Have you ever heard of a TOP FIVE to SURVIVE?
Years ago I asked my very good friend if she had ever heard about this amazing concept that I had just read about. I explained to her that a TOP FIVE to SURVIVE was a list of five things that are essential to making daily life happier, healthier or more harmonious in body, spirit and soul.
As I understood it, your top five should be things or practices that make you happier, or healthier in body or spirit, or are things that feed your soul.
I shared my list, which included exercise, coffee in solitude, checking off a small to do list, gratitude, and sleep! Each of these were essential because they made me clear headed, focused and inspired and that made me a much better mama and wife and friend, and the little things didn’t worry me so much.
If I didn’t do these then I felt lethargic and disconnected with myself. Which then followed me through the day like a bad smell.
When I discovered my top five it was one of those beautiful AHA moments that Oprah talks about, moments where things click into place and like Tom Cruise I was shouting YES, YES, YES!
Years have passed since that conversation and life has changed and evolved. My kids aren’t babies anymore, we’ve become busier, there have been dramas and dark moments, and debilitating pain from a back and foot issues (it was like walking on broken glass!).
Life changes and evolves, as it should. Exercise was the first of my ‘top five to survive’ to stop. And one by one my list became obsolete, no longer celebrated and embraced but hidden out of shame and guilt…
I shared last time a bit ago, that I have been working on ‘Discovering your Creative Squeak’ with a group of ladies every week. And how much I’ve loved it because I was also rediscovering my love of playing, exploring and creating (a lot of which I can’t wait to share with you BTW!) And as I was flicking through old sketchbooks I found my original TOP FIVE TO SURVIVE list.
I realised that it was time to change and evolve my list so it reflected my life today, so my new TOP FIVE TO SURVIVE includes:
- a MORNING JOURNALLING practice where I write two pages of gibberish, negative self talk and totally random thoughts (never to see the light of day again and burned before I die!),
- being AWAKE before my children so I can gently wake up with out being bombarded with their exuberant morningness. (Who is that happy in the morning I mean seriously!),
- EXERCISE or yoga or any movement really. It’s time to claim my strong body back. (I am so fortunate that my ailments are no longer debilitating and manageable),
- CONNECTIONS – whether this is with Mac, the kids, my girlfriends, parents, siblings, acquaintances or online friends. Connecting with real people, talking about real life and not pretending to be happy campers all the time.
- STUDIO TIME – creating has always bought sanity into the crazy and given me breath when I am overwhelmed. I am reclaiming that sacred time in the studio from the hustle of my creative business.
My top five is just another link in making my armour stronger.
They make me happy, sane, healthy and more harmonious and if I do most of these things every day – even if my day does turn to shit, (and lets face it this is real life!) I don’t tend to loose myself to the drama and can usuallynavigate it with balance and grace.
So what is your TOP FIVE to SURVIVE? I would love to know what daily practices you have in your life to help make it less overwhelming and more harmonious. And if you haven’t ever thought about this, what will make you happy in spirit and body?
Hit here to share with me!
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this article was first published in my newsletter June 18th 2018. You can have these delivered to your inbox by clicking on the NEWSLETTER link above.
