Tending to the Embers
I’m so excited you’ve picked up this book and decided to go on this journey with me. That fire inside you may be just hot coals at the moment, but I promise the spark is there, just waiting to be ignited. Before we dive in, I’d like to share a few guidelines that I think will serve you well as you tend to the embers and begin to fan the flames of your spirit.
BE WILLING TO WONDER
Getting your spark back will require some uncomfortable thinking. Humans tend to avoid the uncomfortable or look for reasons to get out of doing, thinking, or feeling the thing outside our comfort zone. Pay attention to those times when you think, Nope. I can’t do that, and instead allow yourself the freedom to ask, I wonder what might happen if I try? Wondering is a lost art and is the daydreaming of possibilities. You are worth the gift of wondering.
DEDICATE THE TIME
Have you observed the time and effort it takes to create fire? Unless you’re Merlin the Magician or you have an instant soul spark lighter, this process takes time. Don’t shortchange yourself by not allowing yourself time to think, to reframe, and to try new things. Remember: no one will set aside time for yourself except you.
ALLOW DISCOMFORT
I’ve been a runner for seven years now. For the last three, running has been part of my soul journey. Don’t worry, I’m not going to tell you that running is the way to find yourself (although I often use it as an analogy)! I will tell you this, though: running, for the most part, is uncomfortable for me. The “runner’s high,” that brief period of bliss or euphoria that comes after physical exertion? I’ve experienced it once, maybe twice. But I don’t run for the high. I run because I know the threshold for my discomfort shifts and what once was uncomfortable becomes doable. Change requires an element of discomfort. Rather than a sign to quit, discomfort is oftentimes an indicator of being on the right track.
TAKE WHAT WORKS
Before we go any further, I want to give you permission to agree and disagree with what’s to come. None of my words are hard and fast. Many of these principles have been learned from my own life experience and writing and with a tremendous amount of reading and research. But like my kids will remind you, I’m human. I make mistakes. And there is no one-size-fits-all. What works in my life might not be exactly what works for you. My solutions are meant to inspire you to uncover your solutions. No one shares the exact same starting place, histories, or mindsets.
This isn’t about adopting my practices exactly but rather is about being inspired, wondering, and discovering your fire starters.