pull you out of those patterns.
If you’ve already found something you’re super passionate about and would love to write a book about it to help others feel that love and live in that present moment, let’s chat!
Disclaimer: This blog should not be construed as providing, or intending to provide professional financial, legal, psychological, or other professional advice. It is simply meant to share my experiences with those who may find them relatable and helpful.