But even though I made vows to myself that I would honor the time I gained and the lessons I learned during COVID, I find myself moving back into the frenzied rhythm of the "before times" much faster than I hoped I would. My schedule is packed with back to back meetings, and my time for reflection, strategic thinking and just being is nearly as limited as it was leading up to March
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Sit up straight…and other lessons
Instead, I went with a version of what I used to call my "signature Dayna Del Val" look: a sweater, simple skirt, tights and low-heeled boots because I was walking a mile to the lunch (incorporating exercise into your daily life is another great point of the book).
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2022, here we come!
What are your goals for 2022? What word or phrase resonates with you and why? If you're stuck on identifying a word, try this clarifying worksheet. As I said at the start of 2020, it might not feel like it's shedding light on anything immediately, but let it percolate a bit and see if you don't hear something when you read it out loud that inspires you.
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We’re day drinking all week long, and then this popped up. What a difference five years can make.
If alcohol is ruining your life or the life of someone you love, I implore you to get real about it and find help to overcome it. I promise you there is an abundance on the other side of drinking to excess. There can still be trips to fancy bars and fun holiday drinks to order. But there's also human connection, real engagement and a healthy, joyful life.
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My big takeaway from these last 365 days of disruption (and it’s got nothing to do with COVID)
But I didn't know, until I went back to read these old blog posts this morning, that I had started using the same words weeks before I left. I don't remember writing that phrase or even thinking that. And if I hadn't written it down in a place that I could go back to, it would just be lost to me. Maybe I wouldn't have been heard or understood the clear voice by the side of the field. Maybe the revelation wouldn't have even happened.
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Springtime despair
In many ways, I regret the surge of frantic energy around work, as if we have to make up for the past 15 months right now. RIGHT NOW! There is no making up for it. It was both a lost and a blessed period of time. I want to hold on to the gentle, quiet pace. My safe little bubble, where I joyfully lived for these past many months, is being forced open. I'm watching my hopes and dreams, routines and patterns dissipate out the open doors and windows, and try as I might, I'm afraid I'll never catch them and bring them back close to me again.