Week Seven: When did you stop dancing?

I was hoping no one would notice that I missed the last 3 weeks, that everyone else was just as busy as I have been.  And it seemed to have worked for awhile, until my conscious woke me up and reminded me to finish my job.  It’s so easy to start things, and to keep them going for a little.  It’s the finishing that I am notoriously challenged by.  So I have vowed to finish the last two weeks of this book.  The next chapter “When Did You Stop Dancing” starts with a wonderful reminder of the ‘exhaustion funnel’.

Does this sound familiar?  Your life is so busy and you realize you need to focus on the “important” things.  So we narrow our focus to the task at hand, often at the loss of doing things for ourselves.  We then still have the work to do, but aren't getting the nourishment we need.  Our energy is all getting sucked out

and nothing is coming back in.  We end up being spit out at the end of the tunnel, exhausted and drained.


The authors of the book encourage you to make a list of all the things you do in a typical day and classify them as either nourishing or draining.  Then become aware of what the balance is and how it leaves you feeling at the end of the day.

The second assignment in the chapter is summarized in this quote “When you feel tired, unhappy, stressed or anxious, waiting until you feel motivated may not be the wisest course of action.  You have to put the action first.

When mood is low, motivation follows action, rather than the other way around.  When you put the action first, motivation follows” (pg 229)

So this week’s homework (click here for printable sheet):

Use this chart to classify nourishing vs draining activites.

Make a list of things you can do when motivation is low – a list of things you can do to be kind to your body and a list of enjoyable activities you can do.

Practice 2 meditations of your choice from the recordings for a total of 20-30 minutes 6 days this week.

Practice the breathing space exercise 2 times a day.

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