I was heading into my third blog series, hoping it would be something along the lines of becoming a creative who earns an income and makes a living from their work.

But something else has shown up instead, and I feel I would like to honour it.

Perhaps it’s the change in season. We’re moving into winter, and I’m noticing a natural shift in my energy. During spring and summer, I tend to have a natural inclination towards productivity. There are things to do, ideas to explore and a general feeling of wanting to get out and about.

But now I don’t feel quite the same. I feel more inclined to slow down, and I think pushing myself to be productive right now would be going against what I actually need.

Yesterday, feeling a little stuck, I decided to try a new writing prompt I’d been thinking about. 

It’s a simple daily practice that takes about ten minutes. It’s called:

Surrender. Listen. Trust.

1. Surrender what you cannot control (2 minutes)

Sit somewhere quiet. Put your feet on the floor and take a few slow breaths.

Say to yourself:

“I don’t have to solve my whole life today. I don’t have to know how everything will work out. For these few minutes, I can put down the struggle.”

Notice what you’re carrying. You don’t need to push those feelings away or find solutions. Just allow yourself to set them down for a moment.

2. Listen instead of searching for answers (3 minutes)

Ask yourself one question:

“What do I need to know about myself right now?”

Then be quiet.

Don’t force an answer. You might notice that you’re tired, that you need reassurance, that you miss having fun, or that you need to trust yourself a little more.

Or you might hear nothing at all. That’s fine, too.

The purpose is simply to make a little space for yourself.

3. Trust life enough to take one small step (3 minutes)

Ask yourself:

“What is one small thing I can do today, and what can I allow to wait?”

It might be sending an email, spending time with someone you love, writing for ten minutes or doing something that brings you pleasure.

It doesn’t have to transform your circumstances. Just choose something that feels right for today.

Then let the rest of the day unfold.

4. End with Gratitude for what is here (2 minutes).

Find three things that are already part of your life that you can appreciate.

They don’t need to be grand. The light through a window, a laugh with your child, a cup of tea or simply having a little time to yourself.

And what did I hear?

When I stopped to listen, the answer that came to me was Self-Care.

So that’s what I’m going to do.

I’ll commit to writing a weekly blog. There are a few creative things slowly percolating in the background, some unfinished blogs I’d like to return to, and plenty of tidying up to do. But I’m not going to make a big project out of it all. 

Perhaps this is what this chapter and this series will be about.

It’s unexpected and not quite what I had planned, but this is where I find myself, so I’m going to trust the process.

Perhaps, for now, it’s enough to stop trying so hard to make everything different. To take care of myself, fill myself back up, and make time to enjoy the life I’m living, even as I continue to hope for something more.

A little less searching. A little more listening.

And just going with the flow.