It’s 7am on a Saturday morning, and per usual I am holding on to whatever last seconds of sleep my son will let me get before he succumbs to barging in my room. When I think of my son, I see my inner child at work— or even better at play. How is it that he seems to have the most exhilarating weekend, even while making zero plans? How is it that he literally finds joy in whatever is on the schedule? Besides the fact that I’m his manager, how is it that he does the absolute least but also ends up doing the absolute most? That type of freedom — that type of artful living, is seductive.
It’s been a little minute because:
Life can get Messy
If you’re anything like me, maybe you’re realizing you’re just going to be chronically two weeks behind despite putting so much effort and intention into your schedule. I’ve had a daily planner consistently since the 5th grade. And while organization and structure has definitely been a strength, at times it can also be an axe — cutting down the natural flow of life. When life gets messy, maybe you need to get rid of the plans. For us overachievers out there who tend to over plan, what if we finally rode the rollercoaster of life and went with the flow. Some days I contemplate completely doing away with scheduling. Perhaps that would allow for fully embracing life with curiosity. When you are hyper focused or locked in as they say, you sometimes forget that there are other places, people, or concepts out there to explore.
Your Inner Child Wants to Play
When is the last time you had fun? Not the type of fun that has to be scheduled 6 weeks out, but instead a natural and organic fun that blossoms throughout the day. The type of fun where you wake up like you’re on vacation (without an itinerary) and ask yourself “What shall we do today?” Those days are truly the best because they take on a life of their own. And more importantly, you give yourself permission to play. Playfulness is a great gateway, and some may argue the only gateway, to creativity. When we allow ourselves to seize the day, we make room for new possibilities.
Rest allows you to Receive
When you are well rested you have time to listen. When you start to listen, you not only hear what’s on the outside, but you start playing closer attention to what’s on the inside too. There’s a whole universe inside of you waiting to be discovered. The Creative Book of Revelations tells us to remember that the rest of our bodies still exists. Sometimes overworking the mind sets us up to miss cosmic signs or never truly realize our inner wisdom, which reemerges after periods of rest.
If you’re still debating on whether or not you should take a break or different approach, then:
Watch Wanderlust
Catch the full episode of Wanderlust Episode 1 Rio de Janeiro here.
Wanderlust marks my return to you as both the artist and the muse. Wanderlust with Love Nafi is a cinematic travel series where storytelling, healing, culture, and self-discovery unfold through the eyes of a free-spirited and cosmopolitan Black woman (yours truly). In the first episode we explore what it means to get your groove back, along with wellness and Afro-identity within the Brazilian landscape.
This Week’s Homework
Do a body scan. What do you notice? What speaks to you? If you gave your body a voice, what would it say?
Watch Wanderlust in full on your TV or computers, and click 4k quality on the video settings. If you enjoyed it- it means a lot when you let me know; please like, comment, and subscribe to my channel.
Ways You Can Support:
Work with me to bring your vision to life, creative or holistic.
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Watch Wanderlust Episode 1 Rio de Janeiro.
Join The Other Side of Success community.
In spirit of staying true to self, and no matter how messy it seems, when inspiration calls Love Nafi responds. Lately I’ve been feeling the calling to transition from The Other Side of Success to Live Creative(ly). Same vibes but even more of reimagining success creatively. Let me know your thoughts.
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Website: www.lovenafi.com
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How do you plan to do less? Comment below.