Welcome. It’s Thursday- and hopefully you’re looking forward to a rest-filled Easter weekend.

Feel free to stay as long, or as little, as you’d like. But I’d love to share what’s been on my heart the past few weeks, and the intent behind a few changes I made over here at Ashton Events.

Last week, I boarded a plane to Chicago with an almost-dead cell phone, and even more dead computer.  I had a lot on my mind but wanted to do anything else but think. I had Ann Voskamp’s One Thousand Gifts in my bag, and opted to grab that first. I read through her words- amazed at the way they gripped my heart.  She spoke of rest and slowing down time.  She spoke of the difference between wanting more time and just wanting enough time.

There. I felt the nudge there.

In my previous post about inspiration, I mentioned that rest is a huge part of my ability to be creative.  As much as I might want to run full-steam ahead, 100% of the time, I can’t.  As Ann says, “I have to slow the torrent with the weight of me being all here.” I have to pause, sink into the moment, and breathe.  I have to recognize the gift of that time instead of rushing through it. That is where I find the most inspiration. The most delight.  The most joy.

Have you ever stumbled across someone who is so good at slowing down? I’ve been blessed to be surrounded by them this year.  Lara and Emily talk about it all the time: stopping the glorification of busy.  My best friend was forced to slow down when she and her hubby sold their second car.  She described her newly curbed speed- and I simply couldn’t fathom the change and pondered for days how doing that would alter my life. The kicker? She was learning to be grateful to be able to commit to less.

And my current favorite: watching my nephew slow down time for my brother and sister-in-law.  They are eager to love and raise him well.  They study him to know his needs.  My sister can tune out any environment and zero in on his cry.  On the other hand, hearing his laughter bubble over can equally stop her in her tracks and erase the commotion.  Not every moment is perfect- but there is a fullness of life. “Life is not an emergency,” Ann writes, “but life is too brief to hurry. Don’t wolf it down.”

And so, where does that leave me? I’ve always been a busybody.  I love challenges, new adventures, next steps, and grand ideas.  There isn’t much you can ask me to try that I won’t at least consider.  But that earnestness can get me into trouble.  I can work at such a high speed, tackling many projects, and not truly live through any of them. The more I think about this, the more times exhaustion washes over my body- the more I am hungry for enough time.

For Ashton Events, this means a few things:

1. My office hours are from 8-5pm, Tuesday through Friday.  Since I often am working on Saturdays, I save Mondays for either a day off or for a design day, depending on what my weekend looks like.  I do my best design work when I’m uninterrupted, and starting my week off with design items is such a treat!
2. I work hard to respond to emails, and my goal is to return them within 24 hours, during my office hours.  By working hard, and working ahead, I’m better able to avoid the panicked, last minute emails that would require an after-hours response.  I’ve found that by setting better boundaries, and gradually working ahead, I’m gaining time back for my clients.
3. Pairing down my commitments.  That launch party I spoke of last week? I hit the pause button.  I want to be able to enjoy the celebration, and the rush to get it done wasn’t allowing me to do it justice.  It can wait. The more Ashton Events grows, the more opportunities there will be- and I need to be selective.
4. I value being present with my family, my friends, and my clients.  By setting adequate time aside for everyone, I can fully enjoy the time that I spend with them.  This often means being more selective with my schedule.  I save a late night every two weeks for evening appointments.

It’s hard to write this post, and know that there will be some people that simply don’t understand.  But I am committed to resting more, being more present, and allowing what matters to count.  I want to set a groundwork of intentionality, effective communication, and consistency.

Anyone else?