Wow! What a year 2021 was, right? We all know that 2021 was definitely a challenge for almost all of us. For myself, the intention word I gave myself for the year (instead of New Year's resolutions) was Love. I need to begin here with my word Love in order to bring in this year’s word, consistency.
What I learned about Love was definitely a HUGE reminder for me that Love begins with loving oneself. Loving oneself enough to set boundaries, uphold those boundaries, making sure to do one's own self-care before attempting to serve another because we cannot give from an empty cup.
Personally, 2021 was just that. Relearning and being constantly reminded that I must care for myself and love myself enough to do those things that I know my intuition has shared with me, that I know makes me light up, that I know is 'oh so good' for me instead of surrendering to the pressures of society and making someone else happy.
This has brought me to this year. This year my intention word is 'consistency.' This word consistency has me taking a look at personal disciplines. One of those disciplines is sleep. My consistency with my sleep schedule is number 1 alongside my eating and exercise habits. Sleep has been SO underrated in our society with all the 'early bird gets the worm' thinking, only children and elders take naps, and night owls are more intelligent, just to name a few.
For myself, there are not only those beliefs to discard but there are midnight wakeups from my partner (which I totally enjoy, don't get me wrong), pressures from society to keep going because there is only so much time in the day and then there are the other people's schedules to conform to.
What I know to be true and as my Dad would say is, "I do my best work when my eyes are closed napping, sleeping, and/or meditating." I recall years ago when I had my own doggies daycare & rescue business that I had even worked a 'naptime' into my schedule and when I did, the business/rescue flourished beyond my expectations! When I was in India I even had naps times built into the schedules of the Animal Sanctuaries I was consulting for. They flourished as well AND the employees were SO much more productive!
So, where has my sleep and naptime gone? It is my own fault. I allowed the pressures of our Western culture to take over what I know is 'not normal.' Seriously, take a look at all the other animals on this planet. They all have regular sleep time and numerous naptimes! We as animals ourselves are no different.
So, my intentional word for the year 'consistency' has taken on a wonderful meaning already this year as far as being consistent. Consistent with my own self-care and dictating my boundaries around my sleep and naps, so as to reorganize my life to be a better steward, a better servant to my Creator and families, and to allow my life to flourish for the highest good of all Animals. It is the Animals that I have dedicated my life to and without my consistent self-care, which includes precious sleep and meditative naps, I am no good to anyone, and that includes myself.
Good sleep and naps requires consistency. A consistent regimement which includes a consistent bedtime, a consistent wake time, a consistent exercise plan, a consistent work & play balance, a consistent diet. Basically, consistent selfcare which becomes a consistent way of being love (my last years word) for myself, for others and especially for the Animals with whom I have dedicated my life to.
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