The Results are IN!
And they are all over the map…
But so was I.
A mentor has said to me and my peers before – there can be a phase when you are doing something new that is like throwing spaghetti at the wall. If you literally did this, some would stick and some would fall onto the floor. In your new projects, say it is a business, throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks is a metaphor to help us get through the initial times when we just don’t know what to do, to encourage us to just try something and see what works. We don’t know who our people are, how to reach them, or what our desired results are, it can feel better to wait, but you don’t figure out what sticks by waiting.
My interviews feel a bit like that. I interviewed over 50 people and each conversation was inspiring and wonderful, the connection was so good. Being a digital nomad at the time in year two of covid protocols that mean lots of separation from friends and family, at least at times, as well as transitioning from the very communal living of a full-time field guide has me so grateful for these wonderful connections.
What is the one common theme that emerged from my research? That our common western society is full, it is cluttered, and jam packed with experiences, thoughts, emotions, traumas, to-do lists, grief, dreams and doing. There is not a lot of space. There is not a lot of quiet stillness. Even though many of us are nature loving forest seekers, that time in nature has somewhat of an agenda to it a lot of the time. There is a great need for space to digest emotions, thoughts, and experiences for us to integrate them into our being and grow in our wisdom.
What I learned in my journey through burnout and beyond, is the need for space element and a way to look at the world in terms of balance through the elements. Space proceeds all other elements. It makes sense, if we have no space or no room, how can we face a new challenge, experience transformation, reflection, or a tangible outcome? There must be at least a hint of space for this to happen.
It’s like if we were constantly eating, a big meal and then snacking all day and another big meal, from when we wake to when we go to sleep. We would lose our appetite; food would become less appealing to us as our body’s way of creating space for proper digestion. We need mental and emotional digestion; we need to sit in silence and take a break from technology and trauma. Many of the folks I chatted with were taking on secondary trauma from the folks they worked with or in a grieving process themselves. Both experiences of depth take space to digest, process, and integrate their wisdom into our beings moving forward. If we don’t allow that space in our lives, we feel overwhelmed, weighed down and burnt out.
For most of us, less is more. We don’t need to read another book, listen to another podcast, attend another training. We needed to simplify, minimize, and reduce. We need to lean into the discomfort of space and hold ourselves there, rather than filling it with treats and food, new experiences, and adventures. Creating a practice of recognizing when we need space and cultivating it, recognizing that desire to scroll and nibble rather than allow the uncomfortable to come up. Community helps, having people around who make it normal to do the hard processing with ease and simplicity, who support our growth and support us through challenges, celebrating each step along the way.
