When things fall a part, they also have a way of falling together

As I sit down to write this , my coffee is warming on the stove and my sweet little family is hanging out in the room next door. It’s still dark out, and the Christmas tree lights are glowing up the house.

As 2022 comes to a close, I am overwhelmed by a deep sense of gratitude for all of the paths I’ve traveled, the people I’ve met, and the realizations I’ve had. It’s been a big year.

But this has not been a year of rainbows and unicorns.

We lost my husband’s mom, and I had a miscarriage. I spent the majority of the year sick with one preschool illness after another. As interest rates climbed and uncertainty grew, my husband’s award-winning real estate company came to a complete standstill.

It’s always been funny to me (and not in a ha ha way) that when things fall a part, they also have a way of falling together.

I’ve been contemplating Aparigraha, a Yama in Patanjali’s Eight Limbs of Yoga.

Apariagraha is the teaching of non-grasping, of letting go, of non-attachment. Apariagraha is the quintessential “do your best and let the rest go”.

I have historically been a grasping, anxiety-fueled “doer” who has run on adrenaline, fear and lack. It won’t surprise you to learn that that path left me exhausted, frustrated, depressed and struggling with my health.

Doesn’t more = more?

When things fall a part, they also have a way of falling together.

One of the greatest gifts of this time has been an in-my-bones realization of the exquisite magic of R & R.

This has not been a year where I’ve had unlimited hours to get all the things done on my to do list. As a matter of fact, time has needed to shrink into little pockets of maximized productivity.

While I’ve prioritized rest, my business tripled in size, and I don’t think that’s a coincidence.

I’m currently reading the book “Do Less: A Revolutionary Approach to Time and Energy Management for Ambitious Women” by Kate Northrup.

I’ve spent the last few months creating my newest program – The Hormone Healing Program – and one of my clients recommended “Do Less” as a resource on the power of rest, productivity and hormone balance.

Getting enough rest has been heralded as the cure for everything from anxiety, to overeating, to hormonal imbalances. And, I’m discovering it’s also my key to improved productivity.

Please don’t mistake this as being indicative that I’ve figured this R & R thing out. I have not. Rest does not come easily to me, but I’m allowing it and that’s the best I can do.

I know that I’m not alone in this struggle. The #1 most common topic I discuss with my clients is how they’re juggling a million different thing, and it’s hard to find time every day to take care of themselves in a meaningful way.

As we look into 2023, I hope you’ll join me in setting aside the traditional “work out 7 days per week and eat white fish and broccoli” resolutions.

Instead, I hope this season brings you quiet pockets of R & R where the to do list gets done somehow, some way, and you are able to sink into your breath, let go and enjoy the beauty around you.

As I close out 2022, please know that YOU are the top of my gratitude list. Your presence on this newsletter and in my life is a gift I don’t take lightly.

Working with you lights up my world, inspires me, and has helped me through this year.

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About me

About Ishbel

For the last twenty years, I have helped people take charge of their health and feel better. I have been in your shoes - sick, tired, and overwhelmed by how to actionably care for myself. If you want to feel better, but don't know where to start, you've come to the right place. Learn More >

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