Each month our Brilliance-Based Blog Panel shares their perspectives on questions I pose to benefit Brilliance-Based Businesswomen. I invite you to add to the dialogue by commenting below. Today’s question:
As Brilliance-Based Businesswomen, how do you find time for emotional, mental, and physical stillness?
Stefanie Frank – Initiative Based Writing®
Stillness comes easily to me – it finds its way naturally into my schedule. In the 3+ years since deciding to become an entrepreneur I’ve recognized that building my Brilliance-Based Business requires stillness. When I don’t have it, things get hard and I get cranky!
Here’s how I do it:
- There is always “white space” in my calendar that I use to recharge in a number of ways throughout the day:
- A nap
- Time out to watch comedy reruns and laugh (Scrubs and Three’s Company are my current choices)
- My spiritual practice
I was raised to be in stillness whether I wanted to or not. During the summers my mother would enforce a “quiet time” rule where my brothers and I had to go off to our separate spaces and do something “quiet” for an hour. No TV, no talking in loud voices.
While I hated it at the time I now see it as a huge blessing and critical component of my own self-care. My mother’s influence and compassionate discipline ensured that I can thrive in a six figure business and embrace the stillness.
Bryn Johnson – Bryn Johnson Consulting
HOW?
Not well.
WHERE?
Nowhere in particular — which is part of the problem.
So it begs the next question…
WHY?
Answer: Ever since I was a little girl, I have had this feeling that I was going to miss something. Not that I would be excluded or that I just needed to get “one more thing” done, but that something remarkable was about to happen and if I rested- if I slept- I would miss it.
This has morphed itself into my adulthood as a woman who prided herself as only needing 4 to 5 hours sleep. For DECADES. When in reality, I spent decades depleted of brain power, requiring refueling at every turn, dying from the inside out with adreanal glands that were shot and completely unable to stop spinning.
In recent years, I have addressed these issues many times by committing to healthier eating, taking long walks in Central Park, and getting much more sleep. But “stillness” is elusive.
So in the past week, I made a bold move. I cancelled my cable. Opening up time to be still. Time to read and knit. Time to sit quietly and pet my kitties. It is still new but I have high hopes for this new commitment.
Heather Dominick – EnergyRICH®
I intentionally create the space at the start of my day, every day, to set intentions, get clear on priorities and manage my energy. I use my EnergyRICH® Energy management tools like scripting my day: literally writing out what I would like my day, or a prospect meeting, or a project, to BE and FEEL like (focusing on the feelings I want to feel in each situation, project, and opportunity). These moments of stillness are what create a balanced state of energy to serve me throughout my whole day. BEing in a balanced energy state changes everything about what I am able to create through my business.
I’ve come to really understand the value in taking time to be still; to rest, relax and rejuvenate. Being still gives me the space for the inspired ideas (from the Universe!) to be heard and then moved into manifestation.
Being still is also the time where I consciously align and activate my energies so that more of what I want comes into being.
This is where my divine creativity gets fed.
I check in with my clients…think you don’t have time to be still? Think again. Your success depends upon it.
Jennifer Zwiebel – A Place of Joy®
It’s an excellent question, and I have to say it’s been a challenge for me. I know what a difference it makes, and that it’s probably essential to being grounded and clear and to creating what you want for yourself, and yet I still let a million things get in the way of practicing stillness.
Two things that help me are (1) taking it out of my hands, and (2) redefining stillness.
Taking it out of my hands means taking myself out of my home, away from the distractions of my computer, phone, dirty dishes, and anything else that beckons when I try to quiet my mind and give myself some space. It means going to a meditation class or getting a massage. It’s about acknowledging that this is a challenge for me right now, and then giving myself permission to depend on something outside of myself to help make it happen.
Redefining stillness comes from understanding that what I seek from stillness is to be present, and I am most present when I’m with my kids. I often still have to work to bring my mind back to the moment, but there are long stretches of lolling around on the bed with the kids climbing on top of me, or of staring into my baby’s eyes, during which I am more alive, more aware, and more amazed than I’ve ever been. And in those moments that dissolve like cotton candy, it is my heart that stands still, and I find what I’m seeking.
Are you finding time for stillness in your life? To be a successful Brilliance-Based Businesswoman, you absolutey need it. If you’re feeling overwhelmed and would like a step-by-step process for getting your joy and energy back, email us to arrange a brief one-on-one chat, my gift to you.
Stefanie Frank is an entrepreneur, triathlete, and lawyer who lives, works and trains in southern Nevada. She writes website copy and content for lawyers, business coaches, and service professionals who own small businesses.
Stef creates continuity between what her clients want to achieve profit-wise and what readers of the content want and need to receive in order to buy.
She also helps clients put together and use solid professional service agreements that help build lasting client relationships.
Stef is currently training for Ironman Boise 70.3 and the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Henderson, Nevada. Learn about Stef’s business: http://initiativebasedwriting.com/ and follow her training: http://ramblingbydesign.blogspot.com/
Jennifer Zwiebel is the founder of A Place of Joy®: Inspired Organizing, Systems and Solutions for Business, Home & Life. Jennifer specializes in helping creative individuals move from overwhelm to clarity, clear out their inner and outer space, and design solutions that bring ease, joy and prosperity to their businesses and lives!
Discover the secret that’s been transforming lives everywhere, one miracle at a time: www.aplaceofjoy.com
Heather Dominick, EnergyRICH(r) Entrepreneur Success and Master Coach, is the creator of the EnergyRICH(r) Entrepreneur Success System and EnergyRICHcoach.com, a company devoted to teaching healers, coaches and heart-centered entrepreneurs around the world how to partner Universal Energetic Principles with practical step-by-step “How-To’s” to joyfully make more money in your business so you can better serve the world.
