What are your minimum daily requirements? I’m not talking
about the label on vitamin bottles or the balanced diets nutritionists publish.
I mean, what do you need every day in order to have a (fill in the blank) life?
The adjective for that blank periodically changes, but some possibilities are: fulfilling,
meaningful, enjoyable, safe, calm, productive, or secure. Decide what kind of
life you want and then what do you need every day in order to have that?
This seems like a simple exercise, but as I thought about it
for me, I ended up with a long list. When I examined the list, there were intangibles,
things like silence and words. I saw contradictions, like routine and
adventure, and lots of things I should be,
such as aware or open. It was when I looked for any commonalities among all the
elements that I had an aha moment that provided an umbrella under which most of
my list fit. My minimum daily requirement is connection.
Through silence I connect with something bigger than myself
and often with my deeper self; through words I connect with others. Routines
ground me and adventures, whether a trip to the Morton Arboretum or Grand
Canyon, expand me. I don’t think it’s a stretch to label those connections.
They connect me to a past, one that developed the routine, and to a need to periodically
break away from that. Being aware connects me to the moment and provides an
opportunity to learn, grow or change plus I might connect with someone or
something.
As today we turn the page and welcome a new year, think
about your minimum daily requirements and join me in finding simple ways to ensure
we get them. We’ll all be better for that in what looks to be another
challenging 365 days.
Happy 2018!
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