It’s been a hell of year, Pinkies. I mean- good stuff- all of it exactly what I’ve asked for. But in the course of one year, I’ve moved my family to Marin County, started an integrative medicine practice at CLEAR Center of Health, launched and managed a team of 22 Pinkies who help me run Owning Pink, communicated with you Pinkies, completed one book and written another, lead workshops, prepared for 3 solo art shows, and struggled to stay present for my husband and daughter. It’s A LOT. Too much, really. And yet, I did it.

One woman who met me said, “You know, there’s treatment for people like you.” I know. So maybe I can be a bit of an overachiever. And in the wake of all this, with my book deadlines behind me, it’s tempting for me to jump into yet another project. I love the work I do. You know you’ve found your groove when none of what you do actually feels like work. But no one can keep up that pace forever. It’s a recipe for disaster.

Creativity Requires Rest
So I’ve decided that December will be a month of rest for me. I will not make any big decisions. I won’t launch any new projects. I will say no to extra obligations. To start off my early New Year’s Resolution, I’m heading off with Mojo Mentor Tricia Barrett to Harbin Hot Springs, just north of Calistoga in Northern California. My husband actually wrote it on a prescription pad for me- Go to Harbin or Esalen. He swears that every time I do this, I return renewed, recharged, creatively sparked up, happy, and whole.

So I will go to Harbin, where Tricia and I will soak in the healing mineral baths, eat raw foods, do yoga, meditate, sleep, hike, and REST. I will have no agendas. I will write- but only for fun, because I love it so much. I will be away from the internet, away from my family responsibilities, away from my pager and my patients. I will unplug.

What about you, Pinkies? I suspect many of you are way too busy. Do you fill every moment of every day, overbooking your calendar and failing to carve out any time for YOU? Do you say yes when you mean no? Do you let guilt and insecurity convince you that you MUST be this busy? I know I do sometimes.

Make Room For Dreaming

What if we commit to changing that together? What if we make a New Year’s Resolution together, to build nurturing time into our lives. As Tama Kieves said in yesterday’s post, “It takes an intermission to find a mission.” How can we expect to live dream lives if we’re too busy to actually dream?

When I met with Tama Kieves a couple weeks ago, she asked me what I really wanted, what makes me giggle to my toes. I consider my life pretty dreamy, but when it came to trying to choose what I MOST want, I found myself speechless. Honestly, I’m too busy to even know what I might want to let go of to make room for more of what I really want. It’s such a simple question, but I suspect many of you would be similarly baffled. How can we expect to find clarity for our desires if we’re so friggin’ overbooked that we can’t breathe?

Not me. Not anymore. Sure, just as Pink Editor-in-Chief Joy wrote recently, there are seasons of busyness when you just have to go with the flow. I had to meet my deadlines, and that meant long, crazy days. But we must temper those times with time to recharge, to strengthen our bonds to our authentic selves, to reconnect with Spirit.

So I’m off, Pinkies. I leave tomorrow, and I’ll be gone until Thursday. A whole team of kick ass Pinkies will be holding down the fort for me, but please do me a favor. Will you help me hold the sacred Pink space while I’m gone? Will you support other Pinkies who comment on Owning Pink or post on the Posse blog in the Pink Posse forum? If know I can trust you to hold a gigantic basket of love, so anyone in need finds support while I’m gone. Deep bow to you, Pinkies. Namaste, and thank you.

Look out, world. When I return, I’ll be renewed, recharged, refreshed. Anything is possible…

Trusting the process,

Lissa