I had high hopes of being able to come up with some valuable tips each week worthy of a blog post, but it appears that what I’m really good at is starting fires rather than putting them out. I seem to have much experience in hindsight and not much in avoiding the problem altogether. It would be great if I could at least share with you the wisdom gleaned from failure, but alas, it sometimes takes me several failures to finally learn from my own mistakes.
Recently, I stumbled on Tales from a Gypsy Mama, a wonderful blog written by Lisa-Joe Baker. Each Friday, she hosts something called “Five Minute Fridays.” She provides one word to focus on for five minutes. I set a timer and write about whatever comes to mind in those five minutes and then share with her community. The rule is to not overly edit while writing and not write past the five minutes. The first week I participated, I felt panicked. I think I spent more time watching the timer than actually writing. The second time I focused more on the writing than on the timer and by the third week, I ran to my computer to see what was the focus word. It also became a relief to set the timer, to know that there was a distinct beginning and end to this quiet time.
The whole process has taught me the importance of carving out even the smallest amount of time for myself. It has taught me that there are moments in each of our days that it is okay to make ourselves the priority, if even for a mere five minutes. I got to be alone with my thoughts, and ironically, the thing I thought of most consistently was this neglected blog.
The truth is I don’t have tips to share. I have just my life to share, and hopefully that is enough. I’m a mother, a wife, a home school teacher, a dreamer, and a struggling artist who makes a lot of mistakes. I understand the energy drain of balancing mental and physical health. I’ve been at the end of my rope, tied a knot and hung on for dear life many times.
So instead of tips, I offer you time. I offer you Ten Minutes on Tuesdays.
What can you do with 10 minutes?
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