Being Busy Doing What You Love....What's the Problem?

.
Hello, dear friends,

Thanks to everyone who confirmed receiving my newsletter. Thanks for your warm and wonderful responses! I will be asking this a couple more time to make sure most of you read it.
Please, send me a few words telling me that these emails reach you. Because many are still being lost in cyberspace and I am trying to figure out how many and if it is something I can fix on my end.

On another, somewhat related subject: I love responding to all your emails. I love receiving them and love writing back.
When it takes me longer to do it, please, forgive me. Know that as soon as I read your email I want to stay at the computer and write you back.
My brain is filling with answers to your questions and if I don't exercise some discipline, I can spend a few hours a day doing that.
Often, I don't have these too hours. Which made me pause and think. And became Today's Food for Thought below.

A School of Hope and Inspiration

Tuesday, Novemeber 10, 2009
Gathering: 6:30PM -7PM Class: 7PM - 9:30PM
(notice: no class on November 3.)

RSVP for address and directions
Classes are held in Southern Marin

I appreciate if everyone RSVPs, so I know how many seats we need.
email Auriela@AurielaMcCarthy.com
Please, be on time, we will start promptly at 7pm

Here is this week's Food for Thought.

Not that long ago I wrote about the importance of knowing your Priorities and having them in the right order.
Knowing what comes first, what comes second and so on.

I suggested making a list. Sitting down with pen and paper, thinking about what matters, and writing it down, in a column.
Then - analyzing your list, and arranging it in the order of importance.

Why is the order important?

Because of The Law of Priorities.
Because if your priorities are out of order, you don't get to have them.
You may get a few here and there but no more.

The good news is:
if your priorities are in order, you will get all of them,
or at least - most of them.

Last week I decided to take a look at mine, again. I made my list.
And looked at it long and hard.
And then I laughed.

No wonder I was not feeling like myself.
As if something was missing.
Nothing was missing. On the contrary -
I had too much on my plate!

All of it - wonderful, a feast, a celebration...and still - too much. As if I've come to the banquet with a fabulous buffet, tables loaded with delicious foods I love to eat, and instead of wisely taking some and passing other offerings - in my excitement, I kept on loading my plate.

Few things feel better than suddenly getting clarity.
This is why I laughed when I saw my list, written in my own hand, staring back at me.

What am I talking about?

Read on. Today's newsletter is about me.

If you see the similarities with your own life - great.
Hey, haven't we always hoped to learn from other people's mistakes?

It might actually work in this case because many of you are probably in the same boat.

Here is what I discovered looking at my list of priorities.

I have allowed myself to get too busy.

Busy doing the things I love to do, that's true.
Just too many of them.

As a result, there was always something I wasn't getting to. Too often I was behind on many things...I was staying up late, trying to catch up...And it didn't feel good.

"But Auriela, didn't you just say that you are busy doing the things you love to do? Aren't you lucky? So many people hate their jobs...don't you know that?"

I do. I am very aware of this sad fact. I think hating your job and staying there year after year is one of the worst things you can do to yourself.
I believe you must either change the way you feel about your job ( if it is possible) or get out. Get out without sabotaging yourself, but thinking it through, preparing and then - going for it!

To continue doing what you hate - is like signing your own death sentence. No overstatement.
This subject is very important and deserves its own newsletter. Another time perhaps.

Yes, I am doing what I love to do. And I am so very grateful for the life I have.

It hasn't always been so.

It took a few powerful and difficult choices and a lot of guts.
Acting in spite of my fears and trusting myself even when I didn't have the answers...

It took being willing to make mistakes and refusing to give up. Refusing to settle for a life that might have fewer risks, but would require my giving up on my dreams.
And - on myself.

It took never loosing hope, even in the darkest times...
If you read The Power of the Possible, I have written about it intimately, not holding back.

The life I am living now didn't just happen.
I know how I got here.

I also know how it happened that I am involved in so many things, loving all of them...

It has been an amazing journey and I am right in the midst of it now...

And yet - it is time to pause.

To prioritize.

To choose which of my activities to keep, which to put on hold and which to let go of.

Because I have become so busy I started to lose my enthusiasm.

And it is my natural state, an essential part of who I am.
When I don't feel it - I am not myself. It is a sign that something is off.
Feeling enthusiasm about life - feeling inspired, excited, lifted by something that is beyond words - is among the best feelings in the world.

For me, it is a priority.

What happened?

I have bitten off more than I can chew.

Here is the partial list:

-I record a weekly one hour-long radio show, which I love.

-I write a weekly newsletter ( the one you are reading now.) I love doing that too.

-I receive emails from the readers of The Power of the Possible, and I try to respond to each one of them, in depth, the best I can. I love doing it and I very much want to.

-I have A School of Hope and Inspiration with weekly evening classes, and occasional one-day workshops...I love this work.

-I work with private clients - in person and long-distance, on the phone. I love doing that.

-Now and then I have a speaking engagements -I love that too.

-I am writing my next book, which is sweeping me away, into a different world and other dimensions...Do I love writing it? I LOVE it!
( this list is not in order. Otherwise, WHY is the book at the end of it?!!!???) Good question.

-And -I still have my fine art business, and there are parts of it that I love too.

-And oh yes...I am in a relationship with a magnificent man, my husband, and I love being with him. (this IS always on top of my list, blessedly I never forget it.)

- I have a tiny grand daughter - 4 months old, in New York and I try to go there often, for a few days so I can see her grow. I am in love with her.

-I am blessed with wonderful friends and I love to be able to spend time with them.

-I love to hike or go on walks, to get lost in a book, to see movies, to take time for myself, to simply do nothing - such a wonderful thing...
-I like to have time to exercise. And I love how it makes me feel afterward.

All this - AND the every day business of living, with every-day things coming up and needing attention.

What I don't like is being so busy!
Busy - yes, but not all the time. Too busy - no.

Do you see why it was time to prioritize?

And guess what went to top of my priorities, right after my marriage and my health?

My new book!
Writing The Power of the Possible was bliss. The best time of my life in so many ways.
Why then did it take me so long to get to writing the next book?

See what I mean? Why the list and order of priorities are important?

When you make yours,
make sure there are no more than 10.

And don't forget your Spirituality. Make it #1. All things flow out of it.

At some point - it becomes your only priority. Above #1, including, embracing and feeding all the other ones. It doesn't need to go on the list. It's who you are.

It is your connection to Something More. Feeling the Mystery of life, knowing you are not alone.

This connection is unique to everyone one of us.
It is your relationship with the Divine.

You experience it when you feel gratitude, when your heart overflows with love, at moments of passion when you are lost in creativity,
or touched by nature...in meditative altered states, through bursts of sudden joy.
Looking at a rainbow...Or - very directly.

I left the best part of this letter to the very end, didn't I?
And if you did read that far - I have written it for you.
A wink. A reminder of something you know well.
A reminder, that - if it is not already so - to make you spirituality - your priority!
Everything changes, once you do.

All for now.
See some of you on Tuesday the 10th.

Much love to you, always.

Remember: never ever give up hope!

Auriela.
.
P.S. If it feels right, and you enjoy reading my blog, please, forward it to your friends and family. Better yet, suggest that they sign up to receive updates in Newsletter form.
Don't do it to change them, just to share.
.