I was sitting here trying to write something witty and interesting and nothing was coming to mind so I rang my sister instead and talked shit for a good hour. While this didn’t get my blog written, it did give me the opportunity to spend some time doing something I really love. Something that definitely fills my cup right up.
It's a great reminder how important it is to prioritise the things that make us feel good. Over the school holidays, all of our routines have been blown to smithereens. My normal weekly catch up’s with my sister have been reshuffled to fit in around holiday activities and it's closer to once every two weeks rather than weekly. My lake walks have completely vanished and a lot of my regular catch up’s have been put on hold as everyone does their best to navigate the school holidays.
The school holidays offer their own reward of extended time with the family but I’ve always been a big fan of balance and 100% kids for 100% of the time makes me appreciate how restorative the small catch up’s with others in my life truly are.
I’ve really missed walking the lake with Matt. Our weekly walk has become a comforting space where we can speak more freely and it physically gives us more room to reflect on the week's events. I often feel less connected to him if we miss too many in a row. I think our last one was in early December! No wonder the holidays progressively get harder.
As we draw closer to school returning for 2025 the calendar is starting to fill up again. I’ve been paying close attention to what I’ve been saying yes to and activities I’ve been seeking out. Mostly it has been reconnecting with people who I regularly catch up. These are certainly not work related but I talk shop with most of them because it is part of our many topics of conversation. There is no hourly rate assigned to these sessions when I pop them into the calendar however I feel like they generate way more than I could ever earn while I’m sitting in front of a screen.
I’m conscious of the fact that as a freelancer I'm only ever earning when I am in front of a computer but I always feel more fulfilled when I’m connecting with others. I feel like I’m constantly evolving when I interact with other humans. As I learn more about what’s important and relevant to others, I learn more about myself. I’ve noticed that I hold my own opinions so much more lightly after my Future Shapers Leadership course last year and have become way more curious about what other people think. Without weirding out anyone I catch up with, it's almost like a practice and dedicating a sufficient amount of time to it only makes these relationships so much more meaningful.
I know I have to be a serious adult and earn money but I think it‘s really important for our wellbeing and creativity that we schedule in time to do the things that excite us and bring us joy. To laugh and talk shit, to share your problems and listen to others, to know that others are thinking of you as much as you’re thinking of them is truly one of the wonderful ways to spend our precious few hours on this earth. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how much money we earn, how we choose to spend time with others will always be our biggest legacy.
