Wait! Don't forget this.

OMG! We've been busy the last 3 weeks with moving activities.

It's complicated because half our stuff is in storage, and half in the 1 bedroom apartment we've been living in. We threw out most of our furniture when we sold our 4 bedroom house and now we need to buy new ones. The new place doesn't have a kitchen or closets or bathroom stalls so we had to organize the renovations too. We had to arrange for cleaning and repairs for our old apartment. Plus getting rid of all the packing materials was a logistical challenge.

We have literally been in go-go-go mode where each day there's something to take care of!

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One night, we walked to town to buy some stuff from the grocery.

And as we were rushing to get home... I realized that we were walking through this gorgeously lighted avenue with Christmas log cabin booths lining the sides. People were walking about enjoying the festive atmosphere.

And I wasn't registering any of it! I was hyper focused on the next task (which was making dinner). How many times have I missed experiencing life because I was so focused on my next goal?

All my life I've been going from one task, from one goal to another. It's my way of moving myself forward one step at a time. Like hand over hand rope climbing.

But I now realize that living is found in the spaces in between (these goals). My friend Karen Choi calls it the "ma", a Japanese concept of intentional space that gives shape to the whole. See her beautiful explanation here.

​Our lives are not just about achieving, but also about enjoying. And we're always navigating the tension between the two.

• How much vacation time do I take before work piles up? 

• Should I take a break when the next opportunity is coming up, I should get ready instead? 

• I can't relax in the evening because I'm thinking about tomorrow's meeting.

We've been trained to focus on achieving so it's easy to slip into "busy mode". But it's funny how enjoying is hard work for many of us. But that pause, that "ma", is essential.

My friend Tanya Keggin, is an artist. And I could see her pausing between brush strokes to appreciate what's already there and envision what else could add to her creation. That pause allows thoughtfulness blend with her creativity.

Your life is your creation. Your enjoyment of it (not any external criteria) is the true test to see how close you are to your masterpiece. Taking a pause to look around allows you to take it in and see where else you could improve.

So as December starts to roll in, before the busy season starts, I'd like to invite you to find your "ma", that intentional space to pause.

With love,

❤ Michelle

Enjoy your life!