Editor’s Note:
As Perpend related in Ep. 14 of Thriving the Future Podcast, his Perfect Day looks like a fairly average day that many would not see as anything special. But it has space, it has room to think, to relax, to breathe, while still Getting Stuff Done.
“The whole point is living a life of intention and designing your life around that intention”.
– Perpend
Perpend’s Perfect Day
I noticed one of the small oak trees did not make it through winter. I decided to repurpose the spot.
I took a short ride down the road to collect wild lilies by the side of the road. Lesson: There is abundance all around. Get out of the scarcity mindset and see the abundance.
Stopped by my favorite local coffee shop to drop off some wild flowers to a friend. In the end, some of the lily flowers probably would not survive transplanting, so it is better that their beauty be shared.
Back home I used some spare garden border pavers to surround the area to keep my lilies from be mowed down.
Pro tip: watch Facebook marketplace for cheap garden supplies. If you do not mind differing blocks around the place they are a good way to mark “this is my garden bed, you better not weed eat or mow it”. (I seem to be the only one that can see the transition from lawn to garden here)
With the garden bed marked by pavers, I use a garden fork to turn and break up the ground for planting.
I spread a mix of buckwheat, alfalfa and sunflower seed to fill in bare areas until I decide what else to plant here.
I used a trowel to make holes for the lilies. Planted them and made sure the sod was all grass side down. Next I mulched with removed tree branches and wood chips from the chicken brooder.
Pro tip: use what is appropriate. Problem: I have had trouble with these tall Shepard hooks that are attached to my bird feeders. They come loose or get caught by the Kansas Winds that spring load and catapult my birdfeeders. Solution: I wired them together with a short T-post to add rigidity.
The rest of the day was spent in contemplation – reading and praying.
What does your Perfect Day look like?
Tip: It is important to design and live an intentional life NOW, not so far in the future that it is irrelevant or doesn’t matter.
Waiting for “just until I pay off my house” is the Toolbox Fallacy, an excuse that will not allow you to move forward. If you wait until you retire then you will have “given your best days to others” and “wasted your days in vanity”.
Do a self inventory to design your intentional life:
- Step 1. Write down what you value.
- Step 2. Choose 3 activities for each one to support that value.
- Step 3. Give yourself permission to do what needs to be done.
- Why do you need permission? You may be surprised. It opens the mind to other options. Helps you think outside the box.
More on these exercises in Thriving the Future Podcast Ep. 5 – Living an Intentional Life.
All pictures on this page by Hannah Byrd at MyHBCreations. Also follow Hannah – @MyHBCreations on Twitter.
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