Carving space.

The Practice of Shaping Time & Energy Investment.

• What does it mean to carve space?

• Do you typically invest your energy in ways that honour all aspects of your humanhood (your body, your mind, & your spirit?)

I have come to believe the often prescribed idea that we ought to strive for a perpetual state of “balance” is a steaming (often shaming) pile of ssssshhhhhhhhh…..well, you-know-what ;)

The pace and pull of the world around us can deplete our capacity to invest our energy in ways that nurture our whole self, health, and wellbeing. 

The to-do lists are never-ending, the “should-ing” seems ceaseless, the external distractions feel relentless. There often does not seem to be enough time, energy, and SPACE in a day to tackle all we feel compelled to accomplish. 

Many of us have been taught to prioritize productivity, value a frenetic pace, and fill each moment of each day with things we are told will enable us to earn a sense of worthiness. 

Does jamming ‘doing’ into each moment truly cultivate an abundant life?

I learned to frantically race though each day from an early age. I performed, produced, and lived to please others. I lived this way for most of my adult life. I often felt like I was juggling ‘too many balls’, and I lived in perpetual fear of the catastrophe that would ensue should one of those balls fall. 

The pace of my life only became more taxing when I became a mother to one, then two, and now three precious souls. I took my responsibility to support these spirits with care and conscientiousness seriously, and I began wondering if I was perpetuating a grave disservice to both myself and my children.

I often fantasized about what life might look like if I were to jump off this hamster wheel.

Perhaps you can relate? 

The outside world seemed too fast, too loud, and too disorienting. 

I yearned for escape. I yearned for change.

I began evaluating, deeply, what I was teaching my children about the meaning and purpose of life. I realized, if I was honest with myself, that my current pace of life was not truly serving my children, or myself, well. The frenetic energy I brought into our home was often fuelled from a place of fear, scarcity, and frustration. I knew I was not showing up as my highest, healthiest self. I became more and more aware that I was not living in alignment with my greatest good. 

As Maya Angelou says, when we know better, 

we are tasked with translating that knowledge into action. 

Doing so is often not easy. 

In my life, this has meant taking one small, courageous step of translating this ‘knowing’ into ‘living’ at a time.

I am learning to practice carving space into my days that generate more mindful investment of my time, energy, and attention. I am learning to prioritize space and slowing the pace so I can focus, be more present, and live in greater alignment with my highest good. 

I am learning to make novel choices about how I both perceive and invest time in my day.

Abundance can be spacious and seem ‘empty’.

I am learning to prioritize my need to carve space for stillness, solitude, and silence.

Some days I must practice more grace for myself than others. 

Learning new skills and ways of being can be challenging.

Perhaps you, too, are learning more about how to carve nurturing space?

I believe it is unhelpful to believe life will become less busy

or the demands placed upon us will somehow dissipate any time soon;

I endeavour to change the internal, not the external.

• Carving space means clarifying what matters most to you, and then prioritizing those values.

• Carving space means practicing making different choices. 

• Carving space means planting seeds that nurture the soul. 

• Carving space means bucking cultural conditioning and saying “ME FIRST” (or maybe just “ME TOO!”) 

because many of us are realizing that we truly cannot nurture healthy growth unless we allow some space for ‘the ground’ to lie fallow.

Yes, perhaps striving to achieve this illusive notion of ‘balance’ is futile; 

perhaps life is more about a divine dance of how we consciously carve space to consider the ways we are investing our time and energy. 

In what ways can you carve space that serves your soul?