Daily Nourishment for July 25, 2024: When Things Don’t Go the Way You Want
Daily Nourishment Read Time: 30 seconds
Pause/Prompt/Practice Time: 15 minutes
Begin again.
Pause.
Take six deep breaths with a six-count inhale and a six-count exhale. Then close your eyes and rest for a few minutes.
Prompt.
Sophfronia Scott spoke about beginning again in her keynote address here at The Glen on Monday night but I missed it because I was still recovering from my wild travel situation. There’s another panel of some sort soon with multiple Glen faculty on Beginning Again which I will miss because I’m sick and hiding out in my room and missing the last half of the Glen.
But, as I begin to feel better from this illness and my mind and soul and body are revived, I’m thinking about how to begin again after my plans were disrupted and interrupted.
And I’m sure I’m not the only one. Maybe others here are sick or injured or disappointed or sad because things just haven’t unfolded the way they hoped.
Maybe some reading this aren’t at The Glen. They are at home or at work or on vacation but interruptions and disruptions seem to be winning with them, too.
Take a couple of minutes to name any disruptions and interruptions that have disturbed your plans over the past week or so. Take notes, journal, or make a list.
Practice.
Now take a few deep breaths and read over your notes, journal, or list. Read over it again. Set a timer for three minutes and sit in silence and hold space for the interruptions and disruptions.
After that timer ends, set another timer for seven minutes and take notes, journal, or make a list for how to move forward, how to begin again when you have energy and time to begin again.
What would it look like to begin again?
What would it look like to try again?
Even if the original thing can’t be replicated or replaced, what’s a different way to begin again?
What did you receive anyway? What good things have you received even though things didn’t go the way you wanted? Is there at least one thing you can name?
Want More?
If anyone reading has notes from Sophfronia Scott’s talk on beginning again, can you please send them to me? Or add a few highlights to the comments section below? What do you remember? What was most helpful?
Today’s Prompt and Practice were inspired by a talk Sophfronia Scott delivered on Monday afternoon at the Glen. Happy Glen-ing to everyone attending the Glen Workshop this week. May you find more of your people there. People who help you feel less alone in your faith. People who nourish your creative soul. If you aren’t attending the Glen Workshop this year, may you find more of your people wherever you may be.
During the month of July, Spiritual Direction for Writers® Daily Nourishment will feature Glen Workshop facilitators and other Glen-ish people, places, and things. Enjoy!
Upcoming Workshops & Gatherings
—The July Co-Writing Schedule is live
—Save the Date: Spiritual Direction for Writers® + Enneagram for Creativity Gathering will take place on Saturday, September 28th. Recordings will be available if you can’t join us live. Speakers will be announced soon!
Today’s Daily Nourishment was provided by Charlotte Donlon.
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