reBUILD: 7 Ways I Am Embracing a New Chapter
Toward the end of last year I was convinced that my one word for 2024 would be wellness, health, movement or something related. But as the weeks passed, I realized my desire and yearning for 2024 was indeed focused on my overall health and wellness BUT on a much grander scale. I wanted to welcome, cultivate, and co-CREATE a new life!
I chose reBUILD.
After deep reflection on 2023 and 2022, I realized I’d slipped back into some old and unhealthy habits. Seeking joy, happiness and pleasure outside myself. Eating and drinking my way through my feelings. Moving less and embracing a sedentary lifestyle more. So much of what I’d fostered from 2019 through pre-tenure 2022 was on the back burner.
BUT I knew what to do to get back on track. I knew how I wanted to feel. I knew the sort of people I wanted to be around, activities I wanted to participate in, ways I wanted to begin and end my days … these practices were not new to me so I began to reBUILD.
Here is what worked for me:
1. Consistent morning and evening rituals: Rituals have always been my jam so I reclaimed this practice. Starting my morning with prayer, meditation, and reading an affirmation – not texting or scrolling social media – has helped immensely. Likewise, in the evening I close the night with prayer and reading from another daily affirmation book.
2. Movement in my body as a morning priority replacing work as the way I start my day: Pre-tenure I learned the importance of prioritizing my scholarly writing so for many years writing was the first thing I did in the morning … like 5 a.m. in the morning. While this practice helped me tremendously, it is no longer needed nor desired. Instead, I prioritize moving my body – this is my deposit to myself – before doing anything else.
3. Intentional community: I LOVE my friends and have written about them through the years. AND I also know that when I am trying to cultivate new habits, it works best for me to be around likeminded folks … so this is what I did. Fortunately, E2M provides an amazing avenue for this. I began coordinating meet-ups with friends around physical activity and coffee or tea versus food and alcohol. I began meeting new folks who are on their respective wellness journeys. AND I became more intentional about how I spend time with people by asking myself do I genuinely enjoy their company? Do I feel refreshed or depleted after our time together? Are our conversations positive and uplifting or negative and cynical? Continuously asking these questions allowed me to put every relationship under the microscope and determine if it aligns with this chapter of my life.
4. Exploration: I started exploring new activities, including the value of strength training – not my favorite – getting back to dance classes, taking a spin class again and daily yoga. I embraced shorter road trips as a normal activity that do not need to be overly planned, but can be extremely enJOYable. These activities have kept my body challenged and reminded me that physical activity CAN. BE. FUN. They have also been reminded that a short drive in exchange for a culturally enriching activity not typically available in my city or to be in a different circle of friends IS possible.
5. Acceptance & compassion: I LOVE that there are people who have never struggled with diet and exercise. I know many of them. And I LOVE that some folks seems to have maintained a linear path for most of their lives. This has not been my journey. It has been helpful for me to embrace that diet and exercise are areas that require an incredible amount of discipline, focus and intention for me. I am also working on accepting just how much of an exploratory soul I am. What has often worked in one season can drastically shift in another. I have lived my life moving with these shifts and adjusting my life rhythms accordingly. And I get to do this while offering myself unlimited compassion for all the times I’ve felt like I was starting over … again OR starting anew.
6. Embracing impermanence: I have been working on embracing not only changes in my body, but changes in my life. It is easy for me to become attached to practices, routines … people. In this new chapter, I am trying to embrace and celebrate what is, without clinging – allowing myself to evolve, shift, grow, adjust as needed.
7. Living the fullness of my days: And finally, I am enJOYing the journey! I love checking in with my accountability partners and celebrating our progress. I love getting out for a nice, long, brisk walk – especially when the weather is pleasant. Attending dance classes a few days a week brings me immense joy – I spend over the half class laughing! I am determined to not postpone my joy or peace or laughter until some distant event. Instead, I am committed to enjoying every moment of my wellness journey and every single second of my life in general as I give thanks for another opportunity to choose better.
