Things have been a little quiet around here. I’ve been moving slowly, reserving my energy for the bare bones of my daily schedule – taking care of myself, working with my gorgeous coaching clients, and creating the self-study version of the Body Loving Homework e-course.
I have been doing these things very intentionally, with particular care paid to the energy that I am able to bring in each day.
It is interesting, because the way that I have been working to take care of myself in these moments since my Grandfather passed away has felt beautiful and expansive, as if, in this moment I have been able to give myself yet another, deeper, layer of permission.
I have noticed:
That my ability to carve out space in my schedule for dreaming and tuning into my inner wisdom has felt freeing.
That feeding myself the foods that nourish me, and choosing to say no to the foods that don’t, has felt organic and extraordinarily loving.
That creating a delicious boundary between work and play has given me the space to fully attend to each sphere or my life.
That moving my body has helped move the sadness, worry, and fear through my energetic field, as I intentionally sought to release myself from their tether.
That guarding my sleep like a fierce lioness protecting her young has resulted in feeling rejuvenated and relaxed over the course of the day.
I have noticed that I am very good at taking care of myself when there is an external reason or excuse for doing so.
It is not that I wasn’t caring for myself before, because I was, much more so than I ever have before.  But, the grief in my heart has this additional property to it – this visceral this is who you are and this is what you need, no questions asked feeling. Where before I may have pushed, or squeezed another appointment into my schedule, or said yes when I had an inkling that I might be piling too many tasks onto my burgeoning to do list - I am now able to experience, down to my bones, how deliciously loving the act of saying no or not right now is.Â
And what’s amazing is that the more selective of my time, energy, and space that I become, the more phenomenally opening, renewing, and dynamic my work becomes – both with my clients and in my own personal practices of daily self-love, self-trust, and self-expression.
Why do we wait until something happens to us – something that undeniably speaks to our deserving of rest and kindness – before we begin to take better care of ourselves?
What part of you is begging for some attention or a heady dose of love and support?
What might you become if you began firmly saying no to the things that you no longer support or serve you?
What if you decided to make your care of yourself a non-negotiable in your life?Â
Who might you become? What would you have the energy for? What would you have the space to do?
In the delicious space that I have given myself in not posting here for two weeks, I have unearthed so many layers of how I feel called to serve you – new topics to discuss here, new coaching offerings, and new energy infused into heartfelt communication with my list. I have felt my heart lighten in having the space to dance and move and love, and I have been using that energy to commit myself to all that I’m hoping to draw forward and embrace in 2013.
I am becoming. I am unfurling. I am shedding that which no longer serves me.
I want to invite you to join me.
For those of you who are new here, and for those of you who have been with me since the beginning, I wanted to take this opportunity to re-introduce myself to you and welcome you here to this space.
My name is Mara Glatzel.
I’m a life-coach and writer.  I work with women who are on the hunt for lives and businesses that are bigger and brighter than anything they may have ever thought realistically possible before.
I am on a mission to fill the world with brave women who are working to create unshakable foundations for their lives by grounding themselves in deeply felt self-love, self-trust and self-care.
Like a fuse catching fire, I believe that when we approach transformation from the inside out, we amplify every ounce of energy, passion, and perseverance that we bring to our lives.
This is soooo wonderful to see, as someone who’s figuring out new things herself; it’s funny how often your “this is what’s going on in my world” posts mirror what’s up in my own.
I made a decision that this year, as I spend my last year of my twenties and prepare to enter my thirties, I’m going to stop doing shit that bores me, that makes me unhappy, that stresses and exhausts me. It’s kind of amazing how much bravery that takes – it sounds inspiring and right on the surface, but that shit is hard.
Here’s to both of us figuring out where the soft places are and going towards them with heads held high.
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Ooh Ellie – I love that! Thank you thank you. Can’t wait to see what YOU’RE cooking up. xo
I was wondering where you went, Mara! Really, though – but I knew you were cooking up something good, taking some time to rest. I admire that so much. You seem to be doing so well in the healing process after losing your grandfather. Even Logan’s death – I’m sure you know his family right? – has shaken me a bit, realizing how short and fragile life is. But why is it that after heartbreaking news like that, THEN I can take care of myself? Why do we wait for those moments? I’ve never looked at it that way before. Your last question about dreams is a difficult one. I don’t really even know what they are, and where to start. But at least it’s on my mind now! xo
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Thank you Hannah.. and yes, Logan as well, as my father and his mother have been together for many years. There is much going on around here, and it all seems to come down to not taking anything for granted and in embracing our lives as whole-heartedly as possible, without apology or regret. Thinking of you. xo
beautiful, mara <3
i have cooked for many life threatening patients during my time in hawaii and over and over again from them i learn the same lesson.
everyone deserves AT least, to give themselves as much time as they do for others and deserve it fully and completely with no excuse or before its too late.
just by being alive in this world we deserve so much.
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“Everyone deserves AT least, to give themselves as much time as they do for others and deserve it fully and completely” – YES this, a thousand times over. And to think about how much more of ourselves we have to offer others when we make these space, time and care for ourselves. Thank you. xo
Oh yes, I feel this completely. It’s amazing what a wake up call things like death can be, and what it can lead to-far beyond the pain and sadness automatically associated. I’m learning to at the very least not instantly accept the criticisms and ridicule of those surrounding me which is enabling me to begin to work on some of my own ‘stuff’ without feeling selfish because I know it is the only way I can begin to help others with their ‘stuff’.
Loving this Tessa – thank you so much for sharing this insight here.
Hi Mara, thank you for this. Good for you for this level of self-care and noticing what comes up, and thanks for sharing it! I am in the process of reconsidering the focus of my coaching/consulting/writing, thinking of shifting from one focused on business and curiosity to one focused on grief – and joy and curiosity. I especially love your closing question, it is very close to one I asked myself last year: What would you do if you really believed in yourself? and very close to one Chris Brogan recently asked: What would you do differently if you believed in yourself just a little bit more? Hmmm. Messages from the universe, thank you.
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It’s amazing the strength that one can find in themselves in a hard time. You seem to be able to just do what you need to. You turned grief into a drive to make yourself better and make more of you. Inspiring to read.
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