Slowdown Series: September 2018 Edition

This slowdown series is a container for my sporadic, beautifully random thoughts and inspirations. So here’s the story of a small way in which I’ve been growing and honoring my needs. A little background on my inspiration and the cyclical nature of my passions.

Hopefully this will give you a feeling of freedom to follow your whims. To stop ignoring those nudges.

Podcast Obsessed

For the past year and a half, I’ve been completely engrossed in personal development and learning. I’ve always been obsessed with learning, but recently I’ve been taking this to the next level. I’m talking constantly streaming podcasts, reading books, deep conversations and chats. Almost all of my free time has been dedicated to learning and growth.

It’s been so great. Learning fuels me. I have a voracious appetite for knowledge and wisdom. I want to know everything and really understand how humans and our universe work. So when I discovered podcasts a year and a half ago, I went nuts. I listened to them my entire commute, while cooking, walking the dog, exercising, cleaning…any spare second I had, I was listening.

I learned so, so much. I learned about personal development, digital marketing, business, spirituality, relationships, you name it. Then all of a sudden, my brain had had enough.

Back to the Music

During my little podcast frenzy, I almost completely stopped listening to music. If I had headphones or a speaker on, it was playing a podcast. Music didn’t capture my attention like podcasts were. I would truly feel into the podcasts and was enchanted with what I was learning. Podcasts keep my very active, very quick-moving brain semi-occupied.

Even though I’ve spend my entire life engrossed by music, I didn’t judge this brief departure. Music has served me so well throughout my life, and I knew the time would come for us to reunite organically.

Our interests and needs are cyclical. My mission with this blog is to help you truly understand that.

No more guilt or overanalyzing why you like this or why you don’t wanna do that. Just let it flow. What is meant to be in this season of your life will be.

The Transition

So, for a year and a half I just rolled with this podcast obsession. Then I got a migraine. All of a sudden, the thought of hearing someone yap information at me felt unbelievably overwhelming. Even after my migraine had subsided, my brain made it very clear that it just couldn’t take in large streams of knowledge like that for a while. So just like that, I’m back to the music.

Music feels so good in my body and soul right now. In fact, I think taking a break like that helped re-ignite my passion for music. I’m no longer passively listening, but rather I’m truly feeling the music on a visceral level. I’m feeling the beat, taking in the lyrics, and connecting to the poetry of the artist.

Go With the Flow

When we intentionally commit to allowing things to just be as they are, we open up space for magic to enter. When I allowed my podcast obsession to run its course naturally, I experienced great results. I learned an unbelievable amount about topics that give me life, and I also reinforced to myself that I don’t need to force things that don’t feel right in the moment. If music isn’t serving me today, there’s no need to listen to it just because that’s what I’ve always done.

Now I have a ton of new knowledge, and a fresh new appreciation for the music that has been such an integral part of me. It’s important to honor our past but also remain open and willing to allow in new interests.

Questions for You to Think On

1. What new hobbies/passions do you want to try?
2. How can you make space for this new passion?
3. Are any of your hobbies no longer serving you?
4. What activities do you do purely out of routine?
5. Are you judging yourself for changing your mind/ having too many new hobbies?
6. Where could you go with the flow and show yourself grace?
7. What’s one small thing you could change up to today? Mix it up a bit!