Sometimes we just have to surrender. Surrender to the things that aren't going to get finished. Surrender to acceptance that some things aren't going to change.
It's time to pause for a moment, take a step back, and try to see things from a new perspective. To say, "hey, the things that got me to this point, might not get me to the next point. That is okay. How can I shift and get to the finish line?"
The scene for surrender that comes to mind is from the movie Clueless. If you haven't seen it, or it's been awhile, there is a scene where, Cher, the female main character, is in class debating a peer. She tells a story of her father's milestone birthday garden party. How all of these folks showed up that didn't RSVP when the invitations clearly asked for an RSVP. Instead of letting it ruin the festivities, she paused, got in the kitchen, rearranged some things and everything worked out fine. That is today's focus. How can we shift and switch to get the things done.
Or if Clueless isn't your vibe, just be water. Water surrenders to whatever vessel if finds itself in. Be. Water.
A little anecdote... because sometimes I practice what I preach. :)
Things around here have been very hectic the past few weeks. It is the holiday retail season after all. As you may or may not know, Apothecary 19 is a one woman show, or circus as I usually call it. If I'm being honest, these days it's been feeling very circus-y.
The 2023 holiday retail season has been really great; almost too much for one woman to handle, even with an amazing support system.
At the beginning of this self-care journey, I decided that I was going to focus on calling in more balance into my life. So, yesterday, while I packed 45 orders, I was thinking about what it was going to take to get everything finished —to pack the next 50 orders that are currently open, along with anything that comes through the shop between now and Saturday. Then there are the custom orders I've been neglecting on my bench who's deadlines are fast approaching. Last up, the pop-up market on 12/16 that would tie me up from about 12 hours. The more I thought about it, the more unbalanced I felt. The more I felt the panic start to settle in.
I made the very difficult decision to back out of the pop-up. I hated to do it. But I knew in my gut, because I trusted my intuition, that it was the best choice. The best choice not only for me, but for my family too. My partner, Robert, has been picking up all of the slack of me being consumed with my work. I also don't want to miss all the holiday fun with my four year old.
I surrendered. I surrender to a lot of things, both obvious and very personal for me. While I am disappointed that I didn't follow through with something. I have no idea how much revenue I'll miss out on. I also feel really, really good about my choice now that the hard part is over. I prioritized balance. I admitted that I couldn't do it all. This is a very new thing for me and I am really proud of myself.
All of that is to say—all year round it is okay to surrender when you need it AND it is ABSOLUTELY okay to surrender during the busiest and most stressful time of year when expectations are at their highest.
Journal Prompts
- Where can I practice surrender in my life?
- Is there something in my life that is begging to be put on hold? Can I surrender to that request?
- How can I see things in a new perspective?
Today's Gift
I really hope you enjoy the relax spray. That scent is one of of the scents that started Apothecary 19. The relax spray has helped me manage my anxiety and my insomnia. It was something that I knew I wanted to put in the shop when I opened it. It has a lot of uses. Here are a few of my favorites
- before bed, give the bottle a shake and spray it on your linens and pillow
- when feeling stressed, one spray on your chair, your person, on throughout the room you're in
- before a restorative yoga practice give a few sprays around your mat
- spray around your meditation area before a breathwork practice
- literally use it anytime you want to feel relaxed or diffuse a high strung situation