The work happens at home — not the event

A friend shared a post in her private group around life not feeling the same after coming home from a transformational retreat that she facilitated. Where working on content creation and doing anything online felt difficult and uninspiring. Strongly desiring to be back in that same level of community & connection.

I responded:

What you describe is what I experience after any kind of meaningful experience: retreats, in-person activities, exciting adventures/trips, dance events, inspiring movies, long meaningful conversations with friends, etc.

While I will continue to attend said events and experiences, lately I have realized that “the magic” truly happens “at home.” I realize that life doesn’t quite live up to what I experienced and then I tend to “wait around” for the next big, exciting thing — and squander months of time in my home life.

In reality, more of life is taken up in the “gap” between these experiences — in the “home life.” If I don’t leverage this time at home, then I’m likely squandering 90% of my life “waiting.”

I’m trying to approach life not in seeing these types of experiences as “keys” to my growth, but rather seeing the day-to-day — the “little work” — as the “key.”

Those experiences (events, videos, trips, connections) ARE valuable, important, and essential: they shine a light on and reveal what is truly possible and awaken parts of ourselves that have been dormant. They allow us to meet the people we’re meant to be connected with.

As host and attendees of these events, as creators and viewers of these posts/videos — are we willing to take what we saw and bring it into the ‘mundane’ part of life through this ‘little work’ and intentional connection?

To others in our community that vibe at a similar wavelength?

To a stranger that might be radically impacted by your one “simple,” yet intentional, love-infused connection?

I don’t want to be waiting around for the next event.

I want to jam pack as much growth, experience, and connection in my DAYS at HOME, because that’s when I can truly show myself that I have grown from that magical experience.

That way when the next event rolls around, I’m a completely different person and get to experience a new level of magic and awareness.

So yes — I miss the experience, the people, the magic. And I can’t wait (I am legitimately excited for) for “the next one.”

In the meantime, what can I do that shows I have the courage to embody what I experienced at that event?

What can I do today that will manifest into reality (for myself or my community) more of what I experienced from the ‘magical experience’ — so that I am not only waiting for the next event to roll around?

For the record: I struggle in this area a lot. This post is a prompt for myself to show up in my “home life” to manifest into reality what I envisioned/experienced from “the event” — without invalidating the value of that event/experience/connection/trip.

The goal is to fill in the gap between these big experiences with intentional work that helps create a more fulfilling day-to-day reality. The “little work” (often uninspiring or lackluster by comparison) actually matters just as much as the big exciting events.

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Comment: Facebook

Photo: Max Wolfs