Codifying your hard earned lessons
What I wish I shared sooner
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Ok so here’s the thing: I love listening to Styx… usually with dramatic dancing.
I first heard Styx when I was around fourteen watching Freaks and Geeks for the first time, and I’ve unironically loved their music ever since.
It’s the crack of dawn at the time of writing and I just danced to Renegade. The stress that I woke up with dissipated from my shoulders in a matter of minutes, and now I’m drinking black tea—instead of coffee!—in the company of a couple plants that were moved for the limited winter sunshine.
I pulled myself out of bed early early this morning, even while every excuse to hit snooze was exponentially more convincing than the cold air.
In the spirit of January, I was listening to a popular self-help icon the other day. As you might imagine, they notoriously hate the snooze button.
In their view, hitting snooze is procrastinating on life. In your first waking moment, hitting the snooze button is saying no to life.
These are the thoughts I woke up with.
These are not the thoughts that motivated me to get out of bed (I also hit snooze).
To my fellow snooze button pressers: that glorious moment of rebelliously hitting snooze—wincing for a moment to make sure that you didn’t actually hit the off button—and digging deeper into the warm blankets is a sweet part of life. And sometimes, it’s just what we need.
Especially in the winter, let us be burrowing mammals before facing the world.
There are gifts in sleeping in and there are gifts in waking up early, and we make ourselves available to them beyond the fog of self-judgement.
What’s your relationship to snoozing and rising early? I’d love to know:
From this time last year, here are some writings for those who struggle with the mornings:
That last piece includes a strong argument for snoozing, in case you need it.
Waking up early this morning also gave me the opportunity to come across some old writing from a New Year’s past, and it’s fitting…
I hope that we can all feel free from the promises that we made to ourselves and didn’t hold up for whatever reason (sometimes reflecting takes the place of forgiving).
I hope that you can show up asking ~what’s here?~ and trust that you will write it down or dance it out or hold it tenderly and, in whatever time it takes to do your thing, find the words for it. I hope the same for myself in returning to writing this morning.
(Is Styx still playing as I write this? That’s a yes).
I credit major shifts to my relationship with mornings and my inner landscape with a practice called harvesting. This is something I’ve been practicing and refining for years.
Harvesting is a methodical exploration of your experiences and insights through writing.
In the pilot of Growing a Writing Practice, we had a full module dedicated to harvesting.
Why?
Because a harvesting practice guides you to get out of your own way…
Because a harvesting practice gives you the time to remember your wisdom, craft the declarations you most want to remember, and synchronize with the rhythm of your own being…
Because a harvesting practice is one powerful way to turn raw insight into tangible writing projects (and it’s great to do when you don’t feel like writing)…
Through harvesting, you craft a repository of your own wisdom.
I wish I had made this sooner, but I finally created a guide that walks you through, step-by-step, how to have a harvesting practice that is truly your own—yes, even if you’re not a ‘writer’.
You can download it here:
And you’ll also get it with registration for next week’s workshop Building Your Council of Inspiration when you select it at check out:
If you are dedicating time to reflection this month, I highly recommend that you spend time with this guide, even in 20 minute increments.
A harvesting practice is gently life-changing.
(after nearly a decade of this practice, I can say that with confidence!)
Thank you for being here.
To a gentle and bold winter,
Maggy
Studio Happenings…
📌 Building Your Council of Inspiration
Thursday, January 25th at 7pm-8:00pm EST (with flexible time until 8:30pm)
Your Council of Inspiration is a compilation of all that helps you to stay connected to your wisdom, creativity, and that which is sacred.
There are endless ways to build, reference, and evolve your Council of Inspiration. We’re going to explore some ways together.
How do you prepare for the workshop? Besides the basics (close tabs, make a cozy drink, silence the phone), there's nothing to do in advance.
If you want to prepare, simply brainstorm people (places, images, etc.) that inspire you and start to gather up notes and references.
Think: artists, scientists, writers, neighbors, fictional characters, celebrities, historic figures, archetypes, and on and on…
Register by pressing this button below:
I’m looking forward to seeing you there!
📌 Journaling Circle
Sunday, January 28th 11:00am-11:30am EST
Open to all subscribers—free or paid! I’ll send the Zoom link as the date gets closer, but mark your calendars now!
✧･ﾟ:* Please RSVP by dropping a comment below or sending me a confirmation at maggy@regardingdew.com. The only way to be let into the Zoom room is by RSVP! ✧･ﾟ
Want to invite a friend? Click this button
Are you planning to join? Let me know:
Growing a Writing Practice is coming up…
Interested in learning more? Let’s get on a short call to talk it through. I’m here to answer any questions so that you can feel clear in making a decision that feels best for you.
If you’re interested in joining at the pre-sale price that ends on February 1st, you can save your spot here.
I felt myself cringe when I read about the self help guru decidedly stating that hitting snooze was a procrastination of life. It felt so harsh, so patriarchal. I felt myself settle as you affirmed what I also experience, that hitting snooze is a choice to settle into further coziness, for however long. Especially in winter, this is required for me. Thank you for your affirmations of softness.