Hi! Welcome back to #FabulousFriday! Wow-it's been a wild ride this year with real estate! All the twists and turns have felt a bit like being on a roller coaster. Listing inventory is down, prices are up and so are interest rates. Now, with the holidays in full swing, life is replete with many activities. During this season, perhaps you are shopping for a home or have your property listed and on the market. You may feel stressed trying to fit in house shopping, or having buyers do walk throughs of your home. As you know, this flurry of activity can lead to overwhelm and burnout. When the busyness threatens to overwhelm me, I turn to meditation and reflection. Today, I would like to share some top tips that help me navigate life's turbulent events during the holiday season.
First, I begin to reflect with gratitude upon my life. One of my favorite mentors, Jim Rohn, once said, "Learn how to be happy with what you have while you pursue all you want." Next, I begin to reflect on nature and the season itself. Winter is right around the corner. The earth is beginning to slow down and prepare for a period of rest. In direct contrast, I wrestle with the tendency to speed up during this period. I know for some of us, slowing down is difficult. Under stress, my natural tendency is to get busy--do more and fill life completely full of activities. Perhaps you face that struggle too. If so, consider tuning inward and listen to what your body is telling you.
When you pay attention to and follow the rhythms of your substance, you will begin to notice how you are naturally linked to nature. In fact, the changing of the seasons impact us in a dynamic way. As we enter another winter season, I encourage you to feel into your body. Being to listen with curiousity to the messages it is giving you. Pay attention to what you feel. Understand the information that your anatomy is sending to you. Are you feeling tired? Do you need to sleep more? What foods should you be eating? What are you craving right now and what is that telling you?
If we look to nature, we know that winter is when nature becomes still. The harvest season is over, plants begin their rest. Many animals migrate to a warmer climate and others begin to hibernate. Many things come to a stop in winter, and those that don't move at a slower pace. There's a peacefulness, a quietness that happens during this season. When I learned how to pay attention to my inner essence, I discovered that what my body craves often mirrors what's going on around me in nature.
Winter is a time of year that is synonymous with home. We crave things of comfort and we long for ritual and routines of the past. We desire comfort food and warmth and turn to homemade soups and baked cookies. Winter has now become a season for quiet and introspection. I find myself reflecting more on my life, reading more and I tend to write more. For me, it has become a time of inner examination and an opportunity to get to know myself better.
This winter season, I encourage you to slow down, become more conscious and intentional with your actions and activities. Pay attention to the signals that your body is sending you and be willing to accomodate your own needs. Pay attention to what's going on in nature around you and notice how you may wish to mirror that. Reflect on this year that is soon coming to an end. Acknowledge and celebrate all the ways that you have grown, all the changes you have made, what you have learned and how far you have come. Give yourself the gift of gratitude and appreciation--to yourself and others. And...instead of trying to make this one more thing on your to-do list--practice kindness and grace, and be loving towards yourself. Remember, wherever you are in your life, learn how to be happy with what you have and pursue all that you want.
Tune in next Friday for more tips and inspirational thoughts on how to live a rich real estate life. Wishing you all the joys of the winter season! Warmly, Susan