Letting Go to Create Space

Learning to manage your time intentionally to create space for what matters most in our life is important, especially as we work to manifest the peace, joy, and freedom we all have access to. However, I know this can be easier said than done because it can be so easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of our days, weeks, and months until they all blur together.

When we aren’t intentional about what our days look like, we can lose 24 hours in a blink of an eye. When we’re too busy to take time for ourselves, we’re too busy to take time for others as well. For those of us who have the heart and desire to serve our family, friends, and even strangers— “busyness” steals those opportunities.

TIME MANAGEMENT IS A PROCESS

Beginning my journey of learning to live light has been, and is, an ongoing process with shifts and turns at every bend. Everyone experiences these shifts and turns in their life.  

That’s “LIFE”!

Doesn’t it seem at times like life is an endless list of to-dos, responsibilities, and obligations? It is easy to get stuck with ‘ALL THE THINGS’ trying to overtake us. The problem is that getting stuck keeps us from pursuing the hopes and dreams we have for ourselves and our families.

This is why it is so important to create the space in our days in order to pour into the things that will move us toward what and who matters the most to us. You cannot pour from an empty cup and only you can fill your own cup. Assessing the things that get us stuck and prevent us from moving forward is a good place to start.

CREATING INTENTIONAL SPACE

As I began making my way back into a more intentional place over the last few years, I have allowed myself to do so by taking baby steps. One of those baby steps I took was taking days off and allowing myself to do the things that bring me joy and peace.

In all my busyness, this was one area that suffered, and it really took a toll on me to not make room for this in my routine. I knew that I needed to create more space in my days somehow and taking these small “vacations” really made a difference for me.

Go get coffee with a friend, lay on the floor with your pups, and sit on the couch all day— binge an entire Netflix series *cough* Dracula is great *cough cough*

Taking this time helped me stop and notice how it felt in my body, mind, and spirit. Keeping in tune with these feelings really matters. So, if I felt peaceful, I would move closer to it.

If the action or relationship felt forced, I found myself stepping back and rethinking about why I was doing something or engaging with someone. This doesn’t mean that we don’t have to do the hard things. It does mean that we can still feel peace and experience joy even when we have to do what may be difficult.

I began to realize that much of my “doing” was out of my need to control.

For instance, having to have my house completely spotless in case someone came over or being sure I had dinner on the table because that’s what “good” wives do every night, right?

I made many decisions out of fear of judgement and failure. Fear can be a tricky thing.

LETTING GO TO GROW

Letting go of trying to control everything can bring immediate peace to our life and surroundings. It can also help us grow into who we truly were called to be.

Miriam Webster defines the word GROW as ‘to spring up and develop to maturity’.

Did you know that sometimes growth (maturity) can only happen when it is given the space to do so? Sometimes, we have to let go of something to experience that growth. Maybe several things.

Relationships are often one of the most difficult things to let go of. We can be hesitant to cut ties with a toxic friend or to walk away from them. Friendships are very important, as they should be. However, some relationships are very toxic to our well-being and these relationships are the ones that drain us, create chaos, and steal our joy. These are the relationships that we need to let go of.

BEING INTENTIONAL WITH YOUR TIME HAS LIFE CHANGING RESULTS

As I continued with the baby steps and moved in this new direction, my health began improving. I began experiencing greater peace, joy, gratitude, and compassion. Not just for myself, but for those around me. As a result, I began sensing this great desire to learn, grow, create.  I began moving with intention, not just in habit.

It has been amazing to experience the goodness that comes from changing the habits in our day that do not serve us well. Being more aware of why we do what we do when we do it can help us see how we try to “buffer” so much of our life instead of doing the right thing.

For instance:

Waking up with my first alarm instead of hitting my snooze button three times has helped me have a more productive morning.

Making decisions to complete a task instead of putting it off a day has helped me stop procrastinating.

Deciding to ditch the chores and take my dogs for a walk has improved my mental and physical health tremendously.

ASK YOURSELF THESE QUESTIONS

Are you struggling to create space and experience more joy and peace in your life?

Are you possibly feeling disconnected from the things that really matter most to you?

Are you trying to juggle it all and feel exhausted in the process?

Would you like to experience greater ease and trust in the decisions that you have to make every day?

Creating space in your life is like giving yourself a gift. A gift to enjoy your days and your surroundings. It allows you to live more and love better.

Check out my Evening Release Yoga to help you relax and release before bed!

NO TIME LIKE THE PRESENT

To make space for new things, first you must let the old things go. When the room is full, we must create space to allow the new and good things in. Like a snake, we need to shed the old to usher in the new. Ask yourself— What are you letting go of? What are you creating space for? What new and good things are you bringing in?

PRO-TIP: if you’re struggling to let the old things go, bring it into the physical world. What I mean by that is clean out something physically: Get rid of old clothes, old boxes, old things that you’ve had sitting around that no longer serve you. Donate them, sell them, whatever feels right - and create that space physically. It will translate into the mental, emotional and spiritual world as well

Let me know below, how you are choosing to create space? Will it be physical, mental, or both? Check me out on Instagram @nourishednatasha for more regular chats on creating space, honoring your feelings, and all things self-love!

Love,

Natasha