Your journal prompts this week:
When was the last time I was fully immersed in an experience/situation to the point that I was singularly focused on it for an extended period of time, and what was that experience like for me?
What activities or circumstances often lead me to completely lose track of time?
When I enter these times of complete immersion, are they joyful activities, one of obligation, or perhaps a combo of both?
For those things/activities that I can get immersed in and that bring me joy, how can I bring these more into my regular routine in a way that fuels and inspires me?
This week’s episode and essay is a little different because I’ll be honest, I completely forgot to write a new episode this week!
Forgetting something this major in my weekly routine is only something postpartum Marcy would do. Having a baby has completely thrown off my routines (and my ability to stick to any routines whatsoever). My first instinct is to beat myself up for this and feel bad about how much pre-baby Marcy could do versus what post-baby Marcy can do. But this week, I want to be kinder to myself and embrace that my pace is now slower—but it doesn’t mean I can’t still be creating. It doesn’t mean that what I do create, even if delayed, is any less valuable.
I’ve lost track of time this week because we decided, just a few weeks after moving to Arizona, to come back to California to visit my family. My sister, brother-in-law, and niece have a sweet elderly cat that we love and often watch when they are out of town, so when we got word they’d need a cat sitter for a few days, we naturally wanted to do it. And of course, we want to stay longer so that we can visit with them when they come home.
And seeing my little Carsey interact with them and her lita (my mom), is priceless. Even with so many others around to now watch little one for me while I do other things, I find myself hanging around to watch them all interact and enjoy each other’s company. It’s so easy to lose track of time in all the smiles, the giggles, and yes, even the baby tears.
Losing track of time and falling off the routines like this is something I would only rarely do pre-baby . . . and that’s not to say that this feels like a vacation. Traveling with a baby is a whole lot of work, but before baby, the only time I’d ever let myself get so submerged and lost in caring about (or for) one thing was when it was a major work project, like a conference. It’s hard to believe that that was the bar before this, that that was all that was worthy of getting my complete, focused attention. And all in the name, really, of getting paid, cause it’s not like I did that for fun!
When I was a kid I could get lost in my own creative projects and ideas, but that has mostly fallen away as an adult, and if I do lose myself in creative projects, I catch myself before it goes too far. But oh, I do miss those times as a kid when I could spend hours creating!
So this week, I’m giving you some journal prompts to allow yourself to explore what makes you lose track of time and how often you get that opportunity.
As always, feel free to share below! If you’d like, I will pull an Oracle or Tarot card to offer you additional insight.
With much love and gratitude,
Marcy
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