Remove Yourself

Lunch at Kauffman Memorial Garden in KC

About 6 weeks ago, I made the decision to stop eating lunch in the “break room”.   

I started thinking about how I could have the best lunch time, within about 30 minutes.

I decided on July 19th to remove myself permanently from the break room, and find a beautiful and quiet outdoor space to eat lunch each day.  I’ve been taking some pretty pictures too.
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Jacob Loose Park

​I’ve been on a journey this past year of discovery.  Discovery of what I really want.

What I didn’t realize when I began the journey, was just how many boxes I found myself in.

What I also didn’t realize was how entangled I’d become in other people’s responsibilities, and how tied I felt emotionally to their well-being.

Westwood Park

I’ve been seeing Barbara now for almost a year.

She tends to ask me questions, that I normally ask everyone else...all day long.

“What do you want, Maile?” Barbara asked me, just last week. We were talking about my work.

I just looked at her blank.  I didn’t have any words.

If you asked me last year (before I hurt my back), I would have had a strong answer.  It would have been directly tied to growing my training business and entrepreneurship.  

But this past year, I’ve allowed myself to do the minimum amount of work necessary, while I got back into healthy rhythms of self-care.
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Southmoreland Park

She started to grin at my silence…

“I just want the freedom to be myself” I said finally.

“What does that look like to you?” She asked.

“Keeping to the schedule I made for myself, that has what I want to be doing with my day.”

“And what percentage of the time are you currently following the schedule?” She asked.

“I’d say 85% of the time.”

Barbara grinned again. “Well I’d say that’s pretty good then, wouldn’t you?”

“Yes it is.”

Rose Garden - Loose Park

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If you are anything like me...you get caught up in the day and needs of other people.

Before long it’s been days since you last took a moment away to yourself.

But you must remove yourself from all of that noise and expectation…

So that you can reconnect to yourself.
So that you can think your own thoughts.
So that you can order your mind around your purpose for the day.
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​What if you removed yourself from your normal lunch location...and found an even better one?  
Let’s just start there and see what happens :)