The Tree That Bears the Most Fruit

I am busy preparing for my interview with Deb Sturgess as part of her Virtual Telesummit starting on Friday. Deb wanted to create something to help people in difficult circumstances…and she came up with a virtual conference with 20 speakers (including myself) for $25 dollars! Awesome! This is such a great price, it’s ridiculous! She has some really fantastic people speaking on all sorts of subjects. Why don’t you come and join us? Sign up at www.createyournow.com.

I’ll be being interviewed by Deb on Monday night (UK Time) on the subject of ‘Setting yourself up for success’ – I’m looking forward to it immensely. Let me know if you’re going to be there. And if you are interested in some one to one time creating your now, I have 2 coaching slots up for grabs in October – simply send me an e-mail to find out more and book a time for us to have a chat. (no hard sell – this is just a call to check we get on and I can help you!)

– The Tree That Bears Most Fruit –

I was watching a program at the weekend about the bumper apple crop here in the UK. Apparently the apple trees have gone bananas…as it were. Why? According to the expert, the trees have done so well this year because we had a proper winter. Because it was so cold, the trees had a month or two to be completely dormant, to hibernate if you like. They fully rested for a time, and because of that rest, they were ready to burst into fruit at harvest time. And this got me thinking.

When was the last time you were completely dormant? When was the last time you really rested? I was trying to think myself…and I couldn’t really remember! At weekends I am busily going from place to place, I often end up doing a little work, and although I usually have a lie in, I wouldn’t say I am completely dormant. Of course, I am not a tree. And it is not possible for me to just do nothing for months. I’d get bored for a start. But even when I’m not working, I’m not really resting – I’m walking the dog, mowing the lawn, cleaning, tidying, going out, doing, doing, doing. No wonder I am not having a spectacular harvest of fruit!

I haven’t been able to get this thought out of my head. This idea of being completely dormant, totally rested so that you can create sensational results. I can see it, can’t you? After a holiday, we are more able to cope with life. After we have rested, our minds are clearer, our bodies ready to go again, our enthusiasm restored, we are rejuvenated. But we don’t rest much. Life in 2010 doesn’t really lend itself to any rest time. Dogs, cats, kids, jobs, computers, social lives, friends and family all conspire to keep us busy doing non-stop. No wonder most of us are frazzled instead of dazzling.

My interview with Deb on Monday is going to be about taking care of ourselves so that we can give our best in any given situation. And this idea of proper, dormant, down-time is a big part of that. If the last time you really had some down-time is ‘I can’t remember’ ago, perhaps it’s time to take that time? I know it’s not easy…but it’s worthwhile. Everyone benefits when you are rested. When you are on the go constantly, you become sluggish, short- tempered, irritable, cantankerous and sniippy. Well, I do anyway! Often we do ‘just enough’ to bring us back on an even keel, just enough to stop us becoming homicidal psychotics through exhaustion.

But we don’t usually do enough to really recharge the batteries. And the consequence is that our batteries run out more quickly, more often, and we spend a lot of time in that fruitless, unproductive place of fogginess that comes from a lack of true rest. True rest is taking time to do nothing. No thinking. No doing. No racing from place to place. Nothing. I know it’s tough and who the hell has time to do nothing…but here’s the thing. 1 minute of doing nothing is a good start. Can you find a minute in your day? Just to sit and let your mind empty (some people call it meditation but don’t let that freak you out). To sit and watch the stars or the clouds or the leaves on the trees or the sunset or the world go by. If you want to be like the apple tree and have spectacular results then you have to make the time to be dormant so you can be fruitful and abundant.

– Something to Play With –

Take a minute today to do nothing. Just a minute. If you can, take a few minutes. And just do nothing. Allow yourself the luxury of being dormant. Let me know how you get on. Leave me a comment below. Or pop over to my facebook page and leave a comment there.

Love

Donna.x