Life on the island has been about surrendering to those things that feel right in the moment.
I have just been listening to a conversation on YouTube - which I will link below - by Medyhne from Arise Humanity and Amy Valentine from AV Life Coaching. Medyhne has recently moved to an island that is just around the corner from me, which is very exciting, as I have been watching her videos for close to a year now and I know that her high vibrational energy will elevate the frequency of the islands to an even greater level. She also gave my work a shout-out on her Patreon site, which was so appreciated. Medyhne was talking about the relaxed sociability of the people on the island, and this mirrored my experience yesterday, as I found myself whiling away the hours with a group of people at the café again, as if time was of no consequence and all that existed was in the present moment.
I have been well acquainted with the idea of a slower paced life for a number of years now. When I moved back home after seven years in Melbourne, life forced me to slow and change every aspect of my life so I could heal from adrenal/chronic fatigue. Six years of concentrated practice later, the sense of urgency about life still sometimes infiltrates my serenity. It is incredible that this can be so programmed into us that it can take so many years to shift, despite our knowledge of how it can benefit us. I prefer the way my body and mind feels when it is not subjected to unnecessary stress, so I like to keep a bit ahead of my paid work so I feel as calm as possible. Yesterday morning, I was craving a walk and wade, so I decided to start the day that way, despite feeling that I 'should' be working. I wasn't intending to go to the café, but a friend pointed out that there were so many conversations to be had, and I acknowledged that this was indeed true. Last year, I dreamed of meeting people who were interested in discussing spirituality and who were on similar learning journeys, and here they are, available to me. If possible, I believe we should take opportunities when they are offered, particularly if we have asked to manifest them.
I could have battled with concentrating on my marking for the whole day, but instead, I surrendered to what felt right in the moment, and came home and marked several assignments in an almost flow state until 6pm. I have noticed this many times. Time sometimes seems to stretch to accommodate us. When we relax and trust in the unfolding of our life and our days, things work out. This beautiful spring day on this incredible island will never come again. The light will never dance on the water in exactly the same way; neither will the clouds take the same form from the impending rain. I will always be glad that I put my feet in the clean, cold water and greeted a father with his tiny, joyous daughter engaged in the same pleasure. I will always be happy that I took time to see the mysterious curlews gathering on people's front lawns. This is rare for the rest of the year, but apparently it is mating season and they are out and about later in the morning.
To be always busy focused on our individual tasks and projects can be alienating for others. I have almost always put aside my plans at a moment's notice when the opportunity arose to spend quality time with people I cared about. As a result, I have many close friendships that have lasted for many years - some even since childhood. I'm learning to have some healthy boundaries about this and tune in to my own needs and warning signs so that I don't become overextended, but I usually feel that my 'busyness' is not really as important as the needs and desires that someone close to me is having, and that the chance of closeness, sharing, bonding and learning is more valuable in that moment and is worth surrendering to. The same is true of creativity. I was not planning to write this blog article in this moment, but if you ignore the muse tapping on your shoulder, she may not come in the same way again. She may also gift her inspiration to someone else.
I think it would benefit us to reflect on the reasons we feel busyness is so important. For me, a chronic lack of feeling enough in other people's eyes pushed me towards unhealthy perfectionism in many aspects of my life. I felt that if I were as perfect as possible, I would attract less criticism and be left alone to live my life with more peace. I also experienced periods of time when being alone with my own thoughts and feelings was too painful. Busyness was a way of distracting myself so that I could keep going through the motions of life in an effort to come out the other side. Some of the busyness was also societal programming - a fear of being seen as 'lazy'. I find it interesting that one of my early blog posts - ''5 Reasons You're Not Lazy'' 5 Reasons You're Not Lazy (pennymuller.com) - is one of my most read articles. Being seen as lazy must be one of the most common fears of people.
It seems that it's almost impossible for humans to believe that they are enough by simply 'being', But, as part of nature, perhaps we are. Although all elements of nature have their purpose, they don't all seem to possess our sense of urgency. Trees stand grounded and serene, flowers bloom and sway in graceful abandon, clouds sit or glide without undue haste, and dogs and cats often sleep the day away. These elements of nature respond to the conditions around them in the moment; to the weather, the seasons, and to each other's movements and activities. Nature instinctively ebbs and flows in its interconnection. Living in closer connection with nature and in a more relaxed community has allowed me to begin to integrate my understanding of the beauty of this instinctive ebb and flow. I believe it is worth cultivating for a happier life. When I worked with young children, it was natural to me to tune out all distractions and respond to the needs of the individual child in each moment. This always felt right. I saw my plans for the day as being of secondary importance, and I'm so grateful that I was able to trust my instincts in this way. Tuning out the distractions of the world and the societal programming, and allowing myself to focus on my own needs and wishes in the moment and those of the people close to me, feels so right too. Time is infinite. There is no destination. We are here for the journey. Why not live on 'island time'?
Link to Medyhne's video with Amy:
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