Yesterday, I settled into the blessedness of a meeting-free 9 to 5 workday. Don’t get me wrong. Meetings are oftentimes essential to what I do. In fact, there are actually times when I look forward to partaking in them.
This past Tuesday, however, I attended five meetings in the span of
eight hours. One of them was quite
welcome: a local Zonta Board meeting, where I gathered, at lunch time, with like-minded
femmes to address the advancement of women (locally and worldwide).
My previous meeting was 9 to 5 related, took place offsite, ended only an
hour earlier, and had lasted over two hours. Arriving back in the office to address various odds and ends before
my noontime meeting, I made sure I grabbed my ritual cup of tea (which I am
glad to report I sipped mindfully while I worked!).
Arriving at my Board meeting, I informed my fellow Zontians
that I could only stay for about 40 minutes as I had to get back in time to conduct a public meeting. Several nodded in total understanding. One club mate shared with me that she, too, had to leave
early in order to attend another meeting.
We laughed, shared stories, and conducted meaningful business.
Several women arrived late. And…yes, you got it! They, too, were fresh out of (drum
roll, please) other meetings. One latecomer friend stood in front of her chair and said, “I just need to take a deep breath before I sit down.” I
encouraged her to take several!
Yes, the day was a bit action packed (for many of us it
seems). Nevertheless, it was a
good one.
Tapping into my breath to ground myself, in conjunction with other simple strategies such as needed breaks (e.g. tea!), ensures I am more fully present in each given moment. This equates to me not worrying (quite as much) about where I have been, or which direction I’m headed in next (beyond making sure I do make it to where I need to go in a timely fashion, of course). It also makes for things not seeming quite as complicated or challenging as they might actually be—which is fabulous in my estimation! That busy day, I was taking deep breaths and giving myself needed care along the way. It all made a difference in how the day resulted.
Tapping into my breath to ground myself, in conjunction with other simple strategies such as needed breaks (e.g. tea!), ensures I am more fully present in each given moment. This equates to me not worrying (quite as much) about where I have been, or which direction I’m headed in next (beyond making sure I do make it to where I need to go in a timely fashion, of course). It also makes for things not seeming quite as complicated or challenging as they might actually be—which is fabulous in my estimation! That busy day, I was taking deep breaths and giving myself needed care along the way. It all made a difference in how the day resulted.
On a separate, yet related, matter… The photo above is from my
planner/calendar on August 21 (the infamous meeting day I noted above). On
the right hand side of the page (dedicated for notes, etc.) was a quote from Norwegian
diplomat Gro Harlem Brundtland, “Women power is a formidable force.” When I think about my lunchtime meeting—why
we gathered—how we supported each other amidst our meeting-packed lives—I know we women do own the capacity to be a formidable force!
Joy & peace, T.