Through her EnergyRICH(r) Entrepreneur Success System, Private Mentor Coaching Programs, and products, Heather shows her students how to transcend lower-level energies like fear and doubt to be able to build their business from a place of serving, joy and abundance. Get started right away with your free EnergyRICH® Success CD: http://www.energyrichcoach.com
Bryn Johnson spent 20 years in Corporate America as a passionate leader of high-performing teams and endless multi-million dollar projects. ONE of her many secrets for success? Her ability to take complicated, often impossibly overwhelming information, and to quickly make it simple and fun. She is now bringing that same passion for planning and collaboration, along with her laser-focused implementation strategies, to her clients and broader online community. Visit Bryn at http://www.brynjohnson.com.
Hi Debra and brilliant beautiful panel..
I am a fan of stillness.. always have been. An introvert at heart i need a lot of quiet and stillness to create. I get it by morning meditations daily, spending time outside in my beautiful country yard daily.. just looking at the birds and the bees (we have bees for honey! plus lots of other bees that visit).. I sit on our back steps with my dogs and watch. It grounds me and creates space for everything else. I am also a lover of looking out windows. Very lucky to have lots of nature here to look at.. peaceful and pretty.
love your blog Debra..
xox
Lisa
My recent post Beautiful Juice Fast Detox Day 5- It’s More Than the Weight
Lisa, thanks for coming by my blog and taking the time to comment! Sounds like you have a rich stillness practice (plus the regular buzz buzz buzz sounds to enjoy). 🙂
Ladies – thanks so much for sharing. I took a walk a couple of weeks ago and it dawned on me that was the first time I had been alone with myself; in months. No laptop, no music, no kids, no work – no FACEBOOK. It felt great and I determined to make it happen more and have done so. If you are never still how can you create? There is too much noise for anything to break through!
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Yes! Creativity and silence are most certainly linked!
My recent post Voice of Vulnerability
Dorethia this is so true. If there's anything I've learned to trust over the last 3.5 years being in business it's my need for stillness. For a long time I thought it held me back. What a relief to know that's not true!
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I love this post. My stillness come in spurts, when I make my 15 meditation in the morning a no matter what…
and I used to be the human "doer" vs. the human being too, so I can relate. I find that the deeper I get into my work, I need the quiet time, the stillness to be able to really serve them, and in turn it feeds me.
Claire, I too find that the deeper my work the more quiet time I need. Thanks for helping me to notice that.
My recent post Voice of Vulnerability
I would love to reach a plane of stillness but it has always eluded me. As soon as I empty my mind other thoughts come rushing in. My brain seems to be a vacuum. The closest I can come to escaping my thoughts is by reading a book and having being filled with someone else's.
It's about progress, not perfection. 🙂
My recent post Brilliance-Based Blog Panel: Finding Time for Stillness
This is an interesting concept and I've been trying to work on giving myself five minutes of meditation a day, but it's hard. I think for me the hardest is having three kids at three different age ranges 16, 10 and 2 so when I'm not with one of them I feel like I have to be doing something…anything to take advantage of the time not focused on them.
Kim – I totally agree that kids, love mine as I do, are a big distraction from quiet. Just remember that meditation is doing something – for you! Reminds of the quote I have in my family room: "Don't just do something, sit there!"
My recent post Brilliance-Based Blog Panel: Finding Time for Stillness
Thank you for sharing these lovely post. I will definitely going to try to practice more stillness, it's kinda hard when you feel that you need to be at 5000rpm everyday, but we do need to slow down and be aware on what is going on around us.
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Thanks for commenting, Carla!
My recent post Brilliance-Based Blog Panel: Finding Time for Stillness
Stillness is still new to me… I feel restless and anxious if I sit / lie still. But I have found my stillness more recently while swimming. It is my sanctuary – to find that rhythm of breathing and moving and rolling and exhaling. To glide through the water without disrupting the water surface, finding my body’s balance in the water and breathing. I let all my mental chatterbox go, and rock myself back and forth – and come out of the water – refreshed. Baby steps, I suppose. Hopefully I can find myself the resolve to get there on land !
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Sara I love that you find stillness in swimming. Moving through the water is a very powerful feeling.
This is a beautiful reminder of why I love to swim. Haven't done it in a long time, and now I remember why I need to get back in a pool. My favorite one is at my college alma mater. They actually have speakers underwater so that as you swim you hear soothing music!
My recent post Brilliance-Based Blog Panel: Finding Time for Stillness
I can really relate to Bryn because I have always felt that if I slowed down, I would miss something huge! I have the hardest time sitting still in the silence because my mind just starts screaming at me – and it is not very nice about it! The past few years I have been doing Yoga because this amazing teacher talks during the practise and I just focus on her positive messages. The results for me have been increased focus and less stress. This post has inspired me to challenge myself to try again. Maybe I am ready, finally, in my life, to just be quiet….
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So can I. I didn't start sleeping for 7-9 hours/night until I turned 40. Next step from there was to be quiet in my waking hours. What a difference it's made in my life.
My recent post Brilliance-Based Blog Panel: Finding Time for Stillness
Great advice. I really struggle with finding time to be still more than 5 minutes. I don't know how you were still for an hour growing up! Kudos to your mom for teaching you the importance of being still. I'm working hard to get better at it.
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Like you, Tamara, I'm so impressed by Stef's mom. Imagine if we could do this for all our children!