How to Pay Attention This Week

Like a ray of light that peaks through the clouds, we must listen closely to what feels the same in us.

I awoke this morning and instantly felt that jolt of light in me. The sky outside was still dark, and the lights had to be turned on to see as the clouds were low and making freezing rain. Yet, here I was, feeling the very jolt the sun can bring when it shows through the clouds above us in these winter days.

At that moment, I thought about what I have been working on these past few months—the clear idea of where my career and life were going outside of writing in this space. I was thinking about designing edible and regenerative landscapes that bring humans and Earth symbiotically together. I thought about how these natural elements can be artful, connective, abundant, and healing. Those were the things jolting through my brain like sunlight and driving deeper ideas in my soul.

I heard them and spent my entire day carting kids and meetings with this jolt in me. I jotted down ideas, names, words, sentences, or anything that came into my head.

The entire time, I realized how so much of winter can feel dull, flat, and dark, and we forget about the way the sun feels when the storm clears and glistens off the fresh snow. Those days are few and far between winter and quite the opposite in summer, but I will tell you I think it’s a gift, just like this moment of lightning-clear inspiration. We must hold those moments, and winter reminds us of its importance. Winter also lends to the dreaming of new ideas and concepts in our lives, which is something we must also listen to.

This week, this is your task. In the way, I encouraged you to listen to what you are aching for; you should listen to the things that bring you intense joy, inspiration, and that jump-start that the sun can bring in the depths of winter. That is what we must listen for and pay attention to because, like the ones that came to me, they reveal in ways that aches are as well—-they tell us what drives us, motivates us, and brings us life when we feel run down or lost. The aches and jolts are our compass. This week, listen for the latter.

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The Garden Planning Intensive dates have been posted for all Paid Subscribers. This event series goes live in February, so now is a great time to become a subscriber for as little as $5 a month in order to gain access.

All Paid Subscribers head to the Member Space today to get access to the dates and subjects each event will cover along with the assignments to keep you on track.