I might have mentioned in earlier posts that I am a "doer"; I have been as long as I can remember. Throughout my life people have used words like: organized, responsible, conscientious, efficient and bossy to describe me. Until recently that is, lately I've heard words like kind, brave, and "a  blessing".

Is this a new thing, the result of changes I have been making in me? Or, have those things always been said about me, only I wasn't listening for them?

I know I have always tended to measure my worth in how much I get done, how many things I cross off my to do list, or how big my contribution to helping something go smoothly was. I pretty much never say that something I do is "good enough", I always strive to make it the best it can be. I can always find fault, or ways to improve it.

But I have to admit I am tired. I'm tired of paddling upstream. Of never accomplishing enough, or doing it as good as I think I should.

It is impossible to keep up all that internal pressure.  I've seen what it is like to enjoy the moment and to go with the flow, to stop trying to control everything. I like this way better. I'm going to keep making sure I do more of this in my life. Taking time to chill. To think. To just "be".

I see now how important it is to have the other side in your life-- the side that appreciates the moment, the stop-and-smell-the-roses-side, the side that notices and savors the little things. I have learned the hard way that you cannot always make things happen by sheer will and energy --you need to give things space to "allow" for them to happen. To grow.  And to blossom in their own time.

It's become "clear" to me recently in several different ways that allowing time for "me", time to chill, and to enjoy life is where the clarity I've been seeking lives.

Question of the Week #25 / How Much "Me" Time Do You Allow For Yourself?

Finding my own true voice is the biggest and brightest thing I can do for my future. And the only way I hear that voice is to make time to listen.

Focusing inward is not selfish, it is necessary. And so is spending time with ourselves.  If your answer to the question above is "not a lot", or what is "me" time? then it is more important than ever that you start making that time. In whatever way works for you.

Because you are entirely worth it.

And so am I.

I'm a big believer in the need for everyone to have enough quiet time to think, dream, and create. I've learned it's crucial for my personal sanity. There are so many distractions in our daily lives it is hard to find the time to slow it down, to shut out those distractions, and to just "be". Because of that,  our minds rarely get the chance to wander freely.

As life got crazy busy for me this past year, I've had to "sneak" in moments for my creative thoughts to break through the clutter. That means I have become very deliberate in cultivating my quiet. Interestingly I noticed a pattern that developed around the places and spaces where I do my best thinking. Armed with this knowledge, I'm very consciously patterning my new direction in life to allow myself these opportunities.

This week's Question of the Week /Question #5 is :

Where are you when you have your best thoughts?

Close your eyes and think back to your last really great idea. Where were you? What were you doing? Is there a special place that you go to when you need to think things out? Or do thoughts and "aha" moments just randomly hit you? Make sure you explore that randomness to make sure you didn't miss a pattern where the creative thoughts and ideas come to you most often.

Consciously making time for our creative space, and giving ourselves the opportunity to be in the places where we have our best thoughts is like giving a gift to ourselves. I hope you will pay attention to those spaces and places in your life where your creativity shines.  Make space for them in your life and part of your plan to become A Better You.

My Answers:

I've realized my best thoughts come from 5 main places.

1. When I'm driving. (I don't text and drive;  I write and drive).

2. When I'm cleaning (I'm especially inspired while vacuuming).

3. When I'm sleeping. (Too bad I cannot write and sleep at the same time).

4. When I'm laying in the sun....(I fill notebooks with my words).

5. When I walk. (I use my phone's recorder to collect my thoughts).

Have a great weekend filled with quiet time for YOU.

P.S. Next week we will be reviewing answers to our first five questions and searching for common themes. I hope you are keeping all your answers in a journal so you can refer to them for reference.