It’s just a few more days until winter officially begins here in Massachusetts. I recently learned about the concept of “wintering.” Wintering means to retreat inward and slow down. I want to live my life this way, not just during the winter months. But right now, I’m happy to be tucked in and cozy in our own little home with the peace of no shared walls, ready for the hush of the snow, and especially to slow down. I’m also ready to bring my life to the next level by taking action to lead the most intentional life I possibly can.
This year has been anything but slow for my wife, Michelle, and I, and I am feeling it in both my body and my soul.
For years, I have worked toward living a more quiet, minimalist life. Both “quiet” and “minimalist” are relative terms, and mean something different to each of us. These words describe the sort of life I want, but I am very particular about language, and I feel even more aligned with the word, “intentional.” Even as I dig into the etymology of the word, it speaks profoundly to me.
Etymonline.com tells us that, from, “the late 14c., entencioun,” intentional translates to purpose or design. I know that the Universe has a design in which each of us are here for a specific purpose. We must turn inward for wisdom and deprogram ourselves from the external messages that are a product of capitalism and a work ethic that values our productivity over our existence.
In addition, Etmonline.com tells us that, from, “the Latin, intentio,” intention translates roughly to attention.” This, too, resonates with me, as I believe that, to live an intentional life, we must set our intention, then focus our attention.
Although I have made progress toward living the kind of life I want, I find that life has a way of making you feel you’ve taken two steps back. It’s not that I am being hard on myself about the speed of my progress; I accept that life is a journey and the path winds along a little differently for everyone. I’m fiercely proud of the life I have built and the growth I’ve achieved so far. I’m simply feeling soul tired.
Maybe it is only by taking two steps back that you can get the exact perspective you need – my inner wisdom reminds me that I have been here before (the never-ending spiral), in a place where everything is screaming at me from “out there” telling me to work harder to get to that next stage. Those external messages come from a place of fear. I have learned what I must do when the external pressures seem to be closing in: trust my intuition and stay true to myself, say no to working harder and yes to working smarter, and live from a place of love, not from a place of fear.
Although Michelle and I manifested a significant amount of abundance this year, I’ve been reminded that having more means that there is also more to maintain. Maintaining the things in our lives requires us to spend our resources, whether it be time and energy or money. Becoming homeowners has meant an increase in debt, stress, and material things that I never dreamed I would own as well as a decrease in free time. All of this feels quite opposite from that quiet and minimalist life I wanted.
We worked hard to get the one thing that we determined we needed for our wellness - the peace of our own space - if you know energy, you’ll understand the dire need for this. Now, it feels that things are loud and much more than we can sustain long term. We are both quickly approaching 50 and have autoimmune disorders, not to mention that, as highly sensitive people, we need lots of time to recharge. Then again, we bought a hundred-year-old bungalow that was neglected for a long time. Maybe things will even out after we give her a little TLC.
Neither of us knows quite what the next phase of our journey will look like, but we agree that it does not look like this – a life where we just keep working harder, sacrificing both our wellness and our passion (writing for me, and hiking for Michelle). I think the trick is to focus on what you do know.
What I have known for a long time is that there is no pride in hustle culture. I’ve also learned to start with the what, then look at the how. The what is your purpose, and I PROMISE, when you are brave enough to focus on the what, the how always unfolds. I know that I am here to tell my stories and help others tell their stories. Telling my stories requires time for inner reflection – stillness. Helping other tell their stories requires that I continue mastering the craft of fiction and continue to grow as a coach. All of these things take time – a resource we cannot get more of. Yes, we all have bills to pay, but every time we sell our labor for a job that does not fulfill us, or spend our time on projects we don’t want to do, we are giving away a piece of our life. I believe that leading an intentional life means that we choose carefully where we spend our precious resources.
So, here I am, embracing the concept of “wintering” all year long. Going inward and choosing a quiet life is a radical act in our society. I choose wellness, passion, and love. I trust that wintering will help me find clarity about the actions I need to take to live a more intentional life, one where my passion and purpose align to help me support my family. I choose an intentional life driven by my own inner wisdom over a passive life where I am dragged along by the external world.
~ Peace and Love, Tracey
©Tracey Love, 2024. All rights reserved.
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