November is never how I think it will be

Or, rather. November is never how I want it to be. I want November to be slow, cozy, and filled with days of blankets + coffee + red wine. What inevitably happens, every single November, is that my daily life winds up just as my soul wants to slow down. So, it’s like some wacky attempt to align my life + my soul, everyday living + those dreary, dark November vibes. Not an easy task, my friends.

By the way, before I go any further, I want to give a great big shoutout to all of you who filled in my little survey on my last post. You guys are fucking awesome – and what fabulous feedback you have given me! I’ll leave the survey up throughout November, but come December, I’ll close it and get to work on analyzing what you’ve said + what my soul is calling me to create. THANK YOU!

Ok, back to November. As I was saying, this month has brought with it a busy-ness that always pops up this time of year. And I just don’t know how to face the weirdness that is late autumn/early winter. I can’t seem to figure it out.

But, maybe that’s exactly how it’s supposed to be. There’s no need to have a firm grip + total understanding of everything. Sometimes things just are. Life just is. And that’s totally fine + dandy. (Even if it messes with my mind).

But, seriously, these regular, unexplainable, weird times serve to teach me about acceptance. About being in the moment. And, most importantly, of what it really means to create a slow, mindful, wild + sacred life right smack dab in the middle of mundane, busy,  messy everyday life.

So, here’s the messy, beautiful, regular-ness of my everyday life. And, as always, as I look back on what’s been going on, I see that there is nothing regular, messy, or mundane about this life I lead. As we enter the holiday season + with Thanksgiving just 2 days away, I cannot help but let out a great, big, deep breath of gratitude + humility for the life I lead.

Lina + I started off the month with a Saturday trip to Stockholm. Just the two of us. For no other reason than to be together + enjoy the city.

It looks like this when I walk to work. It looks like this when I come home from work. The up side? It is coooooozy. The twinkling lights are going up all over the city + in peoples’ homes to ward off the darkness, or to brighten it up, and it’s just so gorgeous. Now… for some snow….
One weekend, Lina and I made a trip to Norrköping to visit Lina’s parents. No reason. Just to change scenery + to spend some time with them. Food, fires in the fireplace, sleep, a new brewery, family dinners, and of course, a little meltdown for me. I just had to let out a bunch of emotions, so I spent one whole day crying + moping + sitting with the heaviness. It felt like the darkness of the season just filled my soul, so I just needed to let it be there. So, I did.
As soon as we got home after the weekend, I turned around one day later + headed off to Stockholm for a two day conference with work. Turns out, it was super inspiring + interesting. It felt like we were in the hotel/conference center for a week, but at least it was well worth it, I think! I came home with new ideas + a some new things to focus on at work… things which are right up my slow living, mindful alley. I am totally determined to incorporate these things into my coaching/guidance work in schools. I have tried to sneak in, every now + then, time for my soul work. Oracle cards, meditation, writing, reading. Those moments have been few + far between, but I have carved them out when I can. Other days, I slow it down by simply being mindful + aware as I walk to work. And I light candles eeeeeeverywhere. That’s such a simple, symbolic thing for me.I’ve also stopped for take away coffee on the way home from work a couple of times. Walking with a hot piping cup of coffee in the dark afternoon is just so…. fantastic. It’s the little things, guys. It really is the little things.This is November in Sweden. Yep. The whole month long. The photo is snapped at work one day last week, I think. Speaking of snapping photos… that’s another way that I find the good + the beauty even in the dark, gray, dreary tones. There is always beauty… it’s just how we choose to see it.One. Day. Of. Sunshine. And. I. Was. Outside. In. It.Finally… a slow weekend with nothing to do. This past weekend Lina + I did not leave our home. In fact, we sat in bed all day long. Talking. Reading. Creating. Napping. Fixing meals + eating in bed. And then Sunday, we did almost the same thing. But, just puttered around the apartment a bit more. It was freaking heaven. And exactly what I needed.So, November is weird. Or so I thought. But, maybe it’s not. From now on, I’m gonna remember my lesson from this year: I simply must trust the regular, mundane, everyday life. For, while I may feel that way in the moment, it is most definitely not regular or mundane.

Life is whatever we choose to make it. And, the power of being present in the moment transforms every moment into something extraordinary. Looking back, even as the month has not ended yet, I can already see that through my current November moments. 

Acceptance. Presence. Trust. Mindfulness. This is how we navigate those confusing moments + how we re-align our lives even when they feel all wacky + jumbled up. This is how we seek to fill our souls right in the middle of the mess of everyday life.

And that, wild + sacred souls, is something for which we can give thanks. Happy regular Tuesday out there, lovelies.

xoxo. liz.