Restocking My Shelves

By Joyce C. Mills, Ph.D.

One day while sitting on the beach in Kaua'i, my husband and I were going over the stock in the angel shop we opened in the small town of Hanapepe just two years after Hurricane Iniki ferociously struck our beautiful island.

We talked about what to order and reorder and how important it is to keep our shelves stocked, when suddenly I personally realized something about myself . . . my shelves were empty. Since our move to the island just 10 days before Iniki hit Kaua'i on Sept. 11, 1992, I have been working with the children and families in the healing and recovery process. I was busy "taking care of business" so to speak and had little time for me. It was a time of constantly giving out energy, no time for personal exercise, eating right, attending nurturing workshops, or my soul's love . . . writing.

Being someone with a lot of energy, I never really paid much attention to my inner needs at this time. I really thought I was able to handle everything myself. I answered all of my mail, phone calls, balanced workshop requests and schedules, clients, husband, children, friends, and a counseling program for which I barely earned a living. I kept thinking I could handle it, even though I wasn't sleeping well and my body felt like it might crumble from the pressure? Sound familiar?

It wasn't until that very moment of sitting on the beach and uttering the words, "our store is looking empty, we need to restock our shelves" . . . when I realized I was also talking about me. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry at that moment of awareness. My shelves were truly empty.

Once realizing this, I began thinking about what I needed to "restock my shelves" . . . my inner well-spring of Self . . . I felt like I had no more to give.

It has been some six months since that fateful "beach awareness day" as I like to call it and I can already feel the results of my "restocking decisions."

One result is this article. I feel so many of us are in the same boat. The demand of everyday life drains us of the soul's vitamin supplement . . . self nurturing time . . . and it is "self nurturing time" that allows our inner shelves to remain stocked.

The following are five ideas for Restocking Your Shelves:

Find a quiet time and make a list of all of your "doing-for-others" activities.
Make another list of all your "doing-for-yourself" activities.
Look at both lists and see if they are balanced.If the "doing-for-others" list far outweighs your "doing-for-yourself" list, see what you can eliminate. Your willingness to let go of certain demands allows you to make room for new ideas and personal growth.
Create a "dream picture" for yourself, by drawing symbols of what you want to do for yourself in both your personal and business life. That can range from a new hairdo, or workout program to finally learning how to use a computer or attend that long-desired seminar.
Walk out into nature and pick up a rock, leaf or flower, hold it in your hands, close your eyes and mentally ask it to teach you something you need to know right now that can help you restock your shelves. Nature has a way of transforming the "I can't do it mind," into the "all things are possible mind."

Remember to take the time to RESTOCK YOUR SHELVES.

Reach for your goals
Enjoy an aspect of nature each day
Seek new ventures
Treasure your uniqueness
Open your heart to love
Create beauty within your surroundings
Kindle your dreams.