what i do is me

i have to say i'm really savoring the results of my leap to work 4 days a week!  it was scary at first, filled with "shoulds" and "oughts" that have given way to "musts" and "enjoys".  counter-intuitively, by following my passions, i am actually making more income and have more time than before to devote to my values without having to sacrifice one important thing for another.

on paper i didn't think i could afford to work less.  my inner compulsion spoke truth to me, however, that i couldn't afford NOT to.  the difference being i wasn't willing to sacrifice precious time on the planet:  THIS IS YOUR LIFE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE kept speaking up until i listened and took action.

it was scary and took time.  my heart nearly pounded out of my chest when i approached my boss with the proposal last year.  and i haven't regretted it since.  in fact, i thought, "why didn't i do this sooner?"

for example, i have time to:  try a new yoga class, cook healthy colorful meals, meet people for coffee, sketch, see my family, kayak, play, write cards & letters, discover new markets, run my miniature household and budget efficiently, pray, read, write, think, create, rest AND work.  i find that not only am i more energetic at my day job, but i am more productive and creative, taking my whole self to work and home again without feeling splintered apart.

gerard manley hopkins said it first in poem form, "what i do IS me, for that i came", making no distinction between what we do flowing out of a whole sense of personhood.

the book pile that is currently contributing to better and more creative ways of thinking for me?  "the crossroads of should and must" by elle luna and "creative confidence" by tom and david kelley.

a just-for-fun read that i highly recommend:  "the jm barrie ladies' swimming society" by barbara j. zitwar who put a lot of herself into the novel for five years, basing it also on the author of peter pan.  she weaves the power of girlfriends, architecture and a love story together in such a gracious way i wanted to see it turned into a movie!

what "should" can you cross off your list to make room for a passionate "must" in your life & where might that sweet spot take you?