your one wild and precious life
It was about 10 years ago that I came across Mary Oliver’s poem, The Summer Day. If you aren’t familiar with it, you can read the full poem here. You may have heard the last line, which is quoted often:
Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?
When I first read this poem, it took my breath away. It spoke directly to my heart; it felt like the gentle nudge I needed to assess where I was in my life and to turn towards what I felt calling me.
When you consider your life…its’ uniqueness, its’ wildness and preciousness…the fleeting nature of it…what comes up for you? I know this is a loaded existential question, one that humans have probably pondered forever. It’s a question that you might answer differently depending on the day and your mood.
Your life - it is precious and wild and fleeting. How are you living it? How do you feel about how you’re living it? Are you doing something that you care about? Are you surrounded by people who love and support you, even if they don’t always get you? Do you live in a place that you love? Does your home environment bring you pleasure? Do you have time to really take it in?
How do you pay attention to the world around you?
If you find yourself scratching your head, thinking oh crap, I’ve got it all wrong, these questions are not intended to trigger guilt or shame. I think it’s common to feel we’ve got it all wrong at times! But I believe these questions are absolutely worth asking.
Because your life is happening right now, and you have the power to make changes if you want to.
And if the idea of change feels overwhelming, you can think of making small adjustments instead.
What small adjustments could bring you a little more joy every day? Could you make some time to enjoy a hobby you used to love or have been intending to start? Or maybe spend time with a friend you’ve been meaning to see? If you don’t feel passionate about your work (and it’s OK if you don’t), what small thing could you introduce, outside of work, that you do feel passionate about?
Could you spend more time with that person who really understands you? Could you make little adjustments to your living space that bring your pleasure, like buying fresh flowers or finding some accents in your favorite colors that are fun and beautiful?
If the thought of your one wild and precious life is enough to convince you that it’s time to make a change…what do you dream of? How do you see yourself living, knowing that this is your shot at life? Does this thought give you the courage to go after a big dream? And what does that feel like? Is it exciting? Compelling? A little scary?
Living your life knowing that it is wild and precious…I think it’s an exercise that we become better at, not something that we have completely dialed.
Our world is so fast and busy and full of conflicting messages that it’s easy to forget the specialness of each day, and of life as a whole.
How can you remind yourself that your life is wild and precious?
And knowing that it is, what will you do differently?
Pretty deep, right? Tune into my podcast, coming home (to yourself) for more existential juiciness. Or if you’re curious about change work, schedule a free connection call with me. As always, may your week be filled with self-love and rich insights. With love, Amy ♡♡♡