It is amazing how much of ourselves we can put into things we think integral to our self-identities. It is ironic, really; we can work so hard to acquire something we do not have because we believe it will define who we are. It begs the question: who are we before we get what we think we need?
I have (obviously) been thinking a lot about this lately, primarily because I recently finished my first novel, and became - by definition, at least - a novelist; a long sought after title for me. And I have to say I could not be happier to put it behind me.
So here I am writing a blog about what I am now learning about the value of taking a break from writing as it relates to living a more sustainable existence.
Lesson One: we need to feel and be supported by the things in which we invest ourselves. It is as simple as that. Doing too much or too little of anything cannot do that. We have to get the mix right.
Lesson Next: we occasionally need to stand back from whatever we are doing to renew our sense of the cumulative effects. Otherwise, we may get lost in the details of day-after-day service to goals that no longer reflect our own.
Lesson Last: we need to give our most productive resources time to rest and regenerate. Spend the interest, not the capital, as the saying goes.
That said, I am enjoying this self-imposed period of slower churning. I am beginning to feel its restorative effects. I am focused, too, on developing ways to incorporate this approach into the development of the store. There you will find things are increasingly about using what has already been made in the making of new things, repurposing the proven purposeful, upcycling what we have since we have so much of all what we need.
See you there?