This is a quick update to keep you in the loop (if you were
wondering) about my health.  I have recovered beautifully
from the surgery and the test results have been pretty
good.  Not as good as I had hoped for but still really positive.
I had to have some additional tests to determine if the cancer
had spread and the tests all came back clear so we are all
very happy about that!  I am now moving into the “insurance”
phase of treatments meaning anything that I do now will be
to help prevent a recurrence.  I am expecting to begin
radiation treatments sometime in August/September and then
it will be continued monitoring and healthy choices for the next
several years!

I realize that my life will never go back to “normal” meaning
the way that I was used to living it but this experience has
been offering me a way to create an even richer and more
meaningful life.  Because I have had time to really slow down
and listen to my heart, some new whisperings have become
louder and clearer for me.  This has prompted me to share
one of my favorite newsletters with you to hopefully remind
you that you, too, can slow down (of your own accord) and
listen more closely to your heart.  You will most likely be
delighted by what it has to say!

Play Dates and Hammock Time

Re: Do It Now
Schedule time in your week for play and rest!

I love having my breakfast outside on a warm, sunny summer
morning.  The fresh, sweet air, the birds twittering away in the
trees and the warmth of the sun all combine to make a truly
joyful start to my day.

I realized several years ago that if I wa nted joy in my life I had
to create the conditions for it to show up.  There are two
conditions that I know are necessary to help joy show up in
your life – play dates and hammock time!

I once heard a comedian complaining about having to arrange
play dates for his children.  He thought it was ridiculous that
play had to be arranged.  I don’t really have an opinion either
way about play dates for children but I think it’s a brilliant idea
for adults!  When you don’t play it’s hard to know that is joyful
for you which means that you will often default to work or chores
to fill your time. Scheduling time for playful activities seems like
the perfect solution for creating conditions for joy!  Let’s get
started, shall we?

• Schedule time once a week for your play date.  Once a
  week is important – this can’t be an “every once in a while”
  activity.  If you want to develop a consistent connection to
  your joy, you need to develop consistent habits and actions.
• Choose activities and plan field trips that will make you feel
  light, energized and connected to your joy.  Have some play
  dates just with yourself and some with really good friends or
  family members who understand that this is a fun outing, not
  an opportunity to whine, complain or have you take care of
  them!
• Protect this time as fiercely as a mother bear protects her cub.
  DO NOT allow this time to be rescheduled, infringed upon or
  otherwise interfered with and do not let other daily tasks creep
  in (ie: “oh, I’ll just stop and pick up a few groceries on my way
  to my date…”)

The second condition I mentioned was hammock time.  What happens
when you lie in a hammock?  Very little!!  You might read or maybe you
can do some writing or check your emails but mostly a hammock is
about relaxing, napping and day dreaming.  Slowing down is the point
of hammock time.  In order for joy to show up, it needs the conditions
of peace and quiet which allow you to truly feel it when it arises.  Here
are your basic steps for hammock time:

• Find something that you can use to have a few moments to
  yourself – a hammock, a deck chair, a picnic blanket, a beach
  towel or even a favorite shirt or funky hat.  The idea is to have
  a visual clue for everyone (including you) that indicates that you
  are taking some time for yourself and that no one is to disturb you.
• Discuss with your family, friends, room mates, coworkers (anyone
  who may be affected by your hammock time) that this is your time
  to take a break and that when they see you in the hammock, deck
  chair, funky hat, etc, that they must be very quiet around you and
  under no circumstances other than fire or profuse bleeding are
  they allowed to come near you.  Wondering what’s for supper is
  not an acceptable reason to interrupt hammock time!
• Make space for hammock time every day.  Do it for as long or as
  short a time as you want but I recommend a minimum of 15 minutes.
• Leave the distractions behind – no emails, text, music, books,
  phone calls, etc.  This is your time to listen to yourself and be open
  to what your heart wants to tell you.  Give yourself the gift of a
  distraction free zone.  It may feel uncomfortable at first but trust
  me; you’ll come to find it the most delicious time of your day!

Creating a balanced life requires a combination of taking action and
resting/receiving. These are also the requirements for connecting to
your joy and summer is a great time to get started.  I would love to hear
about some of your play dates.  Post them on my blog if you want to
share – that way you’ll be more likely to schedule them and others will
be inspired to schedule their own!  Enjoy!