Happy Spring my friends, the world has officially come out of hiding and the season of growth and hope is HERE! The sunshine and above freezing days are BALM to my soul after this harsh winter.
While the Magnolia trees bloom and the crocus bud, my calendar is experiencing a new season too. Invitations to events, trips to plan, decisions to make, thousands of seeds to plant, work events, celebrations, and family gatherings. So many good and beautiful things that I have missed dearly over the past year.
While I’m excited to step into Spring, it can also be an overwhelming time of change and new growth. I feel like our world went from Safer at Home to Social Butterflies overnight. All around me I see glimpses of life returning back to “normal, and I don’t want to forget the deeper truth and lessons that I’ve learned from the past year.
So today I’m sharing my first of a new series: Rhythms When You Need a Fresh Start.
Do you feel it too? The desire to clear the calendar and start again. Let’s walk together through what it looks like to sow the seeds of a life of beauty and grace.
May we continue to cultivate a strong NO in our lives so that we can say more life-giving yeses.
Emily P Freeman
The Hardest Place to Start: Just Say No!
I’m a yes girl, recovering people pleaser, and big dreamer. It’s easy for me get excited about new and fun things, say YES to it all, and just as easily get overwhelmed and want to quit it ALL. I’ve learned when those nagging feelings creep in to step back and make a list of what I’ve said Yes to. And then I look at the list through these questions
Does it align with my big picture vision and this actual season?
Each year I make a vision board and set goals using my Powersheets. I usually do this at our cozy cottage in the Winter when I have extra margin. On a snowy December day, all the dreams and ideas seem possible. My head is clear and there is hope for the future.
BUT, when a new season begins (a literal season like Spring or a big life transition). I pause and make sure that my YESES align with my calling and vision. For me personally that is living a life rooted in God’s grace and using my gifts to bring beauty to those around me. Anything that falls outside of that vision is put aside. There are seasons and times for everything but not anything my friend, trust that if God has truly placed that in your heart it will come to be.
What are my non-negotiables?
Faith. Community. Margin. Beauty.
Those are the core values on which I live my days, weeks, seasons, and years. The phrase “I can do it all” is just a myth. As my wise friend Lara would say “We can’t do it all and do it all well. But we can choose to cultivate what matters.” In full seasons it looks like tightening my circle to family & a few life-giving friends, getting up early for a yoga class, and making sure I have nourishing food in the fridge (thanks Hungry Root & Daily Harvest!). I begin by filling my time with non-negotiables and then if I have the margin (emotionally and physically) I consider saying Yes to something new.
Is this actually my priority or someone else plan?
As my mamma often says, everyone has the perfect plan for your life. When we dare to say NO (or say the brave & scary YES) we are defining what we want in our lives. Saying NO can feel selfish, but what if we looked at it through a different lens. What if you saying NO actually allowed others to step in and shine. Wouldn’t that be worth it?
Say Yes!
Say NO can be one of the most life-giving tools…but so can saying Yes! When we say NO to something, it ultimately creates space in our life to say YES. I end my time by creating two lists. One list of things I’m saying NO to in this season and the other that I’m saying YES to. Writing out what you are saying YES to in this next season can give you the confidence to actually do it.
I’m Saying Yes to….
- Nourishing meals and snacks.
- Swim and Sauna.
- Morning pages & artist dates.
- Greenhouse therapy.
- Early morning walks.
I’m Saying No to…
- Toxic thoughts and “what-if” thinking. (so long anxiety!)
- Binge watching (or scrolling!)
- Over-scheduling my evenings.
- A “quick yes!”
- Unclear boundaries.
- Having a perfectly clean kitchen.
