Back to the Basics

     As we were driving to doTERRA's  Post Convention Tour last Thursday, I mentioned to my friend that I have a recurring theme that keeps presenting itself when I meditate.  The theme is to get Back to the Basics.(and then for some reason the song Back in the Saddle by Aerosmith plays in my head!) I have felt this way a few times in my life.  Sometimes I feel like I get so wrapped up in all the "Bigger, Better, Faster, Now" of the world, that I forget what I am truly grounded in.  I can tell when I get caught up there, because I am scatter brained and irritated.  So she responded with, "Well, what does back to basics mean to you?"  I was actually taken aback.  I really thought I knew. I suppose it always meant a simpler way of doing things.  I had this idea in my head, but it appears it was more of a concept than an actual plan.  We had reached our destination shortly after that, so the conversation ended there.  But not in my head. I was very moved by a few things I heard at that evening's presentation and it got the wheels spinning even faster.
     So what's a Mama Bear to do to figure out how to bring balance back into the fold?  For we all know, that when Mama is crazy, the whole house is crazy.  Or whatever variation of that saying you like to throw out there.  A long time ago, I was introduced to a woman that quit a very successful career in Direct Sales and decided to become a consultant  for people like me.  She had created a program called Digging Deeper. The core fundamentals of the program focused on what she called "Your 8 lanes of life".  Your life is broken down into 8 categories or lanes. They are Spirituality, Family, Health, Work/School, Personal Development, Financial, Social, and Community. The first step is to define how each of these pertain to your personal life.  The category's weight of attention they receive from you ebb and flow, depending on where you in life.  Sometimes, your family life is full front and center, sometimes it is your work or school, etc. This is the natural roller coaster of life. No one thing stays at the top of the list every day of your life.  (You may think it does, but dig a little deeper and see for yourself). Once you clarify what these look like, you can even go a step further and look to the future. What would you like these to look like in 1 year, 5 years, 20 years.  I especially like to use this method since it helps me break things down.  We call have our niches.  But, I digress. Back to the Basics!
     I sat down and really started to think about what those Basics are for me.  I think we all have an idea of how we want our lives to look and feel, but few of us take the time to sit down and figure out how to get there.  What does it really take for me to live the life of my dreams.  I'm not talking about that grand mansion having, billion dollar lifestyle.   I'm talking about the one that really makes our soul content.  We have all heard the saying, "A goal without a plan is just a dream". So, I guess it's time to sit down and write out that plan. For me, looking towards an end picture and working backwards seems to help.  It really does help me to identify if I am willing to do the work to reach that end vision.  Because, lets face it, if I am not willing to do the work, it will never happen.  No amount of wishing or dreaming will ever make that happen. 
     What does that look like for you?  Have you ever sat down and defined the different areas of your life?  Does the thought of doing something like this excite or scare you? The first time I did it, I was a little mad.  I really wasn't focusing on the things that took me closer to my goals.  That was a tough pill to swallow.  So, of course, the excuses of a busy life came out to play.  I think it is always good to revisit where we are headed.  For all I know, I could very well be still chasing after dreams I no longer even feel drawn to, just simply out of habit.  I am not who I was even a year ago.

     It's time to get back to the basics!