4188: Creating Space in Times of Transition by Kathy Robinson on Purposeful Living

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[00:01:10] [SPEAKER_01] This is Optimal Living Daily. Creating Space in Times of Transition by Kathy Robinson of AthenaWellness.com. And I'm Justin Malik, your personal narrator, reading to you every day, hoping to help both you and me find a little more happiness, inspiration, inspiration, and motivation in our day. So with that, let's get right to our next article and continue optimizing your life.

[00:01:36] [SPEAKER_01] Creating Space in Times of Transition by Kathy Robinson of AthenaWellness.com. I've been reflecting on a conversation I had with a friend recently. We both feel an undercurrent of change in our individual personal lives and in the world at large. It's almost as if we're on the edge of a big shift. A number of our loved ones and friends are undergoing big life transitions,

[00:02:02] [SPEAKER_01] some even navigating their end-of-life journey. So there's a lot of movement underfoot. It's real, it's sobering, and it's life. In my younger years, my natural reaction in times like these would have been to hold on tight, to control outcomes as much as possible, and to batten down the hatches in anticipation of rough weather. But this time, I find myself doing the opposite with a focus on letting go,

[00:02:29] [SPEAKER_01] of long-term plans, of things that no longer serve, and of old habits. It's not that I don't have a compelling life vision that I'm excited about. I do, and I'm excited about the years ahead. But how I get there, and when I get there, hold much less importance. Sometimes it takes the bittersweet experience of seeing your father age, or your friend prepared to leave this physical plane, to bring things into perspective in your own life.

[00:02:59] [SPEAKER_01] And I'm feeling like this is a time of deep examination, and deep appreciation for the life that I get to live today. Maybe what's on the other side of walking loved ones to the end of their lives is a rebirth for us. And I'm finding that it's time well spent to reflect and make changes now, so when it's my time to leave this earth, I can do so without regret. Learning from experience and living to the fullest seem to be emerging themes as the new year draws closer.

[00:03:27] [SPEAKER_01] It's yet another deepening layer of living wholeheartedly. I've been working with these themes for a few months. Here's a glimpse into how it all began to unfold. Back in August, when I learned of a friend's decision to forego further cancer treatment, I made it a practice to sit outside on my deck, sipping my coffee early each morning. I began to think about what it would be like if I learned I only had a few months left to live. This led me to pick up my journal and make a mind map

[00:03:56] [SPEAKER_01] of what I desired at this stage of my life. A mind map is a freeform diagram used to brainstorm in order to find new connections. And for me, it frees up the structure of formal writing and allows me to be open to inspiration and surprise. For the first few mornings, I just sat with my journal mapping out different ideas of how I desired to live my days. When the page was filled, I picked a thread that I found compelling and I explored it further on a clean page.

[00:04:27] [SPEAKER_01] Eventually, I came up with three themes I wanted to work with and created related actions to keep me focused on what matters most to me today and my future. For me, it came down to these three things. Number one, the purpose of life, which is exemplified by love through honoring the depth and sacredness of relationship with ourselves, with others, with spirit, and with the natural world. Number two, the fuel of life,

[00:04:56] [SPEAKER_01] which is exemplified by creativity through honoring the full expression of the self and who I meant to be in this world. And number three, the game of life, by exemplifying how I live in this sensory physical world through the way I show up each day. And here are the three things that I can do in relation to these things that matter to me. Number one, for purpose or love, I can practice presence, kindness, and love to myself and others.

[00:05:27] [SPEAKER_01] Number two, for fuel or creativity, I can continuously fill my well of creative inspiration. And number three, for the game of life or manifestation, I can have fun moving the game piece forward each day. What this exercise showed me was that no matter the challenge, it's about keeping perspective and a light spirit in facing it. And what I'm finding is I want to clear out as much of the physical,

[00:05:52] [SPEAKER_01] mental, and emotional noise and clutter that no longer serves where I'm headed to create space in my life for what truly adds meaning and value. And creating space is the first step on the path of moving from type A to type B. Here's my invitation for you. Explore what you most desire and create space for it. Here are the five steps that I followed. Number one, set aside a bit of time to go to your favorite place with a journal.

[00:06:21] [SPEAKER_01] Maybe it's somewhere in your house, a local cafe, or a drive to a place with a wonderful view. Number two, turn to a clean page and in the middle of it, write, what do I desire? And draw a circle around that phrase. Number three, spend some time free associating, following your trail of thought, noting all the people, places, activities, and experiences that fuel you. Number four, when that feels complete,

[00:06:49] [SPEAKER_01] take a look at your notes and find a few items you feel compelled to explore further. And number five, create a few simple actions that you can do each day to begin to incorporate these elements into your life. I hope you'll share with me what you discover through this process. And I'll continue to share what I'm learning with you. I feel like I'm in the early stages of a new adventure heading off into uncharted territory. And the way I've prepared for journeys before in my life will not serve me now.

[00:07:17] [SPEAKER_01] This is about finding new ways to move forward. And in doing so, finding deeper means of expression, of discovery, and of relationship. So when my time comes, I'll leave this world with the knowledge that I lived life to the fullest. And as my fellow New Jerseyans sang, I did it my way. You just listened to the post titled,

[00:07:43] [SPEAKER_01] Creating Space in Times of Transition by Kathy Robinson of AthenaWellness.com. And I'll be right back with my commentary. The hot weather lately has been a reminder that little habits matter. We spend so much time looking for ways to improve. And sometimes it starts with paying more attention to the basics, like hydration. And that's what I love about instant hydration. Their formula includes sodium, potassium, magnesium, and aquamin with zero sugar.

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[00:09:21] [SPEAKER_01] And financing with flexible payment options. Visit dell.com slash deals. That's dell.com slash deals. Thank you to Kathy. A great reminder. I think the 2020 decade likely brought about this sort of thinking for most of us. Things changed so quickly in a blink of an eye. The world was very different at the beginning of 2020, and it made all of us rethink and re-examine our lives.

[00:09:50] [SPEAKER_01] It put us into a time of transition, whether we wanted it or not. And as unfortunate as it is to deal with the loss of a loved one, we can turn it into a moment of appreciation for what we do have, even if we're not in the best place ourselves. It's also something that we don't get to decide. But what we do get to decide is our reaction to those inevitable events and trying to learn from them and make the best of them.

[00:10:18] [SPEAKER_01] Kathy used her journal as a resource in a hard time, and that's just one simple thing to try among many. At the end of her post, she actually shared some prompts that might spark something in you. So here they are. If you knew you were coming to the end of your life, would you have any regrets? Would there be things you desired to do and didn't? And how might you create the space to invite the things that hold the most meaning and value for you today? Okay.

[00:10:47] [SPEAKER_01] So some good questions to think about. Thank you to Kathy for that. Thank you for being here. Have a great rest of your day. And I'll be back tomorrow where your optimal life awaits.