We gals love creating our nest, unless we don't. It's style, size, location, matters. What matters most is its coziness, warmth, and nurturing nature. My nest is a cottage. Post divorce and a return to the US, having lived in Paris for 16 years, caused me to do reconsider, all of it! What was to be important for this next phase of my life? 
What does it take to slow me down? As I never know what’s coming weather wise, it’s fun to wake up to whatever has arrived. Nature surprises. Weather, we have no conrtol over it. Isn’t that a relief. One less thing to “try” to be in control of.
Control is over-rated. Of course, it’s an illusion. We control nothing. Life has its way and it brings what it brings, especially in the area of weather. These slow-down moments when we’re out of our routine, our efforting and struggle, are the times to be grateful. Sitting by the fire here in New England, Nature decides: breakfast on a tray, a couple of social calls, and someone else working the snow shovel. As I refuse to have either a TV or internet at home, Nature has directed me to write this morning, read, or do something outrageous like take a nap,
go back to bed. How delicious.
Carrot, the cat, is outside. I’ll let him be the snowball sliding down the hill on all four.
So the question remains. How to look at this need to control, manage, know it all, all the time? Less media: the world won’t fall apart if we don’t know it all in the instant. Recognize that those around are anxious to tell you what’s going on including tomorrow’s weather forecast. Pay attention to the cell call that nearly drives you off the road. What we‘ve come to think of as urgent might just be impatience or importance.
The real deal is, I believe, that we are addicted to knowing, talking, sharing, filling the airwaves just not to be alone or left out. OUCH!
Let’s get a grip. Perhaps the most urgent is to know what really is urgent. We could learn to take a deep breathe, perhaps two, before acting. I think we think these urgencies are what makes life fun, fast, exciting. It makes us important, like fast cars racing around a track ....in circles. Now there’s an analogy. We like the racing, the self-importance of who we think we are when we’re in demand, on deadline, racing in circles.
Granted we all have things to do, to move, to respond to. It’s how we 'walk the walk' (or 'run the run') that’s interesting. What are we telling ourselves about our self-importance. Truth be known. Perhaps there's an emotional hole that's looking to be filled instead of being overly busy while trying to keep it all in control.
The snow has now blanketed this corner of the world, and in this moment,
I’m happy to snuggle in for that nap. jb
Jill Butler
Author of Create the Space you Deserve.
Creator of JillSBirds’nWords TM
www.jillbutler.com
