Life is not going to get easier

Don't you love hearing stories about how people got together? I recently read about how Bill Gates asked Melinda out on their first date: "You know I was thinking maybe we could go out — if you give me your phone number — maybe two weeks from tonight," Bill said, according to an interview Melinda gave with AOL's Makers site. "And I said to him, 'Two weeks from tonight? I have no idea what I'm doing two weeks from tonight.' And I said, 'You're not spontaneous enough for me.'" But Bill wasn't ready to give up just yet. "He called an hour later and said, 'Is this spontaneous enough for you?'" Melinda told Makers. This story made me laugh. I can totally relate to Bill and I've got friends who approach life just like Melinda did. Someone asked me this week if I am becoming more spontaneous. I don’t think so…I think I’m becoming more intentional. And that’s why I went away with friends this week. It's why I'm going camping this summer AND I will be strawberry picking and hanging out under the full moon (weather permitting). It's why I am spending time having a picnic in a lilac dell today. It's why I enjoy time in the woods every week and I do what I can to be well-rested (you won’t see me after 10:30 pm very often - but we can walk at 6 am if you are around.) There is so much to do! I can’t leave it to chance. I know what nourishes my soul. I know what I love doing and I plan to make sure I experience those things. Time is a-ticking! As you go through life, if you are fortunate, your life expands. You gather good people from all different experiences you have had - especially if you are like me and you enjoy moving and trying new things! It gets difficult to keep up with everyone - and I'm not talking about reading their updates on Facebook or Instagram. I'm talking about sharing a meal or a drink and really connecting. If you think life is going to get any slower in the future you are wrong. It’s not! If you think once your kids are a certain age, you are finished this course, you get through this month, you get through the summer, then you will have time to pursue all those things you want to do - you are wrong. Yes, wrong. Here is what really happens - your kids do grow up and you don't see them every day so you plan family get togethers to keep in touch. Your parents age and possibly get sick. You want to be there to support them so you plan time to visit regularly. You may be blessed with grandchildren and you want to be with them as much as possible because you know in the blink of an eye they won't be babies anymore. You discover or rediscover you love doing certain things like writing, knitting, hiking, camping, bushcraft, singing, gardening, dancing or canning. Maybe you start to get really interested in politics, the environment or some local cause that can use your support. You join a board. You want to travel, spend time with your friends, read, work out, cook great meals and get a good night's sleep. So how do you make time for everything? It's a simple answer but living it takes work and commitment. You get intentional about your life. You think about what your values are, what your desires are, what your dreams are and you start to incorporate making time for them into your life. You make a list of the things you want to do - hiking, museum dates, painting, making salsa. You open your calendar and you book time for those things I knew that this year I wanted to make sure I got to see the Lilacs at the Royal Botanical Gardens near my home. I hadn't been in two years and I love walking through the dell on a beautiful day breathing in the smells of the different varieties of lilacs. It happens once a year. So - I put it on the calendar. Being intentional means getting honest about who you are right now. It means revisiting your values, dreaming about who you want to be and considering the realities of your life at this stage. It is about living from your soul. Being soul-centered. Knowing what you want and what is important to you. Being intentional means aligning your life to reflect the truth about who you are and what you want. It means saying no to some things. Risking disappointing people. Doing things on your own because you don't know anyone - yet - who wants ot share the same experience. It doesn't mean you'll never be spontaneous - in fact, if that is a value then create a life that allows you to live spontaneously. Here's the truth: You have one life to live. Figure out what is important to you and start aligning your life to reflect it. If you aren't doing what you want to do - you need to get clear on what you do want and start doing it. You can't do it all. And you can't please everyone. You can't please even a handful of people 100% of the time. Hell, you can't even please yourself sometimes! It won't take long for you to run into barriers - both internal (beliefs and mindset) and external (behaviours and circumstances) that are keeping you from doing what you say you want to do. That's where coaching can help. Email me and we can talk about how to attune your life to start living a soul-centered life.