Mapping My Impact Through Rhythms of Rest

By Elisha Wisdom

The ways that we choose to interact with ourselves refract into our relationships with our inner circle, our community, and the world at large. This means it is vital that we are intentional with the way we treat ourselves and those closest to us, because it has so much impact on our quality of life and positive output in the world. 

Some of the habits that I have built to “show up” for myself include pretty strict regimen for my sleep and diet, and a healthy portion of silence as well. What I have found is the more silence that I have in my life, the more opportunity to reflect and to unwind from the stress of the modern world. Our work, school and even media consumption can demand so much of our attention that it is important to slow down our lives through silence.

I create space for silence the most through prayer and meditation, but inserting silence into my drive and into my meals has created so much margin and peace in my life since I started prioritizing it. It helps me be more centered in my work, in my relationships, and in the world around me. I focus better, I no longer split my attention or “multi-task”, and am more grounded in many aspects of my life. 

This helps me show up better for those I am close to, and helps me pay attention to them. In my inner circle, having more time to be present with people I care about has given me more bandwidth for my working life. My relationships with these people helps build my capacity for attunement with strangers and customers at my job as well.

I want to expand my impact this summer through building my compassion and understanding of others’ experiences in the interviews I hold with my subjects. I want to make more time for the people I am close to, especially close friends, partner, and family, in the next couple weeks. I also want to build an attitude that is more curious about those around me, and open to learning about their lives.

Attached is a photo from my home in Orlando, where I am currently working in food service and collecting interview contacts. Still waiting for launch when I go to Tallahassee for Summer B and begin instructing!