i shared this image as an instagram/facebook story this week (and by the way, i’m wearing a crown because i’m “queen for the month” every april ?) >>
so right now, in this chapter of my life, what could i accomplish if there were 9 of me?
let’s see, my 9 selves could (in no particular order) >>
1. seriously study italian: being able to really focus on immersion, with more opportunities to speak the language (since i do all of my work in english), would be crazy-helpful. and this self would NOT be embarrassed or bashful about it (ahem).
2. see my two sons and my dad more often, and have regular meetups with my best friends: not exactly sure what this would look like. would this self live closer to them, or just travel more often? (of course, the latter would require more money as well.)
3. concentrate solely on my coaching, my online classes, my retreats: i already spend the majority of my time doing this, but to be able to create and expand my business without limit? wow. truly a dream.
4. finish the stuff that still needs to be done at the villa: i could finally clean my closet, go through all of the remaining boxes in the cantina, do some of the decorating items still lingering on the list, etc etc etc.
5. travel to all of the places in europe eric and i had originally planned to: there just doesn’t seem to be sufficient time or energy now that we actually live in italy (and are working most of the time).
6. sit and read: all day long, nonstop. no real-life interruptions unless self-induced.
7. write my book: i’ve been writing passages (and keeping notes that simply say “my book”) since i was about 6 years old . . . that’s nearly 50 years! i’d say it was time. (and yes, the shape of my book has obviously changed. a lot!)
8. devote more time to the online courses i love to enroll in: several qigong classes with different mentors, an art therapy unit, a cognitive-behavioral therapy refresher, and more . . .
9. practice qigong more, dance more, walk more: i’m doing all of these things already, qigong every day and a rotation of dance/walk/strength exercises throughout the week. but my sessions are usually short and definitely time-driven.
~
okay, so you want to know what’s interesting? except for doing MORE of certain things, i wouldn’t change much about my life. that’s good to know!
in fact, i actually had trouble coming up with 9 different selves. maybe it’s because i no longer have young children around. but perhaps it’s because the integrated self is so important to me. i’ve never really been one to compartmentalize myself into neat (and separate) little boxes.
take, for instance, my business. it’s so closely entwined with my personal life that it’s hard sometimes to tell where one ends and the other begins. and i truly prefer it that way. my women’s retreats are in my HOME, where i live each and every day, right alongside my husband and two cats. in fact, my husband (who has two businesses of his own) prepares and serves breakfast and lunch at these retreats and also chauffeurs us around. the women who attend THE ARRIVAL become family forevermore – not only a part of my own life, but my husband’s as well. that’s pretty personal. although i have to set certain boundaries, my business life is integrated into my personal life. they’re not two completely independent entities. it’s real, and i’m approachable.
we all have a collection of selves that we carry around with us. some we’re unaware of, others we spend time perfecting. it’s a good idea to check now and then to see if what’s beneath our various masks is a truly consolidated identity that we recognize, or just divided personalities struggling to make sense of how they all fit in to the overall picture.
i don’t think we need to be tethered to anyone’s idea of who we should or must be. but I do think it’s crucial to know ourselves, inside and out. to recognize that core, that essence of our existence, what makes us humanly relevant. to eloquently articulate who we are and what we are all about.
the important thing to remember is that we’re more than masks. we’re thinking, feeling beings with unbounded explorations to make, daring lives to lead, decisive actions to take. carving and molding, figuring out the design of our lives. searching for the courage, the creativity, the confidence to be our true and best integrated selves.
what about you? what do you unveil to (or conceal from) the world? does it feel artificial or real? is it consistent with your one authentic self? are you conscious of each move you make that isn’t completely aligned with the way you perceive yourself? what if you integrated all of your various selves, your various masks? would you then realize “this is me, uniquely me” and be free to experience and express yourself accordingly?
*******
guess what?
my upcoming spring retreats
are 3/4 full!
that’s right – 6 of the 8
available spots are already taken!
but there is still time to ACT . . .
my italian retreat
*******
tweet
