In March 2007, I embarked on a journey as a blogger, committing to daily writing, seven days a week. This discipline persisted for about five years until life’s complexities – work, responsibilities, and the inevitable “busyness” – prompted me to reassess. Gradually, my posts became less frequent, transitioning from a Monday-to-Friday routine to a more sporadic ‘when inspiration strikes’ schedule.
However, in recently having retired from the workplace, I’ve realized the importance of consistency and discipline, not just in writing but in life. Since stepping away from formal employment, I’ve missed the structure of having to turn up, pay attention and be accountable, not just to myself but to others. For me, ‘a job’ fosters focus and self-discipline in my life. This realization was driven home during my recent solo writer’s retreat in Ireland, where I successfully reintroduced a structured routine into my life. Since returning, I have not touched the project I began on that retreat. It’s become clear: it’s time to embrace this structure once again.
Now, in my defence, amidst the horrific natural and man-made devastation, violence and wars unfolding around the globe, my sister’s health struggles have been a profound emotional journey. She remains in ICU, still in a deep sleep following major surgery over a week ago. My daily visits, standing by her bedside, sharing messages of love and support, have been emotionally draining. This exhaustion has clouded my thoughts, dampening my drive and creativity.
I’ve come to accept that I cannot alter my sister’s path. My role is to hold space for the best for her while continuing to live and create meaningfully in my own life. In this period of emotional turmoil, I confess to succumbing to self-pity. This isn’t self-reproach but a candid acknowledgment, a form of ‘tough loving-kindness’ to break free from the despair and worry engulfing me.
Which is why, in the darkness of an unseasonably warm November morning, I have chosen to mark this day as my turning point. It is time to reconnect to the practices I know create better in my world.
To begin, this morning I revisited a long-abandoned practice: my morning pages, inspired by “The Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron. This practice of free-hand writing three pages daily was once a cornerstone of my creativity, which I had set aside when I began blogging. Today, as part of my recovery process to embrace peace, calm, balance and love in my daily living, I recommit to this and other nurturing practices.
What about you? What practices have you abandoned that once lifted and supported you? Where in your life is there a need to reconnect and recommit to self-care and activities that bring you joy and strength?
What if we embark on this journey of rediscovery and renewal together?
I’d love to hear your thoughts and ideas in the comments section below. Your words inspire me and open gateways for us to create better in the world, together.
Namaste
Dare Boldly 
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Turning points and launching points are so important in our continuing evolution.
It is a cycle after all.
Rest in what feels right and share the live that emerges 💐🙏💖
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“Rest in what feels right.” Thank you. ❤
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In recent times you have alluded to the need for structure, some semblance of order in your daily life. While we all were gainfully employed for many years, that very employment gave us the structure to build our day around. That is now gone, for most of us.
Is there a need for that structure? I have been writing journals (diaries in the olden days) most of my adult life. These were augmented by poetry and forays into the realm of short stories. Today I find that the haphazard approach to writing suits me better than feeling the need to write x number of pages, lines or words per day. That is me. When I reread weeks or even months later I realize that my journals are conversations with myself as I vent, discuss, rationalize or simply just feel the need to talk.
Others realize that daily writing of any kind is a soothing remedy to their daily routine. Whatever works, I suggest you try and not force yourself to do something that at this point in your life may cause you more stress than you need.
Focus on your sister, your family, the fast-approaching entry into your 70th decade. Allow the words to come when “they” want to be noted and you will be astonished at the outcome.
Your blogs are the outcome of your desire to share, to chat, to enlighten and to exchange thoughts and ideas. Allow each morning to channel how you will treat the day, and structure of any type could be an inhibitor.
Thinking of you as I sit in a hotel room in the GTA, sunshine poring through the window. I watch the planes come and go. My journal is beside me, pen at the ready but I prefer to bask in the warmth of the sun’s rays – not many of those days left before the onslaught of winter is upon us.
🦢
❤️
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What beautiful images of calm and serenity you paint with your words Iwona.
I sat down to my journal this morning and wrote my 3 pages – it’s interesting for me, when i’m not writing I know I’m avoiding. I used to joke that if my toilet is sparkly clean it means I’m avoiding writing. 🙂
And with the blog — that is true, that is why I do it and some mornings, I know I simply do not have it in me, or its not flowing so.. I let it go. Yet, when I start to write, if I allow mysself the grace of writing the first sentence, which sometimes begins with, “I don’t know what I want to write today…” I find the words flow effortlessly.
LOL — the creative process is so full of mystery, magic and wonder!
Enjoy your sojourn in the GTA. ❤
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LG,
You start this piece with: ‘In March 2007, I embarked on a journey as a blogger, committing to daily writing, seven days a week.’ … and as the person you’ve credited before with ‘getting you started’ … and after following you since then and reading so many of your postings, I’m happy to respond to your query about ‘habits’ from your readers.
The value of my ‘routine’ which includes writing every day is the foundation of much that is fundamental to my life. After nearly 21 years of the ‘daily writing’ on top of a long-standing love of routine (my recently diagnosed ADHD and a lot of the reading I’ve been doing – routine and adherence to it, seems a fairly common way of coping with the frequency of avoiding difficult things.
But, we all have to do ‘what works for us.’
Cheers,
Mark
p.s. – further to our chat the other day about your sister’s situation, whether she experiences recovery or passes – something stands out to me, is you are the ‘head of your family’; your parents, your brother, they’re gone, and you are the new matriarch. And you’ll soon become the lone survivor of your generation of your family – one who has written so often about the power of the moment, the path-change, and the taking/re-taking control of your life and your role, I’m looking forward to seeing what your return to the more frequent writing habit and sharing it with readers – because when you write, you do that to learn and to teach. We readers, in turn, learn from you.
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Thank you Mark. I am actually the youngest of three sisters. My other sister can’t fly right now as she has a blood clot in her leg – she had broken the knee cap in May – and then her wrist. Once she got the cast off her leg, she developed the clot and now, can’t fly. It’s even harder on her as she feels so far away and even more helpless.
And thanks for the pointers on routine and consistency — all true! ❤
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