Several months ago, I read a blog post by Chelsea Dinsmore of Live Your Legend that she posted shortly after the tragic passing of her husband, Scott Dinsmore. In it she talks about trying to regain her footing –on every level of her being – by taking a few days to go on a personal retreat after her late husband’s tribute. While on this retreat, she set an intention to find balance between Creating, Connecting and Consuming. Chelsea defines the three as follows:
- Creating – writing , thinking, feeling
- Connecting – with people and with the natural world
- Consuming – reading
After finishing this post (you can check it out here), I knew I had to add this view of balance to my life. And I cringed when I thought about what that would mean; in order to integrate Creating, Connecting, and Consuming, I would have to commit to change.
Doing the easy things in life are just that – easy. But it’s when we push ourselves outside our comfort zones, that’s when the real magic occurs. For me, this meant more Connecting. As an introverted creative person I like to make things, work with ideas, and read – I love to Create and Consume – usually alone. What I don’t always feel energized to do is Connect. And Connecting is something I feel most rewarded by when I do it in person. In order to grow myself I knew I had to get out and GO: go socialize with new people, join groups doing activities I enjoyed, and spend time networking with new potential friends and business partners.
So far, I’ve stayed committed to Connecting and along the way have met some wonderful new friends. I do this in a way that feels authentic, not forced, and that’s made all the difference. I still have to monitor my energy levels sometimes, but focusing on a better balance of Creating, Connecting, and Consuming has brought new and much needed changes and enjoyment to my life.
So take a few minutes today and ask yourself the following about how you are balancing Create, Connect and Consume:
- What are you creating? Do you have a vision for what you’d like your life to be? Do you journal or blog? How can you create more with your words and your mind?
- How are you connecting? Are you getting out and meeting people in person? Do you spend time outside each day other than walking to and from the parking lot at work? How can you connect more to others and the larger world?
- What are you consuming? What do you read and why do you read it? How does what you read help you learn more about yourself? How can what you read inspire you to create and connect more?
