I was asked the other day what was sourcing me these days. I love being surrounded by people posing such powerful questions.
As you might sense from the title (and that last sentence), I also love alliteration. (And composting - I mean, giddy every time I put those avocado and orange peels in that can!) In this current season that includes an increased amount of uncertainty and anxiety, my sourcing has become an important priority. Here are seven of my "S" seasonal sources for you! What is sourcing you right now? It can start with any letter, promise!
Snapfish – I enjoy organizing my pictures and creating annual photo books on this website/app. Now, please don’t panic if you don’t do this. Please. I have freaked out way too many of my friends when I talk about this. (I'm winking at you, Dawn!) Please don’t add a ‘should’ to your list. I actually look forward to sitting down and getting into it. I know you've got your own sourcing sauces too!) I find this process to be a way to tap into my creativity, energy-sourcing and overall gratitude. It’s an opportunity for me to step back from the daily grind and see the gifts and highlights of this complicated and fast-moving season of life. I don't always see those things in the moment - hence this fun "trip to the balcony".
Spotify – As you might have seen in my blog, music is in my DNA (not the skillful kind of DNA where I can make it; simply the DNA of enjoying and appreciating it). Music truly impacts my mood and feelings. I noticed a few months ago how drawn I was to music that had some soul AND lift to it. Bill Withers and Miranda Lambert. Otis Redding and Dolly Parton. I found it IMPOSSIBLE to keep still as I listened to Build Me Up Buttercup by The Foundations and Love Will Keep Us Together by Captain & Tennille. So, I created a Spotify playlist called Melissa’s Spring and Source that I play often. Daily. Hourly. A lot. It works for me. (Less so for my daughters.)
Soup – does this feel random to you? We all have our things. Ease is top-priority for me these days. The soup is prepped over the weekend, and I have the same, filling lunch each day of the week. For some people, this might sound boring. But for me, ease is more important right now than lunch diversity. So, I get a good, quick lunch in, and then swivel towards a client or daughter need - sometimes both. In this season of life, ease is a 'hell yes'!
Sleep – oh how I have missed this one and have TRULY come to appreciate what decent sleep is and does. Many of us don’t have 100% control over this one, and many of you know I have not been able to list sleep in my "successfully sourcing me" list for umm...over 12 years (positive correlation to number of years as a parent). It was more like an exhaustive challenge that felt out of my control. Now that my youngest is 6, my sleep is improving. Yes, there are still nightmares and stuffy noses, but less of things in total. So, I smile when my friends joke about how early I slip into "REM" mode each evening, and I love being able to get my journaling done most mornings before life responsibilities kick in. I mean, like composting love.
Solitude - this one makes me and others laugh. But it's my first answer to what I need to stay centered and present. I need alone time. Which became SUPER clear quickly into the pandemic with the whole family in the house. All.the.time. So, boundaries and intention are critical for me to create space each morning and in various moments of the day. Without it, I feel off-center and my tone matches my (lack of) patience. It's not pretty.
Silliness – I easily (and skillfully) hold the role of serious and responsible in life. We could point to adult-ing as the cause, but if I'm being honest with you, my father's parting words to me as he dropped me off at college were, "Meliss, spend money. Buy beers. Have some fun, okay?" (FYI, that semester did not end financially well for me! I obviously didn't have much experience in balancing serious and silly, and therefore added a lot of work hours to my schedule to pay a certain set of parents back.) So, because I know I easily tilt toward serious, I aim to add more lightness and silly in each day (without accessing my inner college self and depleting my bank account). Laughter and dancing (sometimes laughing AT my dancing!) help me stay lighter and feel less burdened.
Small amounts of daily movement – this one is a slight cheat with the use of the adjective, HOWEVER, it’s the real deal for my sourcing and sanity - especially with sneakers. (I feel like me adding a few more s-words there might help you buy-in to this counting as the seventh item? Maybe?) Yes, I would love larger amounts of movement at times, and yet, because of the season I’m in, my schedule doesn’t always allow that. So, I have built a system, thanks to daily microsteps, of doing intentional exercise, even a simple 15 minutes a day (thank you, MommaStrong!). And I feel stronger and more in my body as a result - sourcing. (And the impact of wearing sneakers to my strength and centering are no joke. So that's like seven and a HALF practices supporting and sourcing me. Sneakers for the win.)
This season can certainly be challenging and draining, and I'm feeling grateful for finding small things each day to keep me centered. They certainly are simple - no rocket science here. And yet simple doesn't always equate to easy. Getting in touch with what we each need is an important part of awareness and resilience in each season, especially this one. I'm taking it one day at a time, Operation 'S' Style!
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