"When our souls are tired, we don't need sleep, we need to get away and just be.”

It happens to all of us. We push and push and grind, and the truth is, we don't always take the best care of ourselves. Soul exhaustion creeps up, and then it's time to address our self care in a big way.

How Do I Know If My Soul Is Tired?

Have you ever felt a weariness that seems to seep into your very bones?

It's a kind of exhaustion that sleep alone can't cure because it's a profound sense of fatigue that envelopes your entire being.

Even a full night's sleep can leave you feeling drained of energy and lacking motivation. Excitement for life feels far from grasp.

It's a scenario many of us are all too familiar with. Some call it "soul tired."

When we're exhausted, our body is working hard to just keep up with the daily tasks. When our brains are tired, we can't put anything else in.

This is where I was. Totally blah. Tired and wired. Sick of everything. No pizazz. Dull.

Soul Exhaustion...

The tent that ran away 

Here’s a story about how easily things can change, unexpectedly, and without warning. 

I believe life is easier if we know that we might have to change course when things happen out of our control.  

I think it’s a matter of three things: staying calm, allowing yourself to feel disappointment, and feeling grateful. 

Here’s what happened.

It was going to be a test run. We had just purchased a rooftop tent. This tent camper sits on a rack on top of the truck and with the push of a button and in less than a minute, the tent is fully upright and ready to sleep in.  There’s a ladder that attaches to the truck to get you up there and voila! Instant camping. 

A Trip To Death Valley

We decided that Death Valley would be a great destination as the weather was going to be idyllic for the desert...highs of only 80 and cool nights.  

We were on the road by 6 am as we knew it would be long 8-hour drive....

Summer is the best time to feel like yourself. And, after we've been cooped up for a year, it’s a perfect time to savour every day.

Summertime has the potential to help you:

1. Reset and restore
2. Have fun
3. Get creative 

When we're having fun, we put aside the worries, the goals, the stress, the have to’s. We can look at where we’ve been and where we’re going. 

Let's start with what you want 

Sometimes, we're so busy, we don't even know what we want and we don't take time to figure it out.  

Start here:

Ask yourself these questions:

What would make this an unforgettable summer? 

What if it was the first summer I got to ________

If I had all the free time I wanted this summer, I'd ________

The best summer I ever had was _________.

These questions can give you clues to what you're longing for and what makes you happy. 

Sit down right now and write it out.

I give you full permission to dream. 

Want to go to Hawaii? To some...

Trusting your inner wisdom isn't always easy, but if you don't you will miss out on experiences in life. This is my story about trusting myself and my inner wisdom, and three ways that you can start listening to and trusting yourself more. 

Full disclosure: I’ve never really trusted myself.

I’m not proud of this.  

And besides that, this not trusting myself has caused me problems my entire life. 

Learning to listen to myself

But I’ve changed all that. 

I’ve learned that rather than going back and forth and making myself crazy, I've learned to take a breath and listen to myself. 

So, for instance. 

When I really want to do something and that desire keeps nagging at me, I know that this is something I must do.

I’ve never gone wrong by listening to my desires.

But it’s hard to sort out why I hold back unless I give myself a chance to sort it out...what’s keeping me from just doing that thing that I want...

What would you do to get back home?

This is Part 2 of the story about two people in my family who were caught off guard away from their homes in March by the pandemic.

Their story is one that will inspire you. If you didn’t have a chance, you’ll want to read Part 1 of the piece I wrote about how they got stranded. You can read it here. 

 Bev

She waited and waited for months for a possible opening to fly to Vanuatu, her new home.

The borders to this tiny country with no covid have been closed since March.

In September, a repatriation flight from Auckland opened up.

It took a boatload of emails and phone calls to the Vanuatu government and the New Zealand government in order to coordinate the tricky business of getting Bev on that flight. Stephanie, Bev's daughter, worked hours and hours to get clearance for Bev to fly.

There were so many on and then off again moments...for weeks until they knew that Bev was approved for the flight. 

It took 70 hours...

Read the article and follow me on Medium.

You can also listen to this podcast on Insight Timer. 

Read the article and follow me on Medium.

When things happen outside of our control, it's normal to feel like we no longer have the power. So how can we turn this around?

You can also listen to this and follow me on Insight Timer: 

https://insighttimer.com/johatcher/guided-meditations/the-power-of-choice