After coming back from vacation I expected to feel re-energized and renewed.
Instead the last two weeks have been a struggle. Let’s just say it feels like I’m off track, like I’ve forever lost my “mojo.”
This left me questioning: How do I make each day the best day, and the best of times? Especially, when things in the world seem so hard and so many are hurting.
Read MoreEspecially when your husband puts on his podcast for everyone’s listening enjoyment.
I audibly exhaled as he put it on.
I then proceeded to roll my eyes. This road trip seemed to get longer. Not shortly after however, I’ll admit, I pulled out my pen and notebook and I started taking notes.
Read MoreI’m a planner by nature and a bit of a type A personality if I’m being honest. In addition to Life and Whim, I own a marketing business with Jay and another partner, my job is to design and plan out projects from start to finish. And as a mom of three girls, I am always planning their activities and our families’ day to day so that I can maximize and be as efficient as possible with my time.
Each day I get up early. I write my journal pages, plan out my day with my to do list and the breakdown of what I’m working on for that day. Everything is planned. While this makes me efficient and allows me to have time for painting and other things I enjoy, it also creates an illusion. The illusion that I have some sort of control in the world.
Read MoreSpring is in the air where I live in northern Michigan. The temperatures are warmer, the snow is melting, birds are happily singing and everyone seems to have a “spring” in their step and a smile on their face on the recent warm sunny days.
Read MoreImpromptu snowball fight!
However, by the time the sun sets, things typically start unraveling. By the time the kids get to bed, I’m usually exhausted and default to beer and Netflix. Often I complete the gluttonous trifecta with a salty snack. It’s pretty obvious: My evening routine, if you want to call it that, is lacking.
When she’s outside, she’s light and carefree—still determined and competitive but playful. When I say outside, I don’t mean in the backyard or at the local playground. She’s at her best in forests, on sand dunes, and in other wide open spaces.
It’s like she’s breathing in contentment, and breathing out frustration, as she navigates trails, races down the ski hill or ambles along the beach hunting rocks at the edge of the surf. This brings Heather and I great pleasure. It’s exactly the sort of transformation we sought when we made the decision to uproot everything in search of a slower, meaningful, purposeful and intentional life.
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