You may be familiar with the great children's book from Julia Donaldson called 'A squash and a squeeze' (you can listen to it here if you like!)... basically an old woman is unhappy with her house as it feels too small for her. A wise old man invites her one at a time to take in her animals - a hen, a goat, a pig and ... a cow until she is tearing her hair out with all the animals eating up her larder and playing havoc... "my house is a squash and a squeeze" - she cries!
Then the man advises her to let all the animals out of the house and all of a sudden she feels like she has so much room!! She thought she would be back where she first began - but her perception of her space is so different - now there is no need to complain as the house isn't a squash and a squeeze anymore!
This week this story has come into my head so many times. Already 10 years ago I felt like my life was so full of things to do, then I added in a house renovation, then I added in two children, then a change of career and then this last year a pretty intensive course of self study.... it was indeed a squash and a squeeze...
When that finished last week I feel a huge relief and a space opening up again. Of course I will keep hold of the kids ( :-) ) but for the rest I feel there is a breathing space that I have not had for the last 10 months (or 10 years) and it feels great!
It got me wondering how long it will take until I let things build up again or can I hold onto this feeling of space - because I truly believe that it is this 'allowed space' that things grow...
I am constantly reading inspiring books recommended to me or that I come across in my work. I believe that each one has a gem of wisdom to pass on - perhaps only one, perhaps a few. the magic is to let it speak to us and see what comes out.
One recent book was '168 hours' by Laura Vanderkam. For a start it spoke to me as she is self employed and a mum... not some guy in a big multinational business telling me how to manage my time ;-)
Some of the gems of wisdom that touched me is that in the 168 hours that we have a week - we need a good 56 of them to be asleep (don't let that go!), a proportion is also in work (although we often over-estimate how much we are actually working), but another essential part of our week that no one can do for us is our movement. If only 5 hours of our awake and non-working time (let's say about 62 hours) was spent in a movement/exercise that we really enjoy we can reap plenty of benefits. This cannot be delegated - it has to be done ourselves...
Two other things that need no one else can do for you if to have quality time with your kids and people you love - time when you turn off other distractions (computers, phones etc.) and are really together; and time out for other leisure or relaxation or whatever you need to function and feel good...
"I don't have the time" we cry... my life is a squash and a squeeze... or maybe not as much as we like to think.... ;-)