The Rhythm of Life
In anticipation of my upcoming online course, I’ve been focusing much of my attention on life’s rhythms. The course is called Restoring Life’s Rhythms and will assist participants in resetting their patterns to create peace and purpose. To that end, I have begun to delve deeply into the concept of rhythm…what is it and why we need it in our lives?
Rhythm is integral to the way we live. It is everywhere around us….It is how we make sense of surroundings. We see rhythm in design, in our bodies, in the way we celebrate and how our history unfolds. From the granular to the grandiose, rhythm is present. Life rhythms are a part of how we view our time.
Our modern way of living lacks the boundaries that used to exist in prior generations. In years past, we did not have access to information and tools that we have today. Our work schedules were confined to a nine to five routine. Our connections happened over a phone call or in person. We had to watch a show at the exact time it came on.
Now, we have access to each other at all times via our cell phones and virtual communications. We can stream most any program on our own schedules. We have an abundance of news and information at our fingertips. We live in a microwave generation and are used to having things instantly. With that comes great freedom, however, sometimes these freedoms can become overwhelming. We have tended to respond by living faster lives. The question is, are these lives as effective as they could be?
Several years ago, the talk was all about living in balance…finding the balance of work and life. At some point, it became clear that maintaining perfect balance is unattainable. Our next evolution is to learn how to create the rituals and boundaries that give peace. It takes an intentional approach with a focus on a few key elements. The most important of those is the practice of reflecting on what works and what does not.
This would involve curating a new version of success and pausing to give yourself room to breathe. It is this part that I find most challenging. The allure of rapid-fire living is tempting even though I know that adjusting my pace will have more positive long-term effects.
Our lives over the last year have not exactly had the rhythms we like best. On the one hand, we have seen momentous change in every direction. On the other hand, each day remains the same. We have not been able to engage and connect in our normal rituals. As we look forward over the next few months, we hope that more people are vaccinated and cases of the virus go down. When that happens, we will begin to reassemble our lives in new ways. Understanding the concept of rhythm will be invaluable. If you wish to enhance your knowledge, join our group!