Twenty-one days: spacious clearing, in the gap #disrupt

It’s said that it takes 21 days to make a habit – you’ve heard this, right?

In 21 days I’ll be visiting an island I love, on my way to a writer’s conference. I’m making a leap.

There are areas in my life where I desire shift and change – places where I feel stuck. One at the forefront is creating spaciousness and clearing from clutter and old stories. This morning I vowed to myself for the next 21 days, in order to become really open, I’ll devote a minimum of one hour every day to some space in my home where I determine I need to shift, clean, fix, eliminate, grieve, or celebrate. So whatever momentum is catalyzed during the writing conference, I’ll be building now a space to grow when I return home to create, with new inspiration and focus.

I invite you to join me these next 21 days …

To do this, three steps:

1. Reflect: What is something you yearn for and desire in life, in any area of your life? And, how is life currently showing up?

2. Intersect: Be still. Where’s the gap? (between desire and how life shows up)

3. Permission: Are you willing to disrupt whatever you do in that in-between space – the gap – to facilitate shift and change? Maybe it’s a habit, a mindset, a fear, a … ?

Yes? Make a commitment to your best you to explore this, and be curious. 21 days. Join me!

I have 34,960 photos on my iPhone, and they are speaking to me about deep yearnings. I see beauty in the ordinary, and delight in photography. So for these 21 days of action and reflection, I will notice how a photo speaks to me, offering me some insight or challenge. And share that in this blog that is curious what I’m up to.

photo: December 1, 2017, I’m in Molokai, on a week photography retreat, with some badass pros. I’m way out of my element, not even understanding manual mode. Bryn Forbes, an incredibly talented photographer, visual artist and kind man, takes time to encourage me. One morning, he doesn’t go on the photo outing. When we return, I tease him and say, “you missed out!” He replies, “no, JOMO.” I raise an eyebrow, he explains, JOMO – Joy Of Missing Out.*

In these 21 days, to focus on what I deeply desire, there will be times of FOMO, and JOMO. And a memory of this morning, when we were at an incredible sunrise, and I stood in the pouring island rain, soaking in the surf and rising light. Then a little later, exploring the beach, and catching Bryn shooting the sea cliffs from Mo’omomi Beach, Molokai. Tonight I’m reminded of him, a talented artist, who told me I might not have the technical skills, yet, (which can be learned) but I have a heart and eye to see. And he stayed at the big “processing” table in the Hui dining room I finally dared to join, at my right, coaching me in Lightroom as I intuitively navigated new software, while he created the most mind-boggling beautiful video of thousands of images.

There is room for everyone and everything, and we need people in our lives who encourage us, and stand with us. So on day 1 of 21, I celebrate FOMO, JOMO, and strangers who become champion friends.

I’m here to champion you in the next 21 days. What shifts do you desire? Let’s do this!

* (In the Facebook version of this same post, Bryn let me know that he learned about JOMO from Lynette and Dewitt Jones, who I also met that week.)