Life

the art of having patience + finishing what you start

The Sunday Muse ☁️ vol. (i honestly forgot)

First can we just all appreciate how freaking cute this image is? Pinterest is the best, honestly.

Anyway! Hello friends and welcome to a new week and a new month. If you’re new here (because I got like 50 subs over the past week, which is so awesome) welcomeeee to your first Sunday Muse newsletter. Just a quick note: sometimes I don’t send one. My OG subs know exactly why and the reason can vary: I’m either SUPER busy, hungover, on a writing hiatus, or very tired from a long night with a toddler. LOL. So, ya know… it happens.. life happens. But! I do try to be in your inbox every Sunday when I can. Last week I didn’t have a Sunday Newsletter for you all because I was too busy soaking up the last days of my mom and grandma visiting us! If you haven’t yet read my August recap, I’ll link it below! :) In it I talk about how sweet that visit was along with other things that made August special.

I’m just trying to understand how we’re already in September?? We have officially reached my favorite time of year — the -ber months. I thrive in these months. I feel like I’m a hermit all year until it hits the final quarter of the year and by that time? I’m ready to enjoy the fresh air outside, the cool breeze on my skin, and smiling at strangers striking up conversations and living freely. The -ber months honestly are the hug we all need after a long year. The outside world whispering “slow down, take your time” and suddenly we all do it. We start doing things that honor a type of slowness that this time of year brings and I fucccking love it!!! Okay?! So I hope you’re doing all of the things you need to do to help yourself wind down for the year. I know I am. Speaking of slowing down, that leads me into today’s Sunday Muse topic: the art of finishing what you start and having patience.

I am a chronic not-finishing-what-I-start person. My brain moves a million miles a minute and I go from doing one thing to another thing in a matter of minutes and if it’s something that takes more time — a matter of days. Finishing my book earlier this year wasn’t just a major accomplishment because of the fact that I actually wrote and published a book (still can’t get over that) it’s a major accomplishment for me personally because of the fact that it can be really hard for me to pay attention to things and stay focused. So, I am in the season of slowing down, being present, finishing what I start, and having patience with myself. Now, don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t not finishing things because I just lost interest. I wasn’t finishing because I was so incredibly distracted. Not only that, I was so fixated on instant gratification and that dopamine hit that we get from being in such a technologically advanced world. If I don’t feel like cooking, I can just order food and it’s at my door in a matter of minutes. If I don’t like a show within the first five minutes, I can turn it off because I have thousands of options on all of the streaming services we use. If I don’t want to go grocery shopping, I can just order them online and have someone else do it.

There is nothing wrong necessarily with having access to these things. Sometimes it can be a good thing, but sometimes it hinders our growth as human beings. A lot of the reasons why I use these delivery apps, or I switch shows constantly has a lot to do with a lack of patience and that lack of patience causes me to not finish what I start.

There is something so beautiful though about being able to be patient and finish things that may take you a little longer than something else. No, it isn’t that instant gratification that we are so used to, but the reward you earn in finishing it is greater and the dopamine lasts much longer than if you would’ve just taken the easy way out.

For the last month, I have been challenging myself to finish what I start and in doing that, it’s been teaching me patience. I have one show and one book I am entertaining right now. I told myself I cannot start another show until I finish the one I’m currently watching. Now if I want to catch a movie for the cozy vibes, I’ve allowed myself that. But shows? I have to finish this show I started. Now I know some of you may be like “well you have free will, you can do whatever you want.” This is true — and with that free will I’m choosing to make myself finish things before starting on something new in that category. I am a woman of many interests, so of course doing only ONE thing would drive me crazy. But in certain categories of my life — like reading, watching shows, and even my manuscripts — I need to just focus on one. I used to bounce around shows like a rabbit just going from one to the other because it didn’t catch my attention within the first 10 minutes. I never gave it time to WOW me.

Example, there was a movie I was watching last night called The Substitute the first 15 minutes went by and I was like NOPE! I’m changing it. Then I remembered that I am trying to teach myself patience. So I stuck it out. I watched it til the end and I’m glad I did. It was a solid movie. Then I watched an action movie right after that I wouldn’t usually watch (action movies aren’t really my thing but I do watch them if they’re really good) and that was good too! Instead of resulting back only to a comfort show or movie, I tried out some new ones and I was rather pleased to be honest. I was patient with them both and in the end? I enjoyed what I decided to spend my time on. It felt good to say, no, you’re finishing this movie, LOL. And I know it may seem small to you, but to me? It’s the start of me being able to be a more patient person all around.

The other day for the first time since we moved (I am ashamed to say) I went to the store, physically, with a grocery list on paper, and got our groceries for the week. It took me longer. I used up 2 hours of my off day, but it felt so good to be in the store walking around, seeing what was new, grabbing some fresh flowers, and taking my time in the store. No rushing, just vibes.

Usually, after shopping on the rare occasion that I used to do it, I’d tell myself, “you’ve done a lot today, just order dinner instead of cooking.” But that day? I told myself NO. And I cooked dinner after shopping.

It felt so goooood.

I love that I am being more aware and more conscious of things and telling myself NO. Because I grew up not hearing that word often. Most would call me spoiled and they would be correct. But as much fun as it was being a spoiled brat, I have resulted into telling myself NO more often lately and being more of an adult about things.

The book I’m currently reading? I started 2 years ago. I never finished it. I picked it back up some weeks ago and told myself it was time. I was only on page 79 and I am now almost done with it. I read 100 pages last Sunday! And it’s great because I have my next book to read on my nightstand and I can’t wait to say that I finished this book before starting the other one I just recently checked out at the library.

The gratification that I have been getting from simply just being patient and doing more, even if it takes more time, has been so worth it. The gratification that I am getting from watching myself in real time get to the finish line on things I’ve started has been such an amazing feeling.

Now that I’ve started my journey on this… I have decided I’m going to plant a few herbs and watch them grow. Just a small little herb garden that I hope to turn into a full fledge garden one day. I’ve always wanted a garden, but I know it takes patience to care for anything you’re growing. Now that I am in the mindset that I am in, I know that I am ready to start it. So I am! And I’m super excited! So expect updates on that when I do within the next few weeks.

So if you’re reading this and you can relate, I feel you!! All it takes is dedication. It starts with the small things. Finishing a drawing, a painting, cooking instead of ordering out, deciding not to buy and start another book before you finish the one you’re reading (unless it’s on sale!), you know little things like that. It goes a long way. You will start to see the difference in the type of dopamine being patient and taking your time with things can give. It’s worth a try — so give it one.

Journal Prompt for the Week 🦋

In what ways this week can I honor the slowness of the new seasons ahead and be more patient?

Usually I have a poem for the week, but I wasn’t feeling the inspiration and I’d rather not give you some half ass poem. So for now, I will say goodbye and I hope each and every one of you has a great week!

Until next time,

Marie. 🤍