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“When you reach a certain stage of commitment to yourself, you find that you are willing to give the amount of attention and energy needed to our basics [basic needs], because without them, it isn’t your life.”
Jennifer Louden
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What are your needs, shapes the rhythm of your days, what makes it your life? What both defines you and gives you energy?
Handmade Homeschool 
I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. One of my personal needs is light. It draws me and energizes me. Standing in my bright kitchen makes cleaning and baking a beautiful thing. When I see a spot of sunlight streaming through my window, I want to pull a chair into the middle of it and just sit and soak. I am motivated every day to catch that light in my photographs.
Another thing that energizes me is creating things. Some days it may be an article of clothing or a scrapbook page; on others it may be a meal or a photograph; and still others, I may only have time or energy to create an atmosphere.
Words energize me, also. One of the reasons I am drawn to your blog. You have a way with words.
Having healthy food is critical to me – to my energy, my mood, my sustained productivity, and my safety. It’s best when I can cook at home from scratch.
Time with those I love is important; quality bonding time or playful time. My partners bring alive a part of me that needs relating to draw it out. I see myself reflected in another’s eyes, and it helps me understand and trust myself more. I hope that I serve with love the same sort of thing for them.
Time to be physical matters. Sitting in nature, dancing embodied spirit, going swimming, drumming or playing piano; time to be “in” myself, to be in my body and in texture and movement and rhythm. Often it’s without words.
And, presence – attentiveness and quality focus on someone I’m in conversation with. It’s a quality of “being present” to the situation, to that moment and place, that lets me really enjoy deep conversation or simply sitting together just being. It means having my mind on now rather than the future and the stories in my head, and it helps me ground my focus into my body and environment and what’s really happening in front of me. It makes my life richer and my relationships easier.
Sorry, I’m not going to answer this question. Too much going on in my life right now to stop and think about this. I just wanted to say I love this painting *smile*
Morning latte…morning snuggles are a must! Then laughter pulls me through my days, until I can be home for more snuggles. I live for my little family. Whenever I can make anything, that gives me energy. I can think I have no energy at all, comatose, then if I get a pen, needles, brush in my hand I’m in a different world. Teaching seems to take so much of my energy… 11 more weeks to go… 🙂