This photo was taken by my youngest daughter for a 4-H contest. Looks like she has a pretty good eye already!The final task in the book, Walking in This World, asks you to list the things that make you feel grounded. Julia Cameron says that the regular use of this tool is one of the most confirming rituals possible in a creative life and helps to put a sense of grounded celebration into our creative life. It does this because it emphasizes life itself.
The book goes on to say, "While we may "live for our work," our life is, and must be, larger than our work. By allowing the dailiness of life to step forward again, our work feels not only good, but better, when we place it within the comforting confines of our ongoing routines and relationships.
My list of things that make me feel grounded:
1. Reading a novel that I can really get into
2. Gardening...mostly weeding
3. Vacuuming
4. A long, hot bath
5. De-cluttering
6. Reading the Psalms
7. Driving slowly down a dirt road
8. Ironing my husband's shirts
9. Slowly washing dishes while I daydream out the window
10. A slow, long walk
It's interesting to note that most of the things on my list are done slowly and most require no thought process while doing them. What things do you do to help you feel grounded?
9 comments:
Very pretty picture! This is an interesting thought. I think the thing that keeps me the most grounded is remembering and preaching to myself God's sovereignty. I have a tendency to doubt and when I remind myself of the nature of Who God is it makes me feel safe and free.
Knitting
Working in my gardens
Sweeping
Ordering my closet
Getting rid of stuff
Walks with my husband and dog
Debbie, this may be totally out of left field, but I'm amazed at how may things on your list that make you feel "grounded" are domestic, house-wifey tasks. That may not be true for every woman, but I'm wondering if it would be true for most. I'm wondering if more women would feel contented, grounded, certain of themselves, if they did more domestic tasks on a repetitive basis. For me? dishes, gazing out the window, light gardening (like seeds/transplants), folding laundry, sorting through things like clothes or books, playing the piano.
I forgot to say, that sitting in my chair in my room, having a brief devotional each morning, is a big grounding for me. I've only been doing this consistently for about 6 months, and it's made a huge difference in my frame of mind.
I've never used the word *grounded* because I'm not sure what it means, even though I've heard it used for years...w.w. used the phrase "safe and free" in her comment. Would the others of you give me a sort of definition of what it means to you? I even looked it up on dictionary.com and am surprised that it's not there yet, common as it is.
Quilting
Working in the garden
Taking my dog for a walk
Going to church with my whole family (some Sundays it's just me)
Organizing closets
Happy Easter, Debbie!
xofrances
Hello Debbie
I enjoyed reading your "Getting Grounded" list. The picture is also lovely--was this taken in the evening?
Have a nice week end.
Best
Tracy :)
Hi, Tracy. The photo was taken at sunup. My husband plants red clover underneath our pecan trees to increase the nitrogen in the soil. It's also equally lovely as the sun goes down.
Great photo!
I like that you say you do these 'grounded things' slowly. I think that that is what helps me to stay grounded. Doing things slowly, methodically, realizing the 'why' behind what I do. I like to do all the things you mentioned (take away ironing) and best of all, I like to take long walks.
Jody
I don't know how you found my blog to visit, but I'm so glad you did. Your blog is just beautiful, emanating the spirit I feel within you and your heart for our Lord. I hold Him up too.
I also love photography and reading and wish I could have home-schooled my son, now twenty, but I was widowed when I was 34 so it wasn't possible for me to not work.
What an interesting post on what keep us grounded. I'll be thinking on that today, and possibly respond with a post of my own (which links to yours). For now, I can say it's praying with my second husband in the morning while we sit before the window with our coffee, going to Barnes and Noble with my son for chats and books, and of course, reading the Pslams.
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