Just give and people will remember how you made them feel

For such a seemingly social creature I place and extremely high value on alone time. Lately it has had to fit around work, working for someone else, which is actually a really good thing. It forces me to carve out moments for myself in my otherwise occupied day. The last few days I have taken to walking a few extra blocks for a coffee (reminder: pick up ground coffee and almond milk). It gives me time to be alone in a crowd, putting one foot in front of another and not be accountable to anyone but myself and my short soy cappuccino. I also love that quiet time before I go to sleep. I usually have bold ambitions of reading something worthwhile or getting some work done but often it looks like me putting on some tunes and hunkering down for a little pre-sleep nap. Weird? Yes, Awesome? Always.


I think this 'hammock time' as my dear friend Eoin Finn calls it, is so key to our well being. Vancouverites actually seem to get this for the most part. Runners who run to stop their brains for an hour. Yogis who practice and meditate for their own space. Writers, readers, musicians, all the little ways to just indulge. Putting ourselves first in a day that often requires us to be lower on the ladder of priority. 


Taking time, taking care of ourselves also allows us to better take care of those around us. A full tank allows us to give to others without depleting so much of our own stores. It also tends to make us, or at least me, more stable, more chill, more fun to be around. I came across a quote this morning that pretty much sums up what giving to others can do. "Just give and people will remember how you made them feel." I think this is key. Doing and giving without expectation of results is what we do when we take time for ourselves and also what we can do for those around us. 


here is a cool TED Talk by Eoin himself on the idea of Hammock Enlightenment.