It’s interesting that until I get really bloody clear about what is important to me (and this is usually via a helpful life lesson) I keep continuing to fragment my attention. It can be easy to make the list… family, friends, other loved ones, health and so on… but how does this play out day to day, week by week, month by month in how I allocate my time, my attention and my resources.
What happens when there’s a clash, a competition for my focus? Many times I have been guilty of trying to juggle, praying for an outside intervention or making a choice that doesn’t reflect the life or the way I say I want to be. I can have momentary amnesia about what I really prioritise because the decision may come with a tough conversation, an uncomfortable or risky passage.
Trying to make a more conscious choice in the direction of the things I hold dear is what I’m striving for… getting super clear and then aligning my actions daily. Being accountable is essential, the elusive key that unlocks the most sacred of rooms. It’s something I have only really started to commit to over the last few years. In every situation I always have a choice and this is mine to make, to own and to stand by. This has to be my guiding light.
Recently, I was fortunate enough to be part of an audience with the truly delightful, Elizabeth Gilbert. Her philosophy is that life works better when we are at ease, when we feel relaxed. She had three key ways to achieve this, very briefly: Be clear of your Priorities, Use those priorities to set your boundaries (most importantly around yourself!) and finally hold space for Mysticism, essentially wait until the world calls you to action and whilst you wait don’t try to control or force outcomes as this purports an illusion of safety that’s not really there.
Start, though, by getting clear on those things that matter to you most and stick to them, where we put our attention tells ourselves and the world what is important to us and also, what is not important, and this is one of best ways of communicating the life we truly want.
Extra love,
Jo x
L E T T E R from Jo – Priorities Are A Deal Breaker
