You probably recognize yourself in the feeling that your energy goes up and down over a day, over a month, over a year and over different phases of life. We are cyclical beings, we are not meant to be in constant high energy. But many of us have created lives based on that principle; go, go go! Thank goodness we have nights, weekends and holidays, but is that enough? When we now create the “new normal” together, what do we want to create then?
I’m really curious about human behavior and how crazy it often is. Say Christmas, for example. As it gets darker and colder up here in the north, many people increase the pace of work and their private life. We really pump the gas in December with social events, Christmas gift shopping, deadlines at work and then, when we’ve driven really hard, for really long, the crescendo of three hyper social days of relatives, friends, food, celebrations and traveling. My intention is not to put down Christmas, it’s just to point to a phenomenon that for many is not completely in line with the body’s needs.
“Just because it’s normal does not mean it’s not insane.”
– Eckhart Tolle
Many women experience major shifts in energy, depending on where in the menstrual cycle they are. But the days often go on, at the same pace, regardless. Monday to Friday, 9-5 and home, activities and events in addition to that. What would happen if we could adapt life more based on our bodies and their needs? Not because the body is weak and needs to rest constantly, but because it carries wisdom about when and how we are our best selves. When creativity is there, when the life force is flowing, when introspection is needed for new perspectives, when we need to take care of ourselves and when we have more than enough to give.
It can be difficult to even think about the idea in the boxed societal norms that many of us live in. But what if we have more freedom to influence than we think, when we take responsibility for what we can in the matter? Maybe say no to social activities the first days of menstruation? Or go to bed a little extra early during the darkest months of winter? Postpone that creative task to when the energy is there?
I experience a lot of resistance in myself when I don’t have the energy to push as I think everyone around me does. Still, I know that my energy and creativity go in waves. At times, I have access to a free flow of creativity and creation and energy over to others. In other periods, I need to go inward and live slower to bring myself home. What if I didn’t make that wrong? What if it applies to all of us?
What would happen if you raised the conversation in your family or with your colleagues? Do you usually talk about this? Can we help each other take of ourselves, each other and our bodies? What would be possible if we stopped going against what feels natural to us? What would it look like if we lived more intuitively and aligned with nature?
I don’t think we need to go back to being nature people to live more in sync with our own and the nature around us? There are new ways to do it. And small shifts can make a big difference in the life energy we experience and the well-being we can create. If you really asked yourself the question; what do I need right now? What answer would come then? And if you focus on what you can actually influence in your life, what would you change then? What conversations do you need to have? Who do you need to ask for support from? What small steps can you take in that direction?
It’s okay to be human. Or, we actually don’t really have a choice, we are human. What would happen if we stopped pretending we’re not. Humans need rest and recovery, as well as energy and creativity. When she gets the right conditions to be exactly what she came here to be, she, the human being, together with others of the same kind, can create so many beautiful, creative solutions and well-being for herself and others. That’s the modern society I want to be part of and co-create, in harmony with the ebb and flow of life.
What does this text evoke in you? I’m so curious to hear!